Rally Archive
Rali Mon
Sponsored by Titan
Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club
21st/22nd September 2024
Winners: Gareth Rhys Jones/Deio Rhys Jones (Toyota Corolla)
Photograph: © Cyril Williams Photography
Organiser: Caernarvonshire & Anglesey Motor Club
Date: 21st/22nd September 2024
Clerk of the Course: Gruff Parry & Shaun Bee
Route: 100 Miles (Map 114)
Start: Bangor City Football Ground
Finish: Bull Inn, Llangefni
Starters: 70
Bangor City Football Ground was the start venue for the Rali Mon, supported by Titan, an automotive parts supplier. This was the only part of the event that was on the main land, as, immediately after the start, the route scurried across the Menai Suspension Bridge and on to Anglesey, where the remainder of the rally took place.
The seventy starters were led away by the 2023 Rali Mon winners, Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams (Ford Escort), who, after almost all crews cleaned the short opening section around Pen-y-Parc Reservoir, took the lead by being quickest on the second sector, which was in the lanes to the north of Beaumaris.
Jones/Williams were four seconds late at SF2 at Llanddona, while Gareth Rhys Jones/Deio Rhys Jones (Toyota Corolla) were six second behind them and one second ahead of Iwan 'Bont' Roberts Jnr/Daniel Jones (Toyota Corolla). Fourth quickest, on 26 seconds, were Sion Eifion Jones/Kieran Price (Peugeot 206 GTi).
All of the top ten cleaned the third section, which ran from Pentraeth to Llanfairpwll. However the sector from TS4, at Gaerwen, to TF4, at Dwyran, had a dramatic effect on the lead battle; nearing the end of the section a drive shaft on the leaders' Escort broke and the top seeds were out.
Therefore the fight for first place was now between the two Corolla crews, both of whom, along with Jones/Price, cleaned the section. Mark 'GT' Roberts/Dylan Jenkins (VW Golf GTi) dropped two seconds at SF4, but were in fourth place, 24 second off the lead.
Starting at Llangaffo, the fifth section, which had three intermediate TCs, ran to SF5, which was situated under the railway bridge at Glanrafon. The battling Toyotas both cleaned it, while Jones/Price were ten seconds late at the finish control, putting them 26 seconds off first place, but over half a minute ahead of Roberts/Jenkins, who dropped 27 seconds on the section.
This was the high point for Jones/Price as, on the next section, their Peugeot broke a shaft and, from third place, they joined the retirement list.
Rhys Jones/Rhys Jones extended their lead on Section Six, the final test of the first half. They, once again, were clean at both the intermediate TC and TF6. Roberts Jnr/Jones lost seven seconds as they were delayed by meeting a spectator car coming in the opposite direction. This left the two Corollas separated by eight seconds at the Valley halfway halt.
Roberts/Jenkins were in third, over a minute off the lead, but only 12 seconds ahead of Carwyn Evans/Aled Pennant (Ford Escort), who had dropped a minute on the second section, at a TC that most had cleaned. Dewi Jones/Iwan Jones (Mazda MX5) completed the top five at Petrol.
The Semi-Expert Class was led at this point by Deio Hughes/Guto Edwards (Ford Fiesta), who, despite a misfire, were over a minute in front of their nearest class rivals, Tom Parkes/Tom Lindstrom (Toyota MR2). Their positions were to be reversed in the second half as Hughes/Edwards slid into a ditch and lost three minutes before regaining the tarmac.
It was not a good night for Ford Escorts, the model which usually dominates Welsh road events; there were none in the top three places and those of Robi Wood/Osian Davies, Robyn Jones/Aron Jones, Alun Pierce Jones/Alun Hayward, Gwynfor Jones/Chris Evans and Rhys Llywelyn Jones/Lewis Griffiths failed to make it to the halfway point.
The second half was just one continual competitive section, with a total of eleven timing points, plus the finish control. It ran in a broad loop from Bodedern to Benllech, before heading inland to end near Llangefni, the location of the finish venue, the Bull Inn.
Every crew dropped time at TC7d, with the leaders being quickest; they were 15 seconds late, nine better than Roberts Jnr/Jones. Rhys Jones/Rhys Jones cemented their position by being the only competitors to be clean at TC7f, where the second placed Corolla added 15 seconds to their total.
Rhys Jones/Rhys Jones did drop time at two later controls, while Roberts Jnr/Jones were clean for the remainder of the event, however the leaders only lost six seconds in total, meaning that they came home with a 26 second victory margin. After good showings on both the recent Classic Lanes and Gogledd, this gave the fifteen year old navigator his first rally win.
The two Corolla crews were in a class of their own; they were a minute and a half ahead of third placed Roberts/Jenkins. In fact, the top five remained the same during the second half, with Evans/Pennant finishing in fourth, in front of Jones/Jones, who had closed the gap between the two by ten seconds during the latter stages.
Fifty crews, from the original 70 starters, made it to the Finish.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Penalty Details
- Fail Penalties
- Overall Positions at MC2
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters