Rally Archive
Dai Roberts Memorial Rali Cilwendeg
Sponsored by FORGE Aberaeron
Teifi Valley Motor Club
18th/19th October 2025
Winners: Gethin Dafis/Dion Lewis (Ford Escort)
Photograph: © Adrian Convery Photography
Organiser: Teifi Valley Motor Club
Date: 18th/19th October 2025
Clerk of the Course: Dyfan Davies & Steffan Davies
Route: 103 Miles (Maps 145, & 146)
Base: Newcastle Emlyn
Starters: 90
Dyfan Davies took charge of the Rali Cilwendeg for the twenty-second time, but it was his fellow Clerk of the Course, son Steffan, who put together one of the most demanding routes in the legendary event's history. The 103 mile course was split into nine intricate sections, with 28 three metre controls and farmyards to be negotiated; there were also three map sections where the 1:50,000 OS Maps didn't provide sufficient detail.
The event was being run in memory of Dai Roberts, tragically killed on the Jim Clark Rally earlier in the year, and who had won the Cilwendeg in 2019.
For the first time in a number of years, the majority of the Cilwendeg took place in the lanes north of its traditional base at Newcastle Emlyn, rather than to the south and west.
A full 90 car entry lined up at the Cattle Mart for the start. As navigators plotted the route there were gentle rain showers falling, indicating that the going was going to be slippery.
The rally opened with a section in the Capel Iwan and Newchapel area; there were seven TCs, plus the final timing point, this was approached through the woods at Cwmblaen and was one of the map sections. Due to the lengthy off-road element, this control was timed to the minute.
Multiple Cilwendeg winners, John Davies/Eurig Davies (Vauxhall Astra), were quickest to TC2, which was the first 'dropper' for most crews, they maintained their lead until TC7. At this point they held an 18 second lead over Chris Richmond Hand/Shaun Richards (Ford Escort), with Gethin Dafis/Dion Lewis (Ford Escort) four seconds further back.
Being timed to the minute, SF1 was a control at which it was vital to make your time, one second late would give a one minute penalty. Only one crew made their time; Dafis/Lewis were that team and this moved them into first place, 38 seconds ahead of Davies/Davies. Most of the leading runners picked up a one minute penalty, although Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams added two minutes to their penalty total.
The next dropper was on the third section at a time control just after a run through the tracks at Penlanfach. Andy Davies/Marc Hughes (Subaru Impreza) were the only pair to be clean at TC8 and this moved them up to seventh. Davies/Davies were second best and cut their deficit to the leaders to 23 seconds. At this point Hand/Richards and Daniel Jones/Gerwyn Barry (Ford Escort) were around a minute off first place in third and fourth respectively.
Everyone was late at TC9, midway through the fourth section. Davies/Davies closed to within nineteen seconds of Dafis/Lewis here, but their challenge was to be over shortly afterwards when their Astra's gearbox failed. Hand/Richards should have then taken up the chase, but their Escort broke a shaft and the driver's hopes of a third Cilwendeg win were over.
The fifth section was in the area between Aberporth and Brynhoffnant, and all dropped time at two intermediate time controls. Dafis/Lewis weren't fastest at either, but, as on the rest of the event, they were consistently quick and this meant that at Petrol, which was taken at Brynhoffnant, the pair had a lead of over a minute ahead of Jones/Barry. Steffan Davies/Kieran Price (Ford Escort) were in third, 12 seconds behind Jones/Barry, but were to retire in the second half when their Escort broke its gearbox.
There was a tight battle for fourth place, which, with Davies' retirement, was to become the fight for the final podium position with George Williams/Cadog Davies (Ford Escort) and Hughes Jones/Williams just three seconds apart.
As usual on the Cilwendeg, there was no separate Novice Class, instead Novices and Semi-Experts were grouped together in Class 3. This was led at Petrol by Arfon Jones/Chris Hill (Subaru Impreza), who were on home territory, and held eleventh place overall, but were only 29 seconds ahead of Thomas Jones/Emyr Evans (Peugeot 206).
After the midway halt there was no let up in the pressure with three tight sections south of Newquay, including a run up the Cwmtydu hairpins. Even for the leading crews, there were five droppers. Despite this there were no major changes in the top places, although Williams/Davies were closing in on Jones/Barry for second place.
At the front Dafis/Lewis were fastest at TC12 and TC15, but not by any great margin, however they were steadily taking away from the field. They were equal fastest through the final section, which ran from Rhydlewis to just outside Adpar, and came home with a victory margin of over two and a half minutes to secure their maiden rally win.
Matching the winners' time on the final section brought Williams/Davies to within two seconds of taking the runner up spot from Jones/Barry, but they had to be content with third at the Finish. Hughes Jones/Williams were fourth, well in front of fifth placed Richard Jerman/Alan James (Ford Escort), who had been troubled all night by getting the front end of the car to behave as it should.
The winners were running in Class 2, so the class win in that category went to eighth placed Tomos Evans/Natasha Roberts (Ford Escort), who ended only one place and seven seconds ahead of second in class Hefin Jones/Llyr Davies (Ford Escort).
Jones/Hill held on to the category win in Class 3, after Jones/Evans had to cut route with their Peugeot beginning to play up; they were given the Wooden Spoon Award for the last placed finisher.
Notably, the first twelve places on the finishers' board were taken by Ford Escorts.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Penalty Details
- Fail Penalties
- Overall Positions at SF4
- Overall Positions at Petrol
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters
- Unofficial WAMC Points