Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest
Clerk of the Course: Martin Rowe & Bryan Wheeler
Stages: 11 (57 Stage Miles)
Venue: Sweet Lamb & Hafren
Starters: 82
Winners: Julian Reynolds/Ieuan Thomas (Subaru Impreza)
After four stages of Ecurie Royal Oak MC’s Sweet Lamb Stages Julian Reynolds/Ieaun Thomas lay in twenty-eighth position, however they fought through the field to take first place by over a minute at the Finish. Reynolds, testing the engine of his Impreza prior to the Trackrod, had put the car off the road on a deceptive left hander in Hafren on SS3, losing three minutes in the process. He then had to start SS4 on a flat tyre and lost further time. However he took fastest time on all seven remaining stages and re-gained the lead with one test to go.
Top seeds Simon Redhead/Alan Thomas had held the lead up until SS7, the second run through Hafren North, there they put their Impreza off on the same corner that had caught Reynolds on the first run. They lost more than four minutes and retired soon afterwards with brake failure.
Tim Freeman/Paul Bardon took over the lead from Redhead but suffered from a lowly seeding and were badly delayed by the dust from the car in front on the final stage. However it’s unlikely, even without the hold up, that they could have withstood the charge by Reynolds and they finished over a minute behind in second.
John Lloyd/Pauline Gullick had a clear run to third, while Bob Morgan/Dave Saunders took fourth despite being another victim of the Hafren left hander on SS7.
The event was the final round of the Miller Oils Welsh Clubmans Championship and it saw two driver still in contention for the title; these were Ieaun Rowlands and Tim Jones. Rowlands, partnered by Darren Garrod, executed yet another giant killing performance in their 1600cc Escort and finished in fifth place overall despite gearbox problems on the final stages. However this was not enough to prevent Tim Jones, who finished in twelfth, taking the title. Don James had already sewn up the co-drivers’ series on the previous round.
Graham Middleton/John Morgan, having had to change the head gasket overnight, had a short event, going out with clutch failure on SS3, while Simon Tuckman/Richard Ekin crashed their Escort out of the rally on the same stage. Rob Dick/Baz Green (Ford Escort) lost ten minutes after an off on SS3,they continued but retired on the last stage when they lost all oil pressure.
Paul Tod/Iestyn ap Dafydd overcame a number of problems to grasp first place in the 205 Challenge on the Sweet Lamb Stages on the very last stage. Simon Moore/Mark Mason had led the Challenge crews for the first ten stages and started the final test, an eleven miler through Hafren, six seconds ahead. However Tod set such a pace through the stage that he not only secured the Challenge lead but also set the ninth fastest time in the overall event.
Tod/ap Dafydd suffered a puncture on SS2, lost 35 seconds with an excursion to a ditch on SS3 and then had a front strut break on SS4. They survived these trials and bounced back with a set of stunning times in the afternoon.
The relatively inexperienced Thomas Curtis underlined his talents, as, partnered by Mike Harries, he set consistently fast times throughout the day and finished third 205 and first in the Challenge’s Beginners class. Nik Blackhurst/Richard Brunning were the leading Novice crew in fourth.
Chris Davies/Nathan Parry had been expected to go well but a roll on SS3 lost them a minute and their windscreen, they struggled on to the Finish despite the discomfort. Jason Stone also went off and lost time at the same point on SS3.
Meanwhile Ben Colley/Andy Bull rolled their 205 into retirement on SS5. Ian Winstanley/Neil Bye lost any chance of taking the Challenge title when they went off the road on SS2, they were OTL by the time that they had regained the tarmac.
OVERALL RESULTS
Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
1 | Julian Reynolds | Ieuan Thomas | Subaru Impreza | 62m 45s | |
2 | Tim Freeman | Paul Bardon | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 | 63m 52s | |
3 | John Lloyd | Pauline Gullick | Subaru Impreza | 64m 22s | |
4 | Bob Morgan | Dave Saunders | Ford Escort Cosworth | 64m 49s | |
5 | Ieuan Rowlands | Darren Garrod | Ford Escort | 65m 11s | |
6 | Martin Kenny | Dave Stocking | Ford Escort | 65m 22s | |
7 | Mick Gilman | Nigel Bayley | Ford Sierra Cosworth | 65m 51s | |
8 | Darren Snape | Anthony Adams | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 | 66m 03s | |
9 | Andrew Graham | Peter Brennan | Ford Sierra Sapphire 4x4 | 66m 42s | |
10 | Colin Minton | Andy Bowen | Subaru Impreza | 67m 24s | |
11 | John Rowlands | Keith Davies | Ford Escort | 67m 24s | |
12 | Tim Jones | Don James | Ford Escort | 67m 33s | |
13 | Paul James | Ken Bowman | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 | 67m 43s | |
14 | Paul Tod | Iestyn ap Dafydd | Peugeot 205 | 68m 09s | |
15 | Simon Moore | Mark Mason | Peugeot 205 | 68m 19s | |
16 | Lynsey Hansford | Graham Roberts | Ford Escort | 68m 34s | |
17 | Thomas Curtis | Michael Harrison | Peugeot 205 | 68m 40s | |
18 | Wayne Morris | Paul Middleton | Ford Escort | 68m 42s | |
19 | A Postlethwaite | John Unwin | Subaru Impreza | 68m 49s | |
20 | Des Penny | Gary Marriott | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 | 69m 26s | |
21 | Tim Griffiths | Allen Russel | Subaru Impreza | 69m 31s | |
22 | Kevin Mechem | Collette Le Page | Ford Escort | 69m 45s | |
23 | Gary Kenny | Dean Phillips | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 | 70m 23s | |
24 | Nik Blackhurst | Richard Brunning | Peugeot 205 | 70m 35s | |
25 | Pete Johnston | Oli Gardiner | Peugeot 205 | 70m 51s | |
26 | Jason Stone | Daniel Stone | Peugeot 205 | 71m 01s | |
27 | Robbie Dale | Glenn Patterson | Peugeot 205 | 71m 01s | |
28 | Scott Bennett | James Bennett | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6 | 71m 15s | |
29 | Richard Mclachlan | Mat Mclachlan | Peugeot 205 | 71m 22s | |
30 | George Thomas | Graham Hopewell | Peugeot 205 | 71m 39s | |
31 | Simon Taft | M Robertson | Peugeot 205 | 71m 54s | |
32 | Nik Barker | Vernon Moore | Ford Sierra Sapphire | 71m 55s | |
33 | Alan Walker | Peter White | Ford Escort | 71m 56s | |
34 | Andy Stretton | Ian Harden | Peugeot 205 | 72m 22s | |
35 | Keith Parry | Martyn Quant | Vauxhall Nova | 72m 25s | |
36 | Chris Bayliss | Dylan Jenkins | Peugeot 205 | 72m 32s | |
37 | Benny Calvert | Jon Marsh | Peugeot 205 | 72m 54s | |
38 | Phil Madden | Gregg Nash | Peugeot 205 | 72m 54s | |
39 | Michael Green | Phillip Pearce | Peugeot 205 | 72m 56s | |
40 | Chris Davies | Nathan Parry | Peugeot 205 | 73m 06s | |
41 | James Nathan | Phil Jones | Peugeot 205 | 73m 29s | |
42 | Ashley Evans | Eddie Eagles | Peugeot 205 | 73m 52s | |
43 | Roger Smith | Robin Formstone | Ford Escort | 74m 25s | |
44 | Julian Davies | Neil Davies | Saab 99 | 74m 40s | |
45 | Stuart Thomas | Mark Kehrein | Ford Escort | 75m 08s | |
46 | Julius Deane | Charlie Chatburn | Peugeot 205 | 75m 30s | |
47 | Richard Cook | Edith Hunter | Peugeot 205 | 75m 32s | |
48 | Stefan Davis | John Bond | Peugeot 205 | 75m 44s | |
49 | Brian McGuiness | Mark Garner | Vauxhall Nova | 76m 17s | |
50 | Steve Riley | Peter Taylor | Peugeot 205 | 77m 01s | |
51 | Tom Fowler | Rob Spragy | Peugeot 205 | 77m 49s | |
52 | Juline Brine | Raymond Davies | Peugeot 205 | 77m 49s | |
53 | Paul Watkins | Matthew Perkins | Peugeot 205 | 78m 13s | |
54 | Anthony Hutchings | James Hutchings | VW Golf GTi | 78m 16s | |
55 | Steve Rogers | Peter Gill | Peugeot 205 | 79m 33s | |
56 | Andrew Farquharson | Nick Corstorphine | Peugeot 205 | 87m 05s | |
57 | Jonathan Langhorne | Inbal Edry | Peugeot 205 | 87m 34s | |
58 | Paul Hurley | Peter Davies | Peugeot 205 | 91m 34s |