Rally Archive
Cambrian Road Rally
Sponsored by Edwards Buildings
Tregaron & District Motor Club
1st/2nd February 2025
Winners: Ieuan Evans/Michael Gilbey (Ford Escort)
Photograph: © Alun Rees Photography
Organiser: Tregaron & District Motor Club
Date: 1st/2nd February 2025
Clerk of the Course: Dafydd Jones
Route: 100 Miles + 1 Test (Maps 135 & 146)
Base: Pontrhydfendigaid
Starters: 63
The Cambrian Rally, the second round of the 2025 Welsh Road Rally Championship, was the first time that Tregaron & District Motor Club had contributed a counter for the series. The organisers had laid out a 100 mile route based on Pontrhydfendigaid, this was preceded by a test at the nearby Mid Wales Activity Centre.
It's usual for Welsh Championship events to receive near capacity or oversubscribed entries, however, inexplicably, the Cambrian had only 63 starters, little more than the rally had attracted as a closed to club event.
The opening test was two miles in length and took in an anti-clockwise loop of the Dolebolion track, finishing with an intricate loop in the paddock area. The same layout that had been used on previous runnings of the Cambrian.
Ieuan Evans, familiar with the venue from testing of his tarmac stage rally car, broke his own record for the test, which he had set in 2023. He and navigator Michael Gilbey stopped the clock three seconds ahead of his previous best, and eight seconds ahead of their nearest challengers.
Iwan Jones/Dafydd Sion Lloyd (Ford Escort) was second quickest, two seconds ahead of Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams (Ford Escort). The latter crew were not to get much further, retiring before Petrol with a failed clutch.
Lewis Morgan/Marc Hughes (Ford Escort) had been expected to go well, but went into a ditch at the Quarry, damaging their front quarter. They completed the test in ninth place. Max Hughes/Jamie Mills (Peugeot 206) added a minute to their time when they failed to stop astride at a control at the top of the hill. They were another crew to retire early on in the road section when a drive shaft broke.
From the test crews went up to the Teifi Lakes, above Ffair-Rhos, where there was a holding control to allow for plotting. This allowed the whole field to assemble there, before tackling the first section, which ran back down the undulating and twisty access road. All cars were late at RF3.
Evans/Gilbey reenforced their lead here as they took quickest time, three seconds ahead of George Williams/Cadog Davies (Ford Escort). This moved the reigning Welsh Champions into second place, passing Jones/Lloyd for the position, who had been third quickest.
The second section was through the Rhiwlas Mine loop to the south-east of Ysbyty Ystwyth. Again, everyone dropped time on this section. Morgan/Hughes, making up for their earlier indiscretion, were fastest and moved into second place, now only three seconds behind Evans/Gilbey. Andy Davies/Eurig Davies (Subaru Impreza) also went well over the section, they posted a time just three seconds behind Morgan/Hughes, and moved up to fourth overall, just behind Williams/Davies.
Less fortunate were Richard Jerman/Alan James (Ford Escort); they had been tenth quickest over the test, then sixth best on the run down to Ffair-Rhos. However, on the climb up to Rhiwlas they picked up a puncture and dropped 30 seconds.
The next competitive section was over the Geufron White, which runs along the southern edge of Ystwyth Forest. Morgan/Hughes had their second off of the night, blocking the road for a number of following cars. This led to the penalties for the section being scrubbed. This was most fortunate for Morgan/Hughes, who had lost several minutes in the incident.
In more terminal problems after offs at the same spot were the Peugeot 206 GTi of Clive Williams/Deian Rees and the Toyota Corolla of Andrew Edwards/Harvey Jukes, the latter burning out their clutch.
The route now moved to the west, through Lledrod and towards Llangwyryfop. All the leaders lost time on the run down the deceptive lane through Brynchwyth. Evans/Gilbey were fastest and extended their lead to 12 seconds over Morgan/Hughes, however on the next section, which used the wooden bridge and Goytre roads, the latter crew, moved into a lead of seven seconds over Davies/Davies, with Evans/Gilbey dropping to third, two seconds further back.
A tricky section, which included a tour around Trefenter, didn't cause the leaders any problems, none dropped time here. However a short section that started at Bronnant and ran north through Tynreithyn, saw most crews late at SF24, the final control of the first half. Evans/Gilbey, Williams/Davies and Jones/Lloyd cleaned the section, while Morgan/Hughes dropped 32 seconds.
This meant that at Petrol, which was taken at Stag's Head, Evans/Gilbey were once again in front, with a lead of 21 seconds over Davies/Davies, while Morgan/Hughes were another two seconds off first place. Williams/Davies were 12 seconds further back, while Jones/Lloyd were losing contact and were another 31 seconds behind in fifth.
Sam Woodcock/Mark Rodway (Subaru Impreza) had been the fastest Expert crew over the test by one second from Joshua Davies/Trystan Leyshon (Peugeot 206); neither of these made it to the halfway halt. Woodcock/Rodway going out after picking up a third puncture, when they were only carrying two spares. This meant that the class was now led by Gareth Wyn Jones/Ryan Griffiths (Ford Escort), who went on to take the class award, by almost two minutes, at the finish.
Arwyn Jones/Matthew Pryce (Subaru Impreza) had been sixth fastest on the test and were the leading Semi-Experts. However, on the road sections they fell behind category rivals Phillip Jenkins/Lewis Jenkins (Ford Escort), the latter pair held the class lead to the end.
The Novice Class was led by Connah Urquhart/Iwan Twigg (Vauxhall Nova) at Petrol, but they were passed by Selwyn Lodwig Jones/Gwenno Mair Griffiths (Ford Fiesta) in the second half; this crew had been quickest in their class on the test.
From the halt the route moved to the south, to the Olmarch area. There was a demanding section through farm tracks at Gelligarneddau, which saw a number of crews go wrong, led astray by an enticing open gate. Most significantly, Williams/Davies went through the gate and lost a minute as they struggled to turn around. This dropped them to fifth behind Jones/Lloyd, who, along with the other leaders, cleaned the section.
Despite tight sections through Trefilan and Blaenpennal Davies/Davies and Morgan/Hughes didn't add to their penalty total throughout the second half. Evans/Gilbey lost time on the Trefilan section, but it was only seven seconds and this allowed them to hang on and take the win. Their victory margin at the Finish was 14 seconds over Davies/Davies, while Morgan/Hughes were just two seconds further back.
After their costly visit to a field, Williams/Davies finished in fifth, but now held a healthy lead in the Welsh Championship, as, of the leading contenders, they were the only ones to have top finishes on both the Cambrian and Round One, the JJ Brown.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Penalty Details
- Fail Penalties
- Overall Positions after Test
- Overall Positions at Petrol
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters