Rally Archive
Rali Goffa James Trenholme
Sponsored by SJ & S Williams + C Evans ElectricalMotorsport
Harlech & District Motor Club
16th/17th November 2024
Winners: Huw Rhys Manion/Nanw Manion (Ford Fiesta ST)
Photograph: © Joseph John Gilbertson
Organiser: Harlech & District Motor Club
Date: 16th/17th November 2024
Clerk of the Course: Carwyn Evans & Mari Lois Evans
Route: 80 Miles (Map 123)
Base: Sarn Mellteyrn
Starters: 54
Fifty-four cars took the start of Harlech & District Motor Club's annual novice rally, the James Trenholme Memorial. The entry included 30 Novices; these crews had received no more than two awards in the last ten years. There were also ten Beginners, these had no more than two rally finishes.
The remainder of the entry consisted of 14 Mentors; these pairings were made up of one experienced member, either driver or navigator, teamed up with a novice. This class was not eligible for overall awards. It ran at the front of the field and provided the top 14 seeds.
As usual, the event started at Sarn Mellteyrn and used an 80 miles route in the lanes in the southern half of the Llyn Peninsula. Despite the largely dry weather that had preceded the rally, the roads were extremely slippery, with a covering of mud and leaves made more hazardous due to the light showers that had been falling during the day.
Almost two hours was given to plot the route, before competitors left MC1 at Midnight. The first competitive section started at Penllech and ran parallel to the coast as far as Anelog, before skirting Aberdaron and heading back up to the end of the section near Rhydlios. There were four Intermediate Time Controls, plus the finish.
All but one crew cleaned to the first TC, which was timed to the minute, but everyone was late at STC1B, which was timed to the second. The father and daughter team of Huw Rhys Manion/Nanw Haf Manion (Ford Fiesta ST) were quickest here; they had already won an award on the event, having received the Best Presented Car prize.
Six seconds behind the flying Fiesta were Deio Glyn Jones/Iolo Jones Evans (Vauxhall Corsa), they were well ahead of the remainder of the field. In the Mentor Class, top seeds Andrew Baines/Iwan Jones (Ford Escort) had matched the fastest time.
Running at Car 7, Jamie Ollerenshaw/Deio Wyn Jones, rolled their Toyota Corolla near Aberdaron and blocked the road for the following few cars. This led to the times at STC1D being cancelled for the Mentor Class, the control remained in the results for the remainder of the competitors; this was possible as the Mentors weren't part of the overall standings and were just competing within their class.
Manion/Manion were once again fastest to STC1D, dropping 26 seconds while most of their rivals were over a minute late. They now held a lead of 29 seconds, with Elgan Madrun Huws/Gruffudd Madrun Huws (Peugeot 206) in second place.
After a short Neutral to take the route through Rhoshirwaun, battle recommence for a five mile section that started at Penycaerau. There was a time control, timed to the second, after two miles, at Nant.
Manion/Manion were fastest of the Novices, but were only one second faster than Deio Glyn Jones/Iolo Jones Evans; the latter were only in seventh place as they had lost a minute on the second section. Huws/Huws were still in second, but now 39 seconds off the lead, although they were 13 seconds ahead of third placed Rhian Jones/Catrin Price (Toyota Corolla).
Baines/Jones were quickest of all crews and now had a total of 41 seconds, and were the only Mentors under a minute. Dafydd Alun Davies/Beca Jones (Peugeot 206) were in second place in the class at this point, but failed to make the Finish after an electrical fault led to a small fire in their car.
The event had heavy penalties for arriving early at time controls; these were scored at ten seconds for every second early. Dewi Williams/Nanw Williams (Toyota Corolla) discovered this when they booked in a minute early at the end of the second section - the penalty was ten minutes.
Things got harder on the third section, which started with an intricate route to the west and south of the start venue at Sarn Mellteyrn, before heading back towards the coast at Plas yn Rhiw. The section ended with a blast which took crews to the 30 minute halfway halt which was taken at the Hell's Mouth car park. Despite a ten minute target time, everyone dropped time at the first two timing points, which were both timed to the second.
Manion/Manion were fastest of the overall contenders to STC3A, only beaten by the leading Mentors, Baines/Jones. Most significantly for the lead battle, Huws/Huws picked up a puncture just before the control and, having stopped to change it, they lost 18 minutes and any chance of a top placing; they reached the Finish, but in sixteenth position.
Second place was now held by Jones/Price, although they were almost two minutes behind the overall leaders. There was a tight battle for third place with Carwyn Griffiths/Adam Mark Burton (Citroen Saxo), Tomos Shakespeare/Iwan Bowness (Vauxhall Corsa) and Deio Glyn Jones/Iolo Jones Evans only separated by four seconds.
This fight was to become that for the runner up spot as Jones/Price lost time on the run to the next time control, which was on the coast; they fell to fifth, while Griffiths/Burton pulled clear of their rivals to arrive at the halfway halt with a 23 second cushion over Jones/Evans. However, they were over two minutes behind Manion/Manion.
Sixteen cars failed to make it to the halt, while another three were over their time limit at the Main Control. Of the leading Novices, Arwel Jones/Alan Adams (Vauxhall Nova) went out with a failed gearbox, while the Corolla of Raymond Thomas/Nia Thomas suffered a failed diff. Three Peugeot 206s were also on the retirement list, these were: Gethin Roberts/Owen Morgan (Wheel Bearing); Rhys Glyn/Gwion Huw Jones (Engine Mounting) and Rhys Jones/Wenna Roberts (Bent Steering).
In contrast the Peugeot 206 GTi of Jac Wyn/Tomos Wyn held a seven minute lead in the Beginners Class, they were in eighth place overall. In the Mentor category, Baines/Jones were almost exactly two minutes ahead of Aron Sion Williams/Adam Jones (Ford Escort).
There were three sections in the second half, with the majority of the action in the lanes around Carn Fadryn. The first, which looped around Bryn Gwyn, was cleaned by most competitors.
The penultimate section was a demanding one, with many give ways and slots to find. It ran around the southern base of Carn Fadryn; there were two ITCs and the finish clock, the last part was the tightest.
Fastest over the section were Manion/Manion; they were 30 seconds better than any other crew, dropping just five seconds in total. Jones/Evans were clean at STC5B and moved past Griffiths/Burton for second place. Meanwhile, Tomos Lloyd Jones/Ronw Roberts (Mazda MX5) were on a charge, this saw them improve from seventh place at halfway to fourth, narrowly ahead of Jones/Price.
Jones/Roberts pulled further ahead of their pursuers at SS5F, while Jones/Price were passed for fifth by Martin Chidley/Jac Owen (Peugeot 206), these two crews were just one second apart with only the final section remaining. Of these two crews, Jones/Price were twelve seconds faster to SS6F and regained the position at the Finish.
Manion/Manion were on time at the final control, so came home with a victory margin of almost four minutes over Jones/Evans, who in turn were now over a minute ahead of Jones/Roberts, who continued their second half charge and passed Griffiths/Burton on the final section, finishing a single second ahead.
The leading Beginners, Jac Wyn/Tomos Wyn, maintained their pace and finished in eighth place overall, winning their class by a mere 29 minutes.
Mentor Class Winners: Andrew Baines/Iwan Jones (Ford Escort)
Photograph: © Joseph John Gilbertson
In the Mentors Class, Andrew Baines/Iwan Jones ended the event with a winning margin of almost three and a half minutes. Even with their discounted time at STC1D included, they would have finished with the least penalties of any crew, eleven seconds less than Manion/Manion.
There was an award for the highest place navigator aged under 17 and there were 12 individuals eligible for the prize - an encouraging number - with the award going to Aron Williams in Car 43.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Penalty Details
- Fail & RC Penalties
- Overall Positions at MC2
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters