Peugeot 206 Super Cup - Harry Flatters

Posted: August 7, 2003 1:38 AM

1. Stuart Jones takes debut victory
A new event to the Peugeot 206 Super Cup calendar, the Harry Flatters Rally brought 19 crews to Brecon in the Welsh Mountains for the sixth round of the championship, and the first round of the Late Challenge Cup.

The two day event enjoyed a leisurely start after lunch on Saturday with six stages totalling around 40 miles over the excellent tarmac roads of Epynt Military Ranges, although the crews had an early 7am start as they completed their route recce in the morning.

In dry, warm and increasingly sunny weather, the crews left the service area for the first pair of stages where the drama quickly unfolded when Championship leader Shaun Gallagher rolled his car out of the rally on the second stage. Third placed in the Championship, Jack and Grania Ingleby had their brake bias completely wrong and came into service in 13th place, while Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy dropped four minutes when they stopped for a puncture, which dropped them to 14th. Trevor Martins rally ended on Stage 1 when his engine gave up, Ian Warren holed the radiator on Stage 2 and went no further, despite wearing his lucky bracelet from the Jim Clark Rally, and Paul Swift was seen parked up on Stage 2 with white smoke issuing from the car.

Stuart Jones with co-driver Richard Edwards were quickest away on the first stage which may have been due to their lack of brakes and inability to slow the car down. Chris Moore/Mike Panes were five seconds behind in second place, losing time when they caught and passed another car. On his first visit to Epynt, Spaniard Joan Roca declared I enjoy lots of jumps I like. With the benefit of Epynt expert Mike Jones in the co-drivers seat, Richard Phillipson also commented Ive never enjoyed tarmac so much in my life, although his veteran rival Peter Salter was marching ahead.

Chris Moore/Mike Panes and Joan Roca/Jordi Barrabes were equal fastest on that second stage, though Moore was complaining of being held up by another car, something which happened repeatedly through the day as the four wheel drive, big engined cars were caught napping by the ferocious pace of the 206 Cup contenders.

Stages 3 and 4 were a repeat of the first pair and Stuart Jones stamped his authority on the Cup runners by taking both fastest stage times. He said at service in, No dramas and comfortable, there is an an amazing amount of grip out there. Dessie Keenan ended his Epynt debut when his engine expired after suspected over-revving, while Barry Horan had retired in service with a problem battery. Chris Moore was not on it though Jack Ingleby was better now, but still getting confidence back in the car, while Mike Faulkner said he had taken exactly the same lines and no punctures!.

Sebastian Ling was going well in 5th place, although had a bit of a scare when his steering wheel came loose and he drove holding it on. Roca had attacked a little more to stay 4th, while Gareth MacHale/Clive Jenkins were storming through in 3rd, though he had nearly lost it on the last corner of SS3, sideways on the grass in 5th. Paul Jones had a catalogue of problems but was still here

After a break, the stages were combined and reversed. Jones continued his domination with another fastest time, really enjoying the longer stage, though he thought he might need to get fitter. Moore arrived at the control absolutely livid over being held up for the length of the Burmah road by a non-Cup runner. Roca set second fastest to leap-frog ahead of MacHale despite admitting to too many mistakes. MacHale had a massive moment in 5th gear, too quick into a 5L and was heading for a crash into the telephone exchange until he recovered the car. In 4th place, Ling was going well until he had a slight off in front of his Dad who is a nervous watcher at the best of times. Sykes was still in 6th place, but hit a hole and crushed his exhaust ending with a wheel wobble.

The last stage of the day saw MacHale recover his composure and take fastest time, a mere one second from Jones, tying with Roca for 3rd place. Moore stayed second, only one second ahead of the pair, while Jones ended his day a comfortable 30 seconds ahead of the pack, such was his speed on the ranges. Mike Faulkner had a push on to gain a place, as did Jack Ingleby, though neither had made inroads into their time loss from earlier but both were back in the top ten.

Greek George Philippedes had struggled early on with the unfamiliar territory but finished the day with a flourish in 7th place.

Sunday sees a further 9 stages with the majority of the mileage, and the weather forecast to be hot and sunny again.

Stuart Jones:
 44:42
  
 
Chris Moore
 45:12
 00:30
 
Joan Roca
 45:13
 00:31
 
Gareth MacHale
 45:13
 00:31
 
Sebastian Ling
 45:54
 01:12
 
Richard Sykes
 46:16
 01:34
 
George Philippedes
 46:32
 01:50
 
Paul Jones
 47:13
 02:31
 
Jack Ingleby
 47:33
 02:51
 
Peter Salter
 48:20
 03:38
 
Mike Faulkner
 49:10
 04:28
 
Richard Phillipson
 50:45
 06:03
 
Jon Sparks
 50:52
 06:09
 

Thirteen cars restarted on Sunday morning in early morning mist on what promised to be a glorious summer day, which Jack and Grania Ingleby were to see rather more of than they had expected when their car stopped on Stage 7. Meanwhile, Chris Moore set the pace on that stage, with Stuart Jones only a second behind. Jones retaliated on the next longer stage with a full nine seconds faster than second placed Joan Roca. Going into service, the battle for second place was fierce with Moore leading MacHale and Roca by only one second. Roca was going well but having problems with chickens (chicanes) and chips on the road (sheep), the chips causing Moore to come to a stop on Stage 8, where he had also had a 360 spin after missing gears. The tight chicanes caught out others too, Mike Faulkner reporting arriving at one in 5th gear having missed the braking point and losing his front bumper and trim, and Sebastian Ling annihilated it, I had to do a 16 point turn to get round the tyres. Richard Sykes complained that his car was down on power despite having changed various components, and he was annoyed with himself for losing 4 seconds with a little overshoot. George Philippedes in sixth place was enjoying the sunshine and trying to push on in his battle with Sykes who was only three seconds behind. Richard Phillipson felt he might die of altitude sickness I have never flown so often and so far. Its very invigorating.

Sadly the demanding nature of the stages had claimed three more retirements. Jonathan Sparks event came to a sudden stop when he hit the infamous Fourways Bridge on Stage 7, while the same stage saw Peter Salter roll his car. On the second time through, Paul Jones and Steve Smallbone also crashed out. While Sparks/Bassett were released from hospital, Smallbone and Salter have both had to stay on for further care.

Stages 9 and 10 were a repeat of the previous two stages, and with only one second separating 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed men, Moore, MacHale and Roca, it was a tense battle at the front with Roca arriving back in service two seconds ahead of Moore. Gareth MacHale dropped 12 seconds after breaking his rhythm following an unseen crest.

Stages 11 and 12 were cancelled in order to bring the event back on schedule, and after a long lunch break and service, Chris Moore went back out to challenge Roca, taking fastest times on Stages 13 and 14. Gareth MacHale had suffered a small off into a dyke but suffered no damage, and fifth placed man Sebastian Ling said he had transformed the car by putting slicks on the back and new tyres on the front. George Philippedes had had a huge moment over a jump, landing the car on its nose and proudly pointing out the scuff marks as he came into service. Richard Sykes had lost power and was just cruising for a finish, and behind him Mike Faulkner was doing likewise. Richard Phillipson was just continuing to have a great time, describing the stages as marvellous fun.

With Stuart Jones leading by 40 seconds going into the last stage, the real battle was for second place with only one second separating Moore and Roca.

Joan Roca spun on the last stage and dropped nine seconds, handing second place to Chris Moore who absolutely flew the fifteen miles. Stuart Jones and Richard Edwards continued their comfortable domination of the field to retain that 40 second gap into his debut victory in the 206 Super Cup and becomes the current leader of the Late Challenge Cup.

Stuart Jones:
 1:36:01
  
 
Chris Moore
 1:36:41
 00:40
 
Joan Roca
 1:36:49
 00:48
 
Gareth MacHale
 1:37:33
 01:32
 
Sebastian Ling
 1:38:35
 02:34
 
George Philippedes
 1:39:15
 03:14
 
Richard Sykes
 1:40:09
 04:07
 
Mike Faulkner
 1:42:15
 06:14
 
Richard Phillipson
 1:49:13
 13:12
 

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2. Gallagher Holds Strong in British 206 Cup
Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award Winner, Shaun Gallagher remains in a strong position in the British Peugeot 206 Super Cup despite his first non-finish in the British Cup in over eighteen months.

Round six of the championship was the Harry Flatters Rally in Wales. The two-day event was run on the famous tarmac, Epynt stages, which are notorious for their fast and deceptive nature.

Shaun, and co-driver Richard Pashley, were hoping to continue their fantastic run of good form and follow on from their win on the last round, the Jim Clark Rally. However their luck turned and on stage two Shaun pushed a little to hard on a tricky corner and rolled off the road, into retirement.

This was Shaun first retirement of the year in the British 206 Cup but with only six of the eight scores counting towards the championship he remains in a strong position to take the championship title.