Steve Simpson & Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta R5) SS4
Jason Pritchard & Phil Clarke (Ford Fiesta S2000) SS6
Evans leads Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship after thrilling victory on the opening Tour of Epynt
Posted: April 16, 2018 2:37 PM
Melvyn Evans won the opening round of the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, the Port Talbot MC-organised Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt (11 March), in his Subaru Impreza WRC S12b.
It's been two years since the 53-year old Lampeter driver had driven the car, and six years since he last rallied it on Epynt, yet he and co-driver Mark Glennerster were quickly into their stride. The key to their success was a big push over the infamous Burma Road – a very tricky and technical section where bravery and precision can reap its rewards. And so it proved, as Evans inched ahead of the opposition to win the 74 stage mile event by 39 seconds.
Damian Cole had set equal fastest time with Evans on the opening two stages in his Get Connected Ford Fiesta WRC, despite ripping the handbrake out of the floor! Co-driven by Jamie Edwards, the six-time MSA Asphalt Rally Champion never put a foot wrong in the damp and greasy conditions and got his Championship assault off to a great start with a very strong run to second.
Jason Pritchard spun his North Road Garage Ford Fiesta S2000 at the first junction on the opening stage, losing a few precious seconds at the Llandeilo'r Fân Triangle, before continuing through the very damp first loop of stages with understeer. Despite very little seat time in the car, and the S2000 being considerably less powerful than the World Rally Cars around him, Pritchard and co-driver Phil Clarke set a remarkable pace – even setting fastest time on the seventh and final stage when the rain returned – to finish an excellent third overall.
Last year’s Tour of Epynt winner and number one seed Bob Fowden was going well in his Comline Auto Parts/NGK-backed Subaru Impreza WRC S11. Co-driven by Aled Davies, he was third (only 16 seconds behind Evans and five seconds behind Cole) when he slipped off the road on a particularly greasy corner near the end of SS5. Beached, he was unable to get back onto the road.
A late change of car saw Steve Simpson/Patrick Walsh contest the event in a CA1 Sport Fiesta RS, and an excellent run saw them finish fourth. Adrian Spencer/Matt Daniels lost time with early gearshift issues, a spin on SS1, an off onto the grass on SS3 and a big moment on the approach to Four Ways Bridge on SS4. They recovered and closed the gap to Simpson to just 13 seconds by the end of the final stage, with the Subaru Impreza crew coming home fifth to bag a good set of Championship points.
Wayne Sisson/Max Freeman won their class and finished an impressive seventh overall in their immaculate Mitsubishi Evo. Less fortunate were Evo drivers Philip Turner/Simon Anthony who retired their Mitsubishi with clutch failure on SS5 and Rob Tout/Peredur Davies who stopped on the penultimate stage – both whilst holding top seven positions and battling for the class lead. Chris Marshall/Simon Hunter crashed their Evo on SS5, Paul James/Derek Davies were forced to stop their Evo when the driver became unwell and Richard Clews/Hamish Campbell retired their ITG Air Filters Subaru Impreza in service after SS4, with a down on power engine problem.
Huw Reed/Anthony Hackett hit their pre-event target of finishing as top two-wheel drive Championship contenders, which was no mean feat in the damp and greasy conditions in their 2.5-litre Millington Series 2-engined Darrian T90 GTR. Tony Rees/Geraint Thomas finished 15th in their similar car, it what was only their second ever rally in it. The throttle jammed open on two stages, but they survived the slippery conditions to get their season off to a fine Championship points-scoring start.
Phil Turner/Ian Meakin were top Championship Escort Mk2 contenders home with a magnificent 11th place finish – ahead of Richard Slinger/Phil Sandham, who were doing only their third rally in their Mk2. It was the first time on Epynt for the highly experienced Steve Retchless and, together with Sasha Heriot, he recorded a good finish – as did Paul and Julian Doroszczuk in their immaculately home-built normally-aspirated Cosworth-engined Escort Mk2.
On their first rally for nine months, Mike Williams/Ken Bills finished a magnificent 12th in their MG ZR 160, Tom Barber/Jaime Barber won the battle of the BMWs, coming home 16th in a Compact, while Double N4 class champions Chris Rice/Craig Cameron scored a top 20 finish in their Subaru Impreza. Geoff Wright/Chris Sanderson last contested the Asphalt Rally Championship in a Group N Nissan Almera, so they did well to survive the hazards of Epynt to record a finish upon their return to the series in a Fiesta S2000. John Macniven/Alex Kermode spun their Subaru Impreza on SS5, but their Epynt debut was rewarded with a good finish. In his 20th year of contesting the Asphalt Rally Championship, Geoff Glover got his season off to a points-scoring start in his rear-wheel drive Astra. Co-driven by Keith Barker, Glover had to take it fairly easy, however, as he hadn’t had time to shakedown the brand new engine before the rally started. It was also a successful points-scoring mission for Gareth James/Ryan Jones in their Peugeot 205GTI.
Edd Fossey’s journey from Jersey was rewarded with a Championship class win in his new Peugeot 208 R2, the 19-year old reigning BTRDA 1400 Champion quickly getting used to the car with Chris Sharpe-Simkiss on the notes. They finished ahead of Roger Priestnall/Jamie Forrest (Proton Satria S16) and Darren Pool/Christopher Beer (Vauxhall Corsa). Mark Booth/Pauline Merrills reached the finish in their Honda Civic, despite spinning off the road on SS2 and getting stuck for three minutes and then losing two minutes with a misfire on SS3/4.
Bill Paynter/Andy Hollingham took Championship honours in the 1400 class in their Peugeot 106 Rallye. Oliver Bell/Sam Johnson retired their Nissan Micra on the opening stage, Lloyd Morgan/Marc Clatworthy were forced to retire their Nissan Micra when a HT lead snapped before SS4 and Rhidian Daniels/Tomos Whittle also failed to finish in their Citroen C1 Max. Will Mains/Sion Jones were leading their class by almost four minutes when their rapid Vauxhall Nova stopped with alternator failure after SS6.
Nigel Feeney/Sean Donnelly were worried about a vibration in their Mini John Cooper Works Mini WRC before the start – and their fears were correct when clutch failure put them out after SS2. The Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage R5 of Jamie Jukes/James Morgan was inside the top 10 before they were forced out after a big moment on SS2, while the sister car of Philip Hopkins/Aled Edwards was battling for sixth when they went off the road and retired on the final stage.
Melvyn Evans (1st overall): “It’s been six years since I last drove this Subaru Impreza WRC on Epynt – we were car number three on the Tour of Epynt in 2012 and won, and this year we were car number three and we won again, so we’ll have to be car number three more often! We started off sensibly to see what our pace was like – the pace was there, so we had a push on the Burma Road on the middle loop and found that was the place we could take a bit of time out of Damian. There are lots of fast places on Epynt where it’s very difficult to make any time, so we were really fast and precise in the tricky sections and that’s what made the difference and paid dividends. All the drivers have gone well today. It’s been slippery and greasy, tyre choice has been very difficult, but it’s been a fantastic battle all the way to the finish.”
Damian Cole (2nd overall): “It’s always nice to win, but I’ve only won the Tour of Epynt once before and lost count of the times I’ve been second here and it’s bridesmaid again today! I said before the start that Melvyn was the one to watch and he’s proved the case and has been very fast all day. We matched him on the first two stages, but then he put his foot down a little bit and pulled away from us. We went quite well. We may have had the wrong tyres on for one loop, but apart from that everything went well and the car was good. We’re looking forward to the Isle of Man now. I’ve been third there three times and second once – so we’ll be trying on the Manx to score the one podium result that’s so far eluded us.”
Jason Pritchard (3rd overall): “I haven’t driven the Fiesta S2000 very much at all, and every mile in the car we do we’re improving. The car hasn’t got the grunt of a World Rally Car, and on the long uphill sections of the New Road, and accelerating out of tight junctions, we were obviously losing a bit of time. But we were fastest in the rain on the final stage so, had it been wet throughout the day, maybe we could have been a bit closer to challenging for the win. We’ll use the Focus WRC on the Isle of Man – we’ve won the event three times in a row and last year we set fastest time on every stage bar one in the car, so we’re already looking forward to round two.”
The Tour of Epynt was broadcast live on the Special Stage Facebook page, with well in excess of 100,000 views for the web streaming service. The footage, with commentary from Howard Davies, will remain on-line for viewing. Details regarding the transmission times for the television programmes will be issued on the Asphalt Rally Championship website and Facebook page.
It was a successful event for Protyre Motorsport, which took over 1,100 Pirelli, Michelin, Hoosier and Hankook motorsport tyres to the event – with almost every registered Championship competitor taking advantage of the tyre selection and fitting service in the changeable weather conditions.
Round 2 of the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship is the Bet on Aces Manx National Rally (May 11-12).
Results
Posted: April 16, 2018 2:34 PM
1. Melvyn Evans/Mark Glennerster (Subaru Impreza WRC)….1h04m58s
2. Damian Cole/Jamie Edwards (Ford Fiesta WRC)….+39s
3. Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke (Ford Fiesta S2000)….+1m46s
4. Steve Simpson/Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta RS)….+3m23s
5. Adrian Spencer/Matt Daniels (Subaru Impreza WRC)….+3m36s
6. Paul Kirtley/David Jones (Subaru Impreza)….+4m36s
7. Wayne Sisson/Max Freeman (Mitsubishi Evo)….+5m08s
8. Gareth James/Steffan Evans (Ford Escort Mk2)….+5m09s
9. Huw Reed/Anthony Hackett (Darrian T90 GTR)….+5m25s
10. Richard Merriman/Kath Curzon (Darrian T90)….+5m26s
Revamped 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship kicks off in style with bumper Tour of Epynt entry
Posted: March 5, 2018 7:06 AM
The revamped Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship returns in style this weekend, with a superb entry for the Port Talbot MC-organised Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt (11 March).
Having taken a sabbatical in 2017, it’s been 17 months since the last MSA Asphalt Rally Championship round (Cheviot Stages, October 2016) – and since then the BTRDA-run series has undergone a significant overhaul, with a new calendar of events, class structure and points system. And the innovations have met with the approval of competitors from across the classes, with a magnificent field of cars heading to the famous rollercoaster asphalt roads of the Epynt military range for the opening round of the 2018 series.
With six Asphalt Rally Championship titles and 18 rally wins on Epynt to his name, Damian Cole is one of the favourites for victory in his Get Connected Ford Fiesta WRC. He’ll be partnered by the experienced Jamie Edwards, in what will be their first proper rally together. But if experience on Epynt is the key to success, look no further than Bob Fowden – who is celebrating 40 years in rallying this season. Co-driven by Aled Davies, he’ll be aiming for nothing but a repeat of last year’s Tour of Epynt victory in his ex-works Comline Auto Parts/NGK-backed Subaru Impreza WRC S11.
Event sponsor Melvyn Evans will start at three in his Subaru Impreza WRC, while the 2007 Asphalt Rally Champion Steve Simpson returns to the series in his Impreza WRC. Three-time MSA British Historic Rally Champion Jason Pritchard hasn’t as much experience on Epynt, but whether he drives his five-time Manx National Rally winning Focus WRC05, his Fiesta S2000 or his rapid Mk2 Escort, expect the North Road Garage-supported Builth Wells driver to be challenging for the win too.
The wide variety of potential rally winning driver and car combinations continues with Nigel Feeney and Daniel Harper in a pair of Prodrive-built Mini John Cooper Works Mini WRCs, Jamie Jukes and Philip Hopkins in a brace of Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage R5s, former Welsh Tarmac Rally Champion Rob Tout in his The Wheel Specialists/Enterprise Insurance/Owen Developments/Tout’s Tool and Plant Hire Mitsubishi Evo 10, Adrian Spencer and Brian Watson in a pair of Subaru Impreza S11 WRCs and Richard Clews in his ITG Air Filters Subaru Impreza. Double N4 class champion Chris Rice drives a GC8 Subaru, Lee Perry an Escort Cosworth and John Macniven a Subaru Impreza.
If conditions are dry, the four-wheel drive cars will be under considerable pressure from a squadron of powerful rear-wheel drive Darrians. The mid-engined cars, built in west Wales by Tim Duffee, are synonymous with asphalt rallying and have twice beaten four-wheel drive cars to the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship title – with Geoff Kitney/Alan McCann champions in 1990 and John Dalton/Alun Davies in 1993. There are currently six highly motivated and serious registered Championship Darrian drivers contesting the Tour of Epynt: Ashley Field (Darrian T90 GTR+), Andy Fraser (Darrian T9 V6), Huw Reed (Darrian T90 GTR), Tony Rees (Darrian GTR), Paul Culverwell (Darrian T9) and former double Welsh Tarmac Champion Richard Merriman (Darrian T90).
There are many other exciting two-wheel drive cars to keep an eye on too, like Mike Williams’ MG ZR 160, which has been fitted with a new six-speed sequential gearbox, the rapid 220bhp Vauxhall Corsa driven by last year’s ASWMC Sealed Surface Rally Championship runner-up, Darren Pool, the Fiesta S2000 of former Class C Manx Rally Champion Geoff Wright and the Proton Satria S1600 driven by Roger Priestnall. There are plenty of spectacular Escorts too, including the ones driven by Paul Doroszczuk, Phil Turner, Ross Brusby, Tomas Davies, Mike Pugsley, Richard Slinger, Gareth James, Stefan Davies and Steve Retchless – while Stuart Anderson contests the event in his Vauxhall Chevette HSR GP4.
Other registered contenders to keep a close eye on include Mike Farmer (Ford Focus), Mark Booth (Honda Civic), Tom Barber (BMW Compact), Gareth James (Peugeot 205GTi), Adrian Drury (Peugeot 106 GTi), Tim Waters (Renault Clio), Rhidian Daniels (Citroen C1 Max), James Nicholls (Peugeot), Kevin Harbour (Citroen C2R2) and Geoff Glover in his rear-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra.
Mitsubishi Lancers are very well represented, driven by the likes of Wayne Sisson, Barry Groundwater, Stu Bainborough, Oliver Hopkins, Chris Marshall, Paul James and former Dixies Challenge Champion and 2017 Jaffa Stages winner Philip Turner.
There are several talented youngsters contesting the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship this year, including 19-year old Ed Fossey (the reigning BTRDA 1400 Champion driving a newly acquired Peugeot 208 R2) and 21-year old Lloyd Morgan in a Mike Morgan Rallying Nissan Micra. Morgan will also be in an intriguing 1400cc class battle with William Mains (Vauxhall Nova), while Oliver Bell (Nissan Micra) takes on Bill Paynter (Peugeot 106 Rallye).
Like all six rounds of the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, registered competitors on the Tour of Epynt will enjoy a comprehensive TV and broadcast package, with live streaming via the Special Stage Facebook page and live radio broadcasts and interviews on rallyfm.net. A few weeks later, a dedicated Tour of Epynt rally report will be televised on the Sky/Freesat Front Runner channel, on the Motor Trend On Demand channel and on the Special Stage Facebook, YouTube and App platforms.
This year’s Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt is based in Llandovery, with 75 miles of stages over the famous Epynt military range. A competitor recce, followed by technical scrutineering, takes place on Saturday 10 March, before the action gets underway the following day (Sunday 11 March) at 08.40. The finish is back in Llandovery town centre at 16.30, with the prizegiving at 18.00.
Spectators are welcome and should approach the Epynt ranges via the ‘dual carriageway’ off the A40 at Llywel. Admission is £10 per car and includes a comprehensive Spectator Guide & Entry List. Three locations will provide viewing of all the stages throughout the day – all accessed from the Dixies Corner area and arrowed accordingly. Please note that the Centre Road will be closed and Location C will only provide access to the afternoon stages. At all locations, please park on one side of the road only and heed marshals advice. For more event information, please go to ptmconline.com
The Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt is Round 1 of the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, and the best five scores from six rounds count towards the title. Championship Regulations and Entry Forms are available to download at: asphaltrallying.com
Seeded Entry List
Posted: March 5, 2018 6:12 AM
1 Bob Fowden/Aled Davies (Subaru Impreza WRC S11) []
2 Damian Cole/Jamie Edwards (Ford Fiesta WRC) [9]
3 Melvyn Evans/Mark Glennerster (Subaru Impreza WRC S12B) [9]
4 Stephen Simpson/Patrick Walsh (TBA ) [9]
5 Jason Tauber Pritchard/Phil Clarke (TBA ) [9]
6 Mark Jones/John Hawkins (BMW M3) [5]
7 Philip Turner/Simon Anthony (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [6]
8 Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (MINI WRC) [9]
10 Huw Reed/Anthony Hackett (Darrian T90 GTR) [5]
11 Rob Tout/Peredur Davies (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) [6]
12 Adrian Spencer/Matt Daniels (Subaru Impreza WRC S11) [9]
14 Richard Clews/Hamish Cambell (Subaru Impreza STI) [6]
15 Tomas Davies/Eurig Davies (Ford Escort) [5]
16 Paul Kirtley/David Jones (Subaru Impreza) [9]
17 Jamie Jukes/James Morgan (Mitsubishi Mirage) [9]
18 Barry Groundwater/Neil Shanks (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) [6]
19 Wayne Sisson/Max Freeman (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) [6]
20 Raymond Horton/Paul Williams (Darrian GTR +) [5]
21 Gareth James/Steffan Evans (Ford Escort Mk2) [H5]
22 Roger Moran/Tudor Jenkins (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
23 Philip Hopkins/Aled Edwards (Mitsubishi Mirage) [9]
24 Nigel Feeney/Sean Donnelly (MINI WRC) [9]
25 Tony Rees/Geraint Thomas (Darrian GTR) [5]
26 Phil Turner/Ian Meakin (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
27 Richard Merriman/Kathryn Curzon (Darrian T90) [3]
28 Graham Hollis/Alan Jones (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
29 Terry Brown/Den Golding (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
30 Chris Ford/Neil Colman (Subaru Impreza WRC) [9]
31 Stu Bainborough/Declan Dear (Mitsuishi Lancer Evo 6) [6]
32 Ross Brusby/Sam Collis (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
33 Mike Williams/Ken Bills (MG ZR) [3]
34 Oliver Hopkins/Ian Taylor (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [6]
35 Brian Watson/Caroline Will (Subaru Impreza WRC S11) [9]
36 Simon Tysoe/Paul Morris (Ford Escort) [H5]
37 Steve Retchless/Sasha Heriot (Ford Escort) [5]
38 Rhidian Daniels/Tomos Whittle (Citroen C1 Max) [2]
39 Geoff Wright/Chris Sanderson (Ford Fiesta S2000) [9]
40 Dave Longfellow/Mark Broadbent (Subaru Impreza) [6]
42 Chris Marshall/Simon Hunter (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5) [6]
43 Richard Slinger/Phil Sandham (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
44 Steve Hopewell/Mike Smith (Ford Escort) [4]
45 Tom Jones/Andrew Conibear (Subaru Impreza) [6]
46 Tom Barber/Jaime Barber (BMW Compact) [5]
47 Chris Ransley/Mike Jones (BMW M3) [5]
48 Marcus Padgett/Rhys Stoneman (Nissan Micra Kit Car) [3]
49 Malcolm 'Tar' Jones/Rhys Jones (Peugeot 207 R2) [2]
50 Mike English/Andy Robinson (Ford Escort Escort Mk2) [4]
51 Carl Fricker/Theresa Fossey (Vauxhall Nova) [2]
52 Paul Culverwell/Sophie Louise Buckland (Darrian T9) [3]
53 William Mains/Sion Jones (Vauxhall Nova) [1]
54 Alex Moore/Seyyan John (Subaru Impreza) [6]
55 Lloyd Morgan/Marc Clatworthy (Nissan Micra) [1]
56 Chris Mosley/Vincent Mosley (Davrian Dragon) [2]
57 Mark James/Hefin Jenkins (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
58 Paul James/Derek Davies (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) [9]
59 Steve Ellis/Jaimie Vaughan (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
60 Roger Priestnall/Jamie Forrest (Proton Satria S1600) [2]
61 Rhys McLoughlin/Michael Gilbey (Peugeot 205 Maxi) [4]
62 Neil Jones/Alan Thomas (Vauxhall Astra) [3]
63 Paul R Clackett/Scott Dance (Subaru Impreza) [6]
64 Chris Rice/Craig Cameron (Subaru Impreza) [6]
65 Darren Pool/Christopher Beer (Vauxhall Corsa VXR16) [2]
66 Geoff Glover/Keith Barker (Vauxhall Astra (RWD)) [3]
67 Ed Fossey/Chris Sharpe-Simkiss (Peugeot 208 R2) [2]
68 Jade Paveley/Claire Williams (Subaru Impreza) [6]
69 Gethin Sharp/Lewis Griffiths (Toyota Yaris) [1]
70 Mike Pugsley/Richard Suter (Ford Escort MkI) [4]
71 Jonathan Stepney/Aled Davies (Peugeot 205) [4]
72 Gareth James/Ryan Jones (Peugeot 205 GTI) [4]
73 Wyn Jones/Emyr Evans (BMW Compact) [5]
74 Lee Sparrowhawk/Samuel Myers (Subaru Impreza) [8]
75 Jonathan Davies/Elgan Davies (Peugeot 206) [8]
76 Adrian Drury/Cat Lund (Peugeot 106 GTi) [2]
77 Paul Doroszczuk/Julian Doroszczuk (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
78 Bill Paynter/Andy Hollingham (Peugeot 106 Rallye) [1]
79 Paul Anthony Robins/Kenny Owen (Ford Escort MkII RS1800) [H5]
80 Kevin Harbour/Dave Tortoishell (Citroen C2R2) [2]
81 Jim Boxall/Allan Brown (Peugeot 205 Gti) [4]
82 Bob Morris/Bryn Perry (Subaru Impreza) [7]
83 Dafydd Williams/Gethin Sollis (Chrysler Sunbeam) [4]
84 Tim Waters/Jack Waters (Renault Clio) [5]
85 Oliver Bell/Liam Johnson (Nissan Micra) [1]
86 John Macniven/Alexander Graeme Kermode (Subaru Impreza) [7]
87 Jason Watkins/Elspeth Watkins (Peugeot 106 Rallye) [1]
88 Tony Davies/Alistair Neil (Vauxhall Corsa) [8]
89 Mark Booth/Pauline Merrills (Honda Civic) [2]
90 Frazer Moss/Andy Moss (Peugeot GTi) [2]
91 Tony Stiling/TBA (Lancia Delta Integrale) [9]
92 Tony McCarthy/Shaun Layland (Nissan Micra) [8]
Bumper entry for the Tour of Epynt
Posted: February 13, 2018 5:20 AM
Just over half of the 100 entries so far received for the Port Talbot Motor Club-organised Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt (11 March) are registered Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship contenders – highlighting the tremendous response the revamped series has received from competitors.
Six time Champion Damian Cole (Ford Fiesta WRC) and last year’s event winner Bob Fowden (ex-Petter Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC S11) head up the opening round challenge, while other mouth-watering entries include Adrian Spencer and Brian Watson in a pair of Subaru Impreza WRC S11s, Nigel Feeney and Dan Harper in a pair of Mini John Cooper Works Mini WRCs, Rob Tout (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X), John MacNiven (Subaru Impreza), Lee Perry (Ford Escort Cosworth), Barry Groundwater (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X), Geoff Glover (Vauxhall Astra RWD) and Richard Clews (Subaru Impreza STI).
The classes are extremely well supported too, with a pair of Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage R5s for Jamie Jukes and Phil Hopkins, Tomas Davies (Fiesta R5), Geoff Wright (Fiesta S2000), Bill Paynter (Peugeot 106 Rallye), Richard Egger (Vauxhall Nova), Chris Wheeler (Citroen DS3 R3T), Tom Barber (BMW Compact), Oliver Bell (Nissan Micra), Tim Waters (Renault Clio), Rhidian Daniels (Citroen C1 Max), Mike Pugsley (Escort Mk1), Tom Middlemiss (Vauxhall Corsa), Stuart Anderson (Vauxhall Chevette HSR GP4) and Will Mains in his rapid 1400cc Vauxhall Nova (pictured) – plus a lot more!
With such a great variety of cars, it’s going to be an exciting day of asphalt competition over the 75 miles of stages that snake over the famous Epynt terrain!
Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour Of Epynt, Sunday 11th March 18
Posted: January 4, 2018 8:53 AM
Port Talbot Motor Club is pleased to open the revitalised and returned Protyre MSA Asphalt Championship of 2018, The ‘Tour’ having been a part of the MSA Asphalt Series through its many permutations, but now a series that promises to truly return the new Championship to the very top of British rallying. We are of course delighted to be working alongside the new organising team with its Welsh connections through Jane Evans and Paul Evans, both experienced in organisational and media roles, and in addition the new series Sponsor Protyre, that has already demonstrated a huge commitment to enhancing the Championship.
For 2018 Port Talbot is also pleased to welcome back our event Sponsor, The Melvyn Evans Tour of Epynt again supported by one of the leading preparation businesses in our sport and indeed with a successful competitor at the helm of that business. The rally is also included in the JD Tyres Welsh National Tarmacadam Championship 2018, the Hirefit King of Epynt Challenge, the FMP Rally Challenge, and the ANWCC Stage Rally Championship 2018, and Port Talbot Motor Club welcomes competitors in all these worthy series to the event.
The event will provide the best stage roads available over the legendary undulating roads that flow over the military roads and snake over Mynydd Epynt as perhaps few others do in British rallying, with around seventy five stage miles included in the route that will include at least five stages and possibly up to seven as the routes are finalised, 2018 having an emphasis on the longer stages that provide a challenge to crews and cars as they take in those extra miles at speed. Service will be at the usual central ‘Quarry’ location on the military ranges, and the PTMC organising team are sure that the event will be a worthy inclusion in all of the series.
We, on the organising team, welcome you and look forward to receiving your entry to the event, and wish you an enjoyable and most importantly a safe day of motorsport, and to seeing you all again for the Sunday 11th of March rally in 2018, as the Melvyn Evans Tour of Epynt continues the reputation forged since its days as a pioneering rally on these military roads way back in the ‘sixties.
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