Swansea Bay Rally - 18 Jul 09

Video Clips

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:39 PM

Barry & Brady Confirmed 2009 Mitsubishi Evo Challenge Champions

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:35 PM

Irish Crew Daniel Barry & Martin Brady have been confirmed the 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Champions after their emphatic victory on round six, the Swansea Bay Rally in Wales. This gives Daniel his fifth victory out of six rounds and means he has an insurmountable lead in the series even with two rounds left to play for. Daniel & Martin have been victors right from the initial round of the series in Bournemouth and continued the campaign with victories in the Scottish Borders, the Isle of Mann, the Welsh Severn Valley and now the latest success in Swansea.

The victory in Swansea was hard fought after a day long tussle with Icelandic driver Daniel Sigurdarson and at the finish of the final stage Daniel Barry had just barely moved into a scant 1.3 second lead which sealed the victory and the championship. At the finish ramp an ecstatic Daniel received his well deserved champagne reception and commented Im so happy to finally make it here, it has been a great year with big battles on every round but thankfully Martin & I have managed to come out the winners and take the victories each time we needed to, and thanks to this and our family run team Barry Motorsport we are here now celebrating the spoils of our hard work and effort. Our car the Mitsubishi Lancer never missed a beat all season and gave us sterling performance and reliability every time we need it. Thats a credit to our team and how hard they worked to have every nut and bolt perfect on the car. Im just so relieved as well as happy to have confirmed the championship with time to spare as it means we can concentrate on the rest of the season without the pressures of championship responsibilities and we look forward to the remaining rounds of the series.

Martin from Navan has been co driver to Daniel for almost a year now and is the reigning champion in the series by virtue of the results he scored with Daniel in the latter half of the 2008 season, at the Swansea finish he recounted a day of nerves as all that was required was a finish to secure the 2009 series, we had a unusually nervous start to the rally as we for the first time were driving knowing we had to be cautious and just simply finish to win and thats perhaps more difficult to do than driving to the maximum concentration and pace, but as the day progressed we got more settled and built more speed and after a great day long battle with Daniel Sigurdarson we got the win on the rally as well as the championship which is the ultimate happy ending to our Evo Challenge season, of course we will continue with the rest of the rounds because it is such a great championship and the friendship and camaraderie with our rivals is as much a part of it as the competition itself.

The prize for the 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 Road Car or prize bursary to the same value to allow the winner to compete in the 2010 official Mitsubishi team UK in the British Rally Championship

WELSH DISAPPOINTMENT FOR COOKSON

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:34 PM

Saltash rally driver Alan Cookson saw his hopes of a good result on today's Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Rally disappear when engine problems curtailed his event on the fifth stage.

Along with London co driver Julian Wilkinson, the Robert Wiseman Dairies, Kick Energy, GillettsSpar.com, Riverside Property Services, montpeliergroup.com and Olverelectrical.com-supported Subaru Impreza World Rally Car pairing held sixth place in the early stages of round six of the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship but was soon in trouble with low oil pressure after the opening loop.

Despite battling against the problem the car eventually cried enough on SS5 with a suspected blown engine to curtail Cookson's bid for ANCRO honours following his retirement on the recent Manx Telecom Rally also.

"The engine went on the way to SS5. I think it's a serious problem, but up until then the car had been going very well. I'm happy we were fifth fastest on the first stage in Walters Arena but this latest setback is disappointing. We're now going to have a think about where to go for the rest of the year."

'DRIVE OF MY LIFE' AS PEREZ TAKES SWANSEA BAY VICTORY

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:33 PM

Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez took a sensational victory on today's Pro Art Signs Swansea Bay Rally but despite an heroic drive, he failed to keep his hopes of landing the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship in tact.

Along with Welsh co-driver Paul Spooner, the Ford Focus WRC pairing had to overcome their fair share of problems on round six of the ANCRO series but emerged victorious by less than nine seconds over chief rival Marcus Dodd to take his first maximum points haul of the season.

The Chesterfield ace picked up a twenty second penalty after being two minutes out of Service A as they were fixing suspension problems which dropped them to third place, but by Service C they were up to second place.

Trailing Dodd by just 1.9 seconds going into the final stage, Perez pushed hard and by the end of the second, 8.4 mile Rhondda stage which comprised the final test, the 2004 ANCRO champion had done enough to secure his first national championship victory since last September's Trackrod Rally Yorkshire.

Sadly for Steve, it wasn't enough to keep his championship bid in tact but was still pleased with the result: "We really pushed in the last four stages, it was the drive of my life, we went hard and fast. It's fantastic to win at Swansea as it's more Marcus' (Dodd) and Roger's (Duckworth) territory so I was an outsider, it feels great, I'm really pleased."

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge UK - Barry/Brady Take Title

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:33 PM

It was a perfect weekend for Daniel Barry and co-driver Martin Brady, when they crossed the finish line of the Swansea Bay Rally to record their fifth Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge victory of the season and, in doing so, put themselves in an unassailable position for the title.

The new Champions were kept honest all day by Icelandic Rally Champion Daniel Sigurdarson, with his co-driver on this occasion, Andrew Sankey. They led the Evo Challenge for most of the rally, only to be passed on the final stage by Barry/Brady who stopped the clocks to win by a slender 1.1 seconds.

With the absence of their main rivals Simon Hughes/Craig Parry and a reduced Evo Challenge field, all Barry and Brady had to do was finish. But in rallying itís never that easy and they admitted to a little nervousness before the start outside the Village Hotel in Swanseaís Dockland area.

The event comprised four of the stages which are regularly used for the Wales Rally GB, each run twice during the day to give a total competitive distance of 60-miles. The first two saw Sigurdarson/Sankey take the lead by 7.1 seconds, Barry reporting that he wasnít concentrating hard enough on Bradyís pace-notes and consequently loosing time.

But for Nik Elsmore/Craig Drew, stage two was to be as far as they went. Half-way through SS1 they heard some strange noises coming from their carís gearbox and then lost second gear. They therefore decided to nurse the car through SS2 and see if their team could fix the problem at the following service halt, but just 200 yards from the end of the stage, the car came to a halt with no drive at all.

After trying all they could to get their Evo moving again, they frustratingly accepted their fate, further inspection revealing an oil leak, which had eventually led to a complete seizure.

Having gathered his thoughts, Barry was now listening to his co-driverís instructions and he and Brady went ahead on SS3 by 3.3 seconds, Sigurdarson reporting that the stage had not flowed well for him and Sankey.

With rally organisers cancelling SS4 due to hold-ups, it was now down to the remaining four afternoonís stages. Knowing that the Evo Challenge title was now within his grasp, Barryís team issued strict instructions to get to the finish. With Barryís quest for the title firmly in his sights, stage five saw Sigurdarson/Sankey re-take the lead, the Icelandic driver getting to grips with his new Evo X as every mile clicked-by.

As has become traditional in the Evolution Challenge, it all came down to the final stage and as the two Mitsubishi crews they lined up at the start of SS8 the gap was down to just 3.1 seconds in favour of Sigudarson/Sankey. Unable to resist a last-stage push, the Irishmen emerged from Rhonnda Forest ahead by just 1.1 seconds and, in doing so, recorded their fifth Evo Challenge win in six events.

This result also meant that Barry and Brady are now uncatchable in the race for the title and have amassed enough points to be crowned 2009 Evolution Challenge Champions. At the finish a delighted - and relieved - Daniel Barry said:
ìAll of us in the team have been working towards this moment for the past three years and I am over the moon that weíre now Evo Challenge Champions. Although weíve wrapped up the title with two rounds to go itís not been easy and sometimes, like today, itís very close, which make the victory feel even better, although I have to say, it hasnít quite sunk in yet.î

Although having clinched the title before the end of the season, Barry has confirmed he still intends to compete in the remaining two Evo Challenge rounds, the next being the Antrim-based Todds Leap Ulster Rally, which takes place on 21st & 22nd August.

The 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is supported by Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ralliart, Pirelli tyres, Sunoco fuels, JR Motorsports, Speedline Corse wheels, Carbone Lorraine brakes, Walkinshaw Performance, Sparco racewear and PIAA lights - who sponsor the junior award for under 25-year old drivers.

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Round Six Results
1 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Martin Brady (Navan) 51:15.5
2 Daniel Sigurdarson (Iceland)/Andrew Sankey (Ludlow) 51:16.8

Retirements
SS2 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Craig Drew (Bream) - Gearbox

DODD TAKES TITLE AS PEREZ WINS SWANSEA BAY NATIONAL RALLY

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:32 PM

Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery wrapped-up this year's Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship title as they finished second overall in today's (18 July) Swansea Bay National Rally to take the honours for the fifth time.

The event was won by Steve Perez and Paul Spooner in their Ford Focus WRC as they finished 8.6 seconds ahead of the Hyundai Accent WRC of Dodd and Bargery, who had lost around 30 seconds on the opening stage with a turbo problem.

Dodd, who has now won the championship three years in a row, said: "It has been great and brilliant to win. It is just a shame we didn't win the event but it's good to win the championship here. We backed off a bit and took it steady because we knew we only needed second place. We have won three events this year and finished second in two, it's nearly been perfect."

Perez, taking his first win in the series this season despite picking up a 20 second penalty due to a late exit from the first service, said: "We really pushed in the last four stages, it was the drive of my life, we went hard and fast. It's fantastic to win at Swansea as it's more Marcus' and Roger's (Duckworth) territory so I was an outsider."

There was an exchange from the top spot throughout the event. Perez took the lead from the start and held it until stage three when the penalty slipped him down the order to third as Duckworth took charge from Dodd.

A gearbox problem for Duckworth on stage four meant that Dodd then headed the leaderboard. He held onto it until stage eight with just 1.9 seconds separating him from Perez but a final push by the former champion saw him finish with the victory.

Duckworth and co-driver Mark Broomfield were third in their Subaru Impreza WRC whilst Irishmen Daniel Barry and Martin Brady took third in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Championship and with their fourth position the overall honours in the Production Cup and the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge in their Mitsubishi Evo.

Icelandic driver Daniel Sigurdarson and co-driver Andrew Sankey took fifth overall in their Mitsubishi Evo X and 18 points in the series followed by the Ford Focus WRC of John Lloyd and Pauline Gullick.

Wug Utting and Bob Stokoe were seventh after a trouble-free run in their Subaru Impreza followed by Harry Dodd and Alan Cook and Peter Egerton and Jamie Edwards.

Trevor Martin and Ray Cleghorn rounded-up the top ten and took sixth in the championship in their Subaru Impreza.

The Mintex Two-Wheel Drive Challenge was won by Trevor Baynham and Anthony Bailey in their Mk2 Ford Escort followed by Nathan O'Connor and Jessica Rogan in their Citroen C2 R2.

There were two retirements. First to drop out was Nik Elsmore and Craig Drew in their Mitsubishi Evo 9 after the gearbox broke in stage two.

Alan Cookson and Julian Wilkinson bowed out with an engine problem ahead of stage five in their Subaru Impreza WRC.

The Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship returns for round seven on the Woodpecker Rally on Saturday 4 September.

Photos

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:31 PM

cmwi.net

Results

Posted: July 22, 2009 11:30 PM

1, Steve Perez/Paul Spooner - Ford Focus WRC - 0:49:02.0
2, Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery - Hyundai Accent WRC - 0:49:10.6
3, Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield - Subaru Impreza WRC - 0:49:32.4
4, Daniel Barry/Martin Brady - Mitsubishi Lancer - 0:51:15.5
5, Daniel Sigurdarson/Andrew Sankey - Mitsubishi EVO X - 0:51:16.6
6, John Lloyd/Pauline Gullick - Ford Focus WRC - 0:52:27.6
7, Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe - Subaru N12B - 0:54:02.1
8, Harry Dodd/Alun Cook - Hyundai Accent WRC - 0:54:50.5
9, Peter Egerton/Jamie Edwards - Hyundai Accent WRC - 0:54:51.3
10, Trevor Martin/Ray Cleghorn - Subaru Impreza - 0:55:22.5

Full Results & Times - National

Full Results & Times - Clubman

Full Results & Times - Yokohama

Results:
Tynemouth Computer Services Rally Results

Swansea Bay Rally

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge UK - Round Six Preview

Posted: July 16, 2009 2:47 PM

After a seven-week break, the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge season resumes this weekend, with its second visit to the Welsh forests in as many events, the Swansea Bay Rally providing round six of the one make championship for Group N Lancers.

Last time out in round five, the Severn Valley National Rally, the battle between the front-running Mitsubishi teams was as close as it gets, with it all coming down to the final stage and the top three separated by less than 11 seconds. As it turned out, series leaders Daniel Barry/Martin Brady recorded their fourth victory of the year, the result now making them firm favourites for the title.

However, their quest to claim the Evo Challenge Crown may well get even closer this weekend, as second-placed Simon Hughes/Craig Parry have chosen to sit this one out and may not be back until the final round. Therefore, another win by the Irish pair will make the rest of their season far easier, but with two of the eight scores to be dropped, the chase for honours is not over yet.

It will therefore be down to third-placed Nik Elsmore/Craig Drew to put pressure on the leaders and, having won a round of the Mitsubishi championship at this event in previous years, the Gloucestershire driver may well enjoy his first taste of Evo Challenge victory this season.

Such is his love of the sport and his participation in the Mitsubishi series, Icelandic Rally Champion Daniel Sigurdarson will be making the trip to the UK once more to put more miles on his recently built Evolution X. For this rally he will be co-driven by Andrew Sankey and, if his recent pace is anything to go by, Sigurdarson is another who could well be standing at the top of the Evo Challenge podium on Saturday evening.

Other notable absences from the regular Mitsubishi field are Owen Murphy/Dai Roberts, who are in the process of changing cars - and still might enter if the deals go through in time - plus Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont, who have opted to contest a round of the Irish Evo Challenge, which takes place the day after the Swansea event. The reduced number of entries is also reflected in the main National A field which sees a total of 20 cars, whilst the MSA Gravel Championship sees just six, a far lesser number to that of previous years.

The Swansea Bay Rally will again feature some of the stages used for the Wales Rally GB: Rheola, Walters Arena, Resolven and Rhondda. Each will be run twice during the day which, added together, provides crews with a total competitive distance of 60-miles.

The 2009 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is supported by Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ralliart, Pirelli tyres, Sunoco fuels, JR Motorsports, Speedline Corse wheels, Carbone Lorraine brakes, Walkinshaw Performance, Sparco racewear and PIAA lights - who sponsor the junior award for under 25-year old drivers.

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge entries
5 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Martin Brady (Navan)
6 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Craig Drew (Bream)
TBC Daniel Sigurdarson (Iceland)/Andrew Sankey (Ludlow)

BIG GUNS HEAD FOR SWANSEA BAY

Posted: July 12, 2009 2:46 PM

Round six of the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship heads for Wales for the second time in less than two months next weekend when the Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Rally takes place on Saturday July 18th.

And with most of the leading crews in action in the classic Welsh forests once again, the finish ramp on Saturday evening should perhaps start to give one or two pointers towards the destiny of the various crowns in the ANCRO-organised series.

Series leaders Daniel Barry (Enniskerry) and fellow Irishman Martin Brady (Nevan) lead the series in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 by a slender two points and they will have to go some to fend off quadruple ANCRO Champion Marcus Dodd (Poole) and his co-driver Andrew Bargery (Hove), who have won three out of the last four rounds in their Hyundai Accent WRC.

But with a competitor's best five scores now coming into play, there are a few permutations that will need to be worked out come Saturday evening!

Dodd and Bargery were runners up last year having won the event in 2007 and 2006 so certainly know their way around the forests of South Wales, which also uses many of the stages on Wales Rally GB.

So far, third placed Simon Hughes (Abergele) and co driver Craig Parry (Oswestry) have yet to appear on the official entry list but after the Welsh crew entered the last round just hours before, there's plenty of time yet but most certainly on their way to the SA1 start will be Coleford Mitsubishi driver Nik Elsmore and his co driver Craig Drew (Bream) in a rather depleted Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge turn out.

There will be another half a dozen ANCRO-registered crews in action on the Port Talbot Motor Club event which also incorporates the Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Clubmans Rally & the Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Yokohama Challenge.

Another former champion in the shape of Steve Perez (Clay Cross) will be looking to claim a maiden victory on the event having never finished outside the top five in the past five years. Perez had a best result of second place to Dodd in 2007 so will be hoping he and his Welsh co driver Paul Spooner (Raglan) can go one better in their 2007-specification Ford Focus WRC.

Alan Cookson (Saltash) and Julian Wilkinson (Wandsworth) return to action after missing the last round in their Subaru WRC, Wug Utting (Smallfield) and co driver Bob Stokoe (Tatsfield) will also be in action in their similar car. Other ANCRO crews include Trevor Martin/Ray Cleghorn (Subaru), Trevor Baynham/Anthony Bailey (Ford Escort) and Nathan O Connor/Jessica Rogan (Citroen C2).

One notable absentee are 2005 champions Paul Bird (Penrith) and co driver Ian Windress (Northallerton) who have recently sold the Ford Focus WRC and who will miss the event due to their recently purchased new car not being available in time.

The Pro-Art Signs Swansea Bay Rally gets underway at 10.00 from Swansea whereafter crews tackle nearly sixty miles of stages in the classic tests of South Wales including Rheola, Walters, Resolven and Rhondda before returning to the finish back at Swansea around 16.25.

Entry List

Posted: July 12, 2009 2:44 PM

• Swansea Bay Rally

Regulations / Details

Posted: January 1, 2009 12:01 AM

• Swansea Bay Rally