Dominant second win for Tom Cave on Mid Wales Stages
Posted: March 5, 2012 3:25 PM
Aberdovey-based rally driver Tom Cave took a dominant win on this weekend's Mid Wales Stages for the second year running, at the wheel of his new-for-2012, Trefeddian Hotel-supported Subaru Impreza. Cave and co-driver Craig Parry won every stage on the one-day event to reach the finish ramp with a winning margin of almost a minute, a year on from his first win on the event.
The Mid Wales marked the second outing for the Impreza, the first the previous day when Tom and Craig tackled the Malcolm Wilson Rally, round two of the BTRDA series, However, an early driveshaft failure cut that event short.
The Davies Motorsport Services technicians changed all of the car's 'shafts overnight as a precaution, as well as making several set-up changes to Tom's specification, based on his feeling on the northern event and it clearly paid off.
Tom laid out his stall early, taking the win on the first stage of the event by 13 seconds. Immediately establishing a good feeling in the car and finding the right rhythm and pace, he went on to win each of the six stages that formed the event, based in Newtown and close to Tom's Aberdovey home.
Commenting at the end of the event, Tom said; "I'm really happy to get this result, back-to-back with our win on the event last year. It was also very gratifying to get the first win for the new car on only its second event.
"I realised we had a good pace with the car after the first stage - we won by 13 seconds and I knew that all we needed to do was maintain the pace without taking any silly risks and have a good, clean rally.
"We took things a bit steadier on the second stage and only won that by two seconds but we were able to manage our pace to ensure that we stayed at the front without over-driving the car.
"We made quite a few changes overnight, not least of which was changing all the driveshafts, in case we'd got a bad batch. We also made changes to the set-up and I think we've now got a very good setting for fast gravel events.
"The car felt fantastic. We've made a lot of changes to it since last year and it's really paid off. I felt like I drove the best I have for at least a year today and we know that there's still plenty more to come from the car, so I'm really excited about this season."
Tom's next event will see him switch from four to two wheel-drive, as he tackles the Bulldog Rally, the second round of the British Rally Championship in his new Citroen DS3 R3T. His car has now arrived from the Citroen Sport factory in France and following a pre-event test, he and Craig will continue their campaign in the all-2WD BRC.
BHRC report: Mid Wales Historic Stages
Posted: March 5, 2012 3:01 PM
The 2012 Kololi Beach Club MSA British Historic Rally Championship started in fine style on the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages on Sunday (4 March).
The big winners were Nick Elliott/Dave Price (Ford Escort Mk2), Julian Reynolds/Patrick Walsh (Ford Escort Mk1) and Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell (Lotus Cortina), but just about every crew finished the rally raving about the classic stages of Myherin and Hafren as fine competition raged through the categories and classes.
Category One
An encouraging entry, great competition and a new winner made it a fine start to 2012 for category one and victory for Mankin and Bell after a truly torrid season last year was a popular result.
Straight out of the blocks and up Pike’s Peak went Rikki Proffitt and Phill Harrison in their Porsche 911, but then Graham Waite and Gill Cotton went quickest on the second stage in the Volvo Amazon. Sadly, the flying Volvo broke in Myherin and their rally was over, while Terry Brown and Michael Gilbey (Porsche 911) lost a lot of time changing a puncture.
Meanwhile, Mankin and Bell had been buzzing along in their Lotus Cortina and were ideally placed when Proffitt’s rally went wrong in Hafren South. A front brake calliper failed and he did three miles with a locked front wheel before completing the final stage with only front brakes on one side. Mankin swept ahead, but was under pressure from Simon Wallis and Graham Wride, once they had fixed a carburettor problem with their Lotus Cortina.
By the end of the concluding Hafren North stage, Mankin was 27s clear of Wallis to score his first category one victory. Proffitt struggled home third to salvage good points and arrived at the finish with a brake calliper in his hand.
Class B3 was taken by the Ford Anglia of Peter Stimson and Mark Butler after a good event, while Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) were next up, admitting that they still have work to do on gravel.
CATEGORY ONE RESULTS:
1 Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell (Lotus Cortina) 57m42s
2 Simon Wallis/Graham Wride (Lotus Cortina) 58m09s
3 Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison (Porsche 911) 58m37s
4 Pete Stimson/Mark Butler (Ford Anglia) 58m47s
5 Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) 60m26s
6 Derek Boyd/Stephen McAuley (Porsche 911) 60m29s
Category Two
The week leading up to the rally had been pretty stressful for Reynolds with a rush to get his Escort Mk1 ready. But the hard work paid off as Julian and Patrick Walsh won category two in style despite only driving the car in anger for the first time as they headed into the opening stage. Their biggest concerns were a high-speed spin in Sweet Lamb and a puncture in Hafren North that cost some time, but they still arrived back in Newtown with 49s in hand over David Stokes and Guy Weaver. It had been just the start to his title bid that Reynolds had wanted and all the work by the Melvyn Evans team had been repaid.
Stokes accepted that he needed to be quicker after a clear run, and was under attack early on from Rupert Lomax and Dave Alcock. However, they beached the Escort Mk1 in Hafren and, though the car was undamaged, their rally was over.
Into third in category two came Ernie and Will Graham as teenage Will did a good job on his first gravel event on notes, while Dick Slaughter and Tim Sayer blitzed class C3 with fourth overall after a late rush to get the car ready. Andrew Siddall and Carl Williamson were learning about BDA power and were fifth of the BHRC crews, while Mark Holmes/Tony Lindsay and Neal James/Kevin Jones ran strongly despite problems to take the next places in class C3.
Class C4 spoils went to the Porsche 911 of Peter McDowell and Derek Davies, while Matt Fowle and Jane Edgington took C2 from the similar Escort Mk1 of Nick Danks and Martin Corbett.
CATEGORY TWO RESULTS:
1 Julian Reynolds/Patrick Walsh (Ford Escort Mk1) 52m53s
2 David Stokes/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort Mk1) 53m42s
3 Ernie Graham/Will Graham (Ford Escort Mk1) 55m25s
4 Dick Slaughter/Tim Sayer (Ford Escort Mk1) 55m34s
5 Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson (Ford Escort Mk1) 56m37s
6 Mark Holmes/Tony Lindsay (Ford Escort Mk1) 56m50s
Category Three
Elliott was wide awake when the rally started and flew the opening Pike’s Peak stage to go fastest. However, this was no easy cruise to victory as a puncture on the long Pike’s Peak stage and resulting spin cost them time. At the main service halt, Elliott was only seven seconds up on Will Onions and Dave Williams, but was able to really attack the two Hafren stages and extend his winning margin.
Fastest of all on the second stage was a mighty achievement for Alan Walker and Andrew Sankey. Unfortunately a spark plug failed and put them out of the rally, but they had shown their pace.
For Onions, second overall was a good result first time out in his fresh car, although he had a scare with a high-speed spin in Sweet Lamb. They dropped around 20s to Tim Pearcey and Neil Shanks with that moment and the margin between the two Escorts was just three seconds at the finish after Pearcey attacked.
Tomas Davies and Eurig Davies moved up to fourth from Tim Freeman and Paul Barden as welcome championship newcomers Warren Philliskirk and Matt Whattam wrapped up the top six.
Maximum points in class D3 went to Richard Lane and Ben Friend, with Richard back in his Pinto-powered car after a nine-month absence. However, Shawn Rayner and Declan Dear had the pace to win the class, but lost out big time with a puncture in Myherin that cost them over a minute.
CATEGORY THREE RESULTS:
1 Nick Elliott/Dave Price (Ford Escort Mk2) 51m06s
2 Will Onions/Dave Williams (Ford Escort Mk2) 52m21s
3 Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks (Ford Escort Mk2) 52m24s
4 Tomas Davies/Eurig Davies (Ford Escort Mk2) 53m18s
5 Tim Freeman/Paul Barden (Ford Escort Mk2) 54m11s
6 Warren Philliskirk/Matt Whattam (Ford Escort Mk2) 54m18s
The 2012 Kololi Beach Club MSA British Historic Rally Championship will get off to a stunning start on the Rally Marketing Mid Wales Historic Stages on Sunday (4 March).
A field of over 65 cars, taking in many of the fastest crews in historic rallying, will tackle five classic Mid Wales gravel stages and the action will be intense from the start, as the season opens with two assaults on the sensational climb of Pike’s Peak.
Category One
Leading the field away will be a very strong Category One entry, with at least six potential category winners making this more open than ever before. Pride of place as first car on the road goes to the Lotus Cortina of Simon Wallis/Graham Wride, but the Bridgnorth driver faces a gaggle of rivals headed by the Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Gill Cotton. What Waite lacks in power with the Volvo he makes up with commitment and the Amazon is always one of the most spectacular cars.
Four rapid Porsche 911s pack out Category One and it is the car of Terry Brown/Michael Gilbey that will head them away from Newtown on Sunday morning. This will be Brown’s first BHRC run with his latest toy and he’ll need to push hard to fend off the similar cars of Rikki Proffitt/Phill Harrison and Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride.
Another rapid Lotus Cortina is that of Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell, while a real darkhorse could be the Ford Anglia of Peter Stimpson/Mark Butler. If all goes well for the Devon crew, they plan to be chasing the Porsches and Lotus Cortinas.
Category Two
The big shake up for Category Two is the arrival of Julian Reynolds and Patrick Walsh in a Ford Escort Mk1. Having won the 2011 Mid Wales in his Escort Mk2, Reynolds has switched to Category One this time around in a bid to win the overall BHRC title. The car will probably only be completed just in time for the rally and Reynolds will have no chance to test it, but his pace is such that he will still be tough to beat in Category One.
The crew taking the fight to Reynolds will be defending BHRC champions David Stokes and Guy Weaver in their Escort Mk1, but they will also have their hands full of two more Escort Mk1s from Rupert Lomax/David Alcock and father and son crew Ernie and Will Graham. New to class C5 after stepping up the power ranks will be Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson and their progression to BDA power leaves the way open in class C3 for the Pinto-powered cars.
Sure to set the C3 pace will be the Escort Mk1 of Dick Slaughter/Tim Sayer, with series returnees Neal James and Kevin Jones leading the chase. More rapid Escorts in class C3 include those of Tim Phelps/Russell Joseph, Wayne Bonser/Richard Aston and Mark Holmes/Tony Lindsay.
Category Three
A fabulous field for Category Three should deliver an epic contest as Nick Elliott and Dave Price head the pack in their Escort Mk2. The Cheltenham crew missed victory a year ago by just one second, so will want to make amends this time around.
Taking the fight to Elliott will be a gaggle of very quick Mk2 Escorts in the hands of Paul Griffiths/tba, Will Onions/Dave Williams, Alan Walker/Andrew Sankey and Tim Pearcey/Neil Shanks. Onions will be making his debut with a fresh Mk2 to replace the car destroyed last August in Ulster, while Walker has Sankey alongside for the first time.
The field is packed with rapid Escort Mk2s in Class D5, including the cars of Nick Woodman/Chris Parsons, Simon Webster/Pete Cotton and BHRC newcomers Kevin Davies/Dale Furniss. Ulster winners Tomas and Eurig Davies will be quick, as will Warren Philliskirk/Matt Whattam and a real dark horse is Escort legend Richard Gough, who makes his BHRC debut with Robin Kellard on the notes.
In Class D3 for the Pinto-powered cars, Richard Lane and Ben Friend will start as favourites from Shawn Rayner and Declan Dear, while in Class D4 the rare Mazda RX7 of Jake Scannell/Adrian Stevens goes up against the Sunbeam Lotus of James Stait/Marcus Cartwright.
Appendix K Class
New for 2012 in the BHRC is a category for cars running to FIA Appendix K regulations. More cars are likely to join the division as the season develops, and the early pacesetter will be the Vauxhall Chevette of Rob Smith/Shaun O’Gorman. Also in the category for the season opener is the Escort Mk2 of Jonathan Brace/Tim Samuel.
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