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Mutiny Rally (Llandrindod Wells) - 4 Jun 05

Posted: June 8, 2005 11:15 PM - 4824 Hits

Round 4 - 2005 ANCRO MSA National Rally Championship
Round 4 - 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge
Round 4 - 2005 206 Super Cup

  • Strabane’s Colin Britton takes third at the Mutiny Rally!
  • 206 Cup - Wigmore wins round 4
  • STAGE SNIPPETS….
  • Crealey’s Charge Curtailed In Wales
  • Late Challenge Cup after round two
  • Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - Round 4 Report
  • Jones & Butler Back To Winning Ways
  • DODD WINS AS LAST STAGE DRAMA DENIES PERROTT

Posted: June 8, 2005 11:15 PM

Strabane’s Colin Britton takes third at the Mutiny Rally!
Strabane’s Colin Britton secured an excellent third position at the fourth round of the Peugeot 206 Super Cup last weekend.

Recent events have seen the HMC Communications crew start to move up a gear, with third position at the Border Counties Rally and fifth on the Isle of Man. From the outset, the Mutiny Rally looked set to be no different as Colin, co-driven by Kenny Hull (Katesbridge), were immediately on the pace. Fourth fastest on the first of nine Welsh forest stages, the A.B. Contracts Peugeot was mixing it with the best. Strabane’s Colin Britton secured an excellent third position at the fourth round of the Peugeot 206 Super Cup last weekend.

Recent events have seen the HMC Communications crew start to move up a gear, with third position at the Border Counties Rally and fifth on the Isle of Man. From the outset, the Mutiny Rally looked set to be no different as Colin, co-driven by Kenny Hull (Katesbridge), were immediately on the pace. Fourth fastest on the first of nine Welsh forest stages, the A.B. Contracts Peugeot was mixing it with the best.

Despite the slippy conditions, Colin was feeling confident with the car and pushed hard through the following stages but a faulty alternator was set to cause some concern in the Peugeot camp. Luckily, the problem didn’t arise until the crew were just a couple of miles from service so Gerry McGarrity’s service team fixed the car before the next loop of stages.

Colin continued to push hard but Declan Magee sneaked ahead of him after the 17 mile Radnor stage, demoting Colin to fifth. The crew knew they had a fight on their hands and it was time for maximum attack! While other crews fell by the wayside, Colin was third fastest on stage five, promoting him into third position. Richard Sykes rolled out of fourth on the following stage leaving Colin and Kenny with a comfortable advantage over Magee. The string of top three times which followed secured the podium position for the Peugeot pairing and an ecstatic Colin and Kenny glided over the Llandrindod Wells finish ramp.

“We pushed really hard over the last few stages, perhaps too hard in places!” Colin said. “We had a few very sideways moments and a small off road excursion to keep us on our toes. But considering it’s our first time competing on this event, we’re both over the moon!”

The result promotes Colin to fourth overall in the championship standings while co-driver Kenny is third in the navigator’s category. With four rounds remaining and dropped scores to come into effect, the series is wide open. Action resumes for round five of the championship at the Swansea Bay Rally on 23 July.

Despite the slippy conditions, Colin was feeling confident with the car and pushed hard through the following stages but a faulty alternator was set to cause some concern in the Peugeot camp. Luckily, the problem didn’t arise until the crew were just a couple of miles from service so Gerry McGarrity’s service team fixed the car before the next loop of stages.

Colin continued to push hard but Declan Magee sneaked ahead of him after the 17 mile Radnor stage, demoting Colin to fifth. The crew knew they had a fight on their hands and it was time for maximum attack! While other crews fell by the wayside, Colin was third fastest on stage five, promoting him into third position. Richard Sykes rolled out of fourth on the following stage leaving Colin and Kenny with a comfortable advantage over Magee. The string of top three times which followed secured the podium position for the Peugeot pairing and an ecstatic Colin and Kenny glided over the Llandrindod Wells finish ramp.

“We pushed really hard over the last few stages, perhaps too hard in places!” Colin said. “We had a few very sideways moments and a small off road excursion to keep us on our toes. But considering it’s our first time competing on this event, we’re both over the moon!”

The result promotes Colin to fourth overall in the championship standings while co-driver Kenny is third in the navigator’s category. With four rounds remaining and dropped scores to come into effect, the series is wide open. Action resumes for round five of the championship at the Swansea Bay Rally on 23 July.

206 Cup - Wigmore wins round 4
Jonnie Wigmore and co-driver Robbie Durant emerged eventual winners of round 4 of the Peugeot 206 Super Cup, on this weekend’s Mutiny Rally after a day long battle with Mike Faulkner and Heather Connon was resolved only on the penultimate stage. Ulsterman Colin Britton, with Kenny Hull on the notes took third place, with fellow countryman Declan Magee finishing fourth.

In changeable weather conditions all the Peugeot 206 Super Cup crews report the opening stage in Esgair Dafydd to be very slippy, first blood went to Faulkner, stopping the clock just over 2 seconds before Wigmore despite reporting the steering feeling very strange. Wigmore felt he had been unable to get into a rhythm on this opening test, sentiment echoed by Faulkner. Richard Sykes emerged from the open stage with a substantial branch embedded in the front of the car, “ we spent fifty yards bouncing down the ditch and up a bank”, reported the ebullient Sykes, “that certainly had things twitching in the car, it’s just a touch slippy in there.”

With young Irishman Owen Murphy, with new co-driver Paul Williams, suffering fuel pump problems and taking a maximum on the second stage, Mike Faulkner continued to struggle with steering problems through stages two and three, battling with a car which didn’t want to corner at all “We’ve got to turn in ages before the corner, and on the straights it’s steering itself” reported the Gretna driver. Paul Jones suffering from a misting windscreen in the same stage, activity at first service saw fourth placed Colin Britton replacing an alternator which had stopped producing charge on stage 3, Murphy replace the errant fuel pump in the hope that it would stop blowing fuses, Faulkner traced his steering problem to a failed wishbone bush, and all the crews passing comment on how slippy the stages were in the heavy rain showers. “Awesomely slippy” said Trevor Martin on his return to service, “We’ve had rain and fog – it’s like the Isle of Man all over again, but at least it’s daylight!”

Next up came the 17 mile test in Radnor, and immediately Wigmore extended his 9.6 second lead at first service by a further 11 seconds from Faulkner. Recovering from his early problems, Cork driver Murphy posted third fastest time, making full use of new Welsh co-driver Paul William’s knowledge, posting notice of his speed on gravel as well as tarmac. Paul Jones came back to service at the showground in Builth Wells reporting problems with the rear suspension and Radnor to be very slippy.

Wigmore left the second service with a 22.5 second lead over Faulkner, with Jones in third, Declan Magee in fourth after an excellent run through Radnor, Britton fifth and Sykes sixth, the latter three separated by just under 2 seconds. Gwibedog claimed the scalp of Paul Jones when the earlier suspension problem manifested itself in a rear stub pin failure stranding the Kent driver on three wheels. Murphy continued to suffer problems dropping three minutes to the pace, whilst Britton and Sykes upped the pace to overtake Magee. With just 2.9 seconds deficit to make up to Britton, Sykes attacked on stage 6, Carnau, only to Miss hear a note and fail to take a bend over a crest, “ I’d asked for the note again and missed it, we came over a crest at about 100 mph and I’d thought it was straight on, but there was the bend”, said the amiable Stourbridge driver, the resulting end over end roll forced Sykes and Taylor into instant retirement.

Jon Sparks and Brad Magnus spent three minutes in a ditch on Carnau, requiring the help of spectators to extract the car, and Murphy continued to struggle before being reported off the road in Halfway, and Mavitty battled with a down on power car which would occasionally lapse onto three cylinders.

Further up the field Mike Faulkner with Heather Connon deputising for Peter Foy on the notes had begun the third loop with an attack in mind, equalling Wigmore on stage 5 despite the car jumping out of gear and reducing Wigmores lead on stage 6 by 1.5 seconds and by a further 6.3 seconds in Halfway, reducing the gap to 14.5 seconds as the battling crews headed into the 10 mile Crychan test. “It was all or nothing for us” said Faulkner, but the finish clock told the story, with Faulkner having the handbrake jam on in a hairpin Wigmore extended his lead by 26.8 seconds and with only the 5 miles of Cefn as the final test the stage looked set for Wigmore to take his third Super Cup victory of the season.

Emerging from Cefn with a very muddy car, Jonnie reported a moment up a bank as he battled to fend off Faulkner, but the Gretna driver ran wide on a corner, got stuck in the mud and was forced to reverse, yet still reduced Wigmore’s margin by 8.8 seconds. “So near, but yet so far” commented Faulkner at the finish, “we tried hard despite our steering problems in the morning, and we’ve attacked all afternoon.” “Brilliant” said Wigmore and he and co-driver Durant mounted the bonnet of the Peugeot 206 for the champagne ceremony back in Llandrindod Wells, “Its been a good battle all day and we’ve extended our championship lead.” Colin Britton and Kenny Hull were secure in third place, with fellow Ulsterman Declan Magee in fourth, some 28 seconds behind, with Clive Wheeler bringing the immaculate Skip Brown car home in fifth for his best finish of the season to date.

Faulkner moves into second place, 30 points adrift from Wigmore at the half way point of the year, with Trevor Martin maintaining third, and Colin Britton moving into fourth place. The second half of the season will see the battle quicken its pace as crews fight for the prizes on offer at the end of the year.

In six weeks time the crews will renew the fight in the forests of South Wales on the Swansea Bay National Rally, round five of the Special Tuning (UK) Limited Peugeot 206 Super Cup. Once again support for the series will come from Kumho Tyres, Mintex, Champion, Sparco, Hella and Motor Sport Travel.

STAGE SNIPPETS….
Barry Johnson broke the gearbox on his ex Petter Solberg Subaru S9 at a pre-event test on Thursday. His John Pye Motorsports mechanics rebuilt the gearbox on Friday afternoon and had it ready to start the event on Saturday morning.

Making a welcome return to action following a high speed crash in February’s Kall Kwik Rally was John Richardson. The Northallerton co driver was reunited with Steve Petch in the SGP Motorsport Hyundai Accent WRC and after playing themselves in, the North Yorkshire pairing took a very creditable 11th place overall after a steady start.

Having encountered unforeseen engine problems with his own Ford Focus WRC on the previous round in the Isle of Man, Brendan Crealey elected to hire another car for this event. With him and co driver Steve Harris lying third in the Championship before the weekend, they wanted to keep their title hopes alive so were out in Craig Bennett's '02 spec Ford Focus World Rally Car in Wales. Sadly, they retired with fuel starvation problems on SS6 .

Subaru driver Malcolm Proudlock had a new engine fitted but it had to be re-built and went back into the car on Thursday but there was still a problem with the turbo. He remarked, "We'll get the excuses in now" at the start of the event.

Paul Alexander's team had a wildlife theme with the introduction of a new team mascot. Betty Bah Bah, a blow up sheep (complete with the right 'equipment') joined Paul and Vicky (Johnson) in the car for the event. In an effort to reverse the bad fortunes of the last few events, Betty seemed to do her job. Paul finished the event in 15th place and 3rd in class B13, his best result this season so far.

Evo Challenge driver, Colin Greer hired a gpmsport Evo VII for this weekends rally. His Evo VI is currently for sale.

Ex-champ David Mann co-driven by Alun Cook made a welcome return to the Championship after bitter disappointment on the Rallye Sunseeker when he suffered problems with the car on the afternoon prior to the event.

Young 206 Super Cup driver Jonny Wigmore claimed his second maximum points haul in the Innovation Motorsports Late Challenge Cup on the Mutiny. He secured first place on round two by winning class A6 by 32.5 seconds. Stuart Jones picked up second place points after battling his way to victory in class N4 while Mike Faulkner completed the top three for round two. In the overall Championship, Jonny has a four point lead over second placed Faulkner going into the next round, The Swansea Bay National Rally in six weeks time while Phillip Morrow is a further five points back in third place.

Innovation Motorsport boss Chris Moore himself may make a return to the stages on Swansea Bay after a fourteen month lay off. More information will be available on www.innovationmotorsports.net soon.

Noticeable by his absence, ANCRO Press Officer Larry Carter was otherwise engaged at the Croft round of the British Superbike Championship (where he has been the series presenter for the past four years) but on his way there, he spotted a police camera van lurking menacingly on the roadside. Having recently fallen foul of Cumbria Constabulary (76mph on a dual carriageway…), he acknowledged the ‘boys in blue’ with a friendly toot of the horn whereby a squad car was quickly scrambled and he was pulled up for ‘inappropriate use of an audible warning device..’ How nice that our police forces really don’t have an awful lot to do except persecute motorists….

Car 102 on the Clubman, Simon Hawthorn had a lot on his mind throughout the rally. His wife is expecting their first child any day now.

Overall Drivers & Co-Driver, for both National & Clubman, are now on the website www.ancro.info Many thanks to Paul Smith for his efforts in posting them so quickly.

“Old Windy’s Go Boys” currently lead Steve Harris’ innovative ANCRO Fantasy Rally Challenge after round four with “Calv” in second place ahead of “Windy’s Rallying Elite” and “Wingnut Racing”. “Dilly Day Dreams” lay in fifth place ahead of “GoRallying.com”. Keep up the good work, Steve!

They said what…..

"We went into a tree on stage one and we now have a trunk wedged but luckily it has missed all the vital organs. We bounced about 50 yards through the ditch and that definitely got the sphincter twitching….." Richard Sykes after his off road excursion on stage:

Declan Magee at the start of the event when Championship manager Dave McKinlay removed the dry cleaning ticket from Declan's rally suit... "Well that is definitely worth a second a mile, thanks Dave" (It must have worked as Declan went on to finish 4th in the Super Cup and 4th in class A6, his best result this season so far.)

Barry Johnson: "I saw Birdy off at the end of stage 4, I don't know how he managed to get back on, he was so far off!"

"A Sunday drive on a Saturday." 206 Cup competitor Owen Murphy describes his first four stages…

“Can we borrow your engine? We promise to give it you back…” William Mavitty enquires as to the potential use of an Irish journalists hire car….

"Hats off to Mark (Perrott), he drove better than us all day..... but then he broke it and handed us victory. Thanks Mark." Marcus Dodd at the finish of the rally

"I carried him all day!" Comeback co driver John Richardson obviously now needs a brain scan following his back injuries….

“I’d like to thank Steve for being really patient with me for the first couple of stages” Panic over, Richardson talks sense at last.

“Even without his spin, I would have beaten him fair and square. And don’t let him tell you otherwise…” Steve Perez milks the fact that it was Birdy’s turn to buy the champers…

“I was hoping to beat Steve for the fifth time in a row today as the bonus was a full magnum of champagne so no wonder he’s happy…”Paul Bird offers an explanation as to the defending champion’s glee…

“I decided not to break any records today” Brave Ed Stallard after being in hospital the preceding week with a kidney stone problem

Crealey’s Charge Curtailed In Wales
Round four of the National Gravel Rally Championship, Saturday’s mid-Wales based Mutiny Rally, was a character building event for Brendan Crealey and his co-driver Steve Harris.

Although setting times as high as fourth overall during the first five of the event’s nine stages, they retired on the sixth, their hired Ford Focus WRC car suffering from fuel starvation.

Having encountered unforeseen engine problems with his own Focus on the previous round, the Roush Manx Rally, Crealey elected to hire another car for this event. With he and Harris lying third in the Championship before the weekend, they wanted to keep their title hopes alive.

The Mutiny Rally started on Saturday morning from the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, with the event’s nine stages taking place in the forests over the Brecon Beacons. Traditionally this rally enjoys dry and dusty conditions, but this year’s changeable weather witnessed an unpredictable combination of storms and sunshine, a factor which meant that tyres was the main topic of conversation amongst the event’s 60 crews.

With the hired Focus being a newer version than that of his own car, Crealey took a few miles to get used to its different handling and performance characteristics, but it didn’t stop him from setting seventh fastest time on the opening stage.

With the weather worsening, grip on the gravel forests roads was a major issue and Crealey, from Portadown and Harris, from Sheffield, knew that if they wanted to keep on track to win the Championship, a finish was imperative.

After posting a string of top ten times, they found themselves running in seventh place when they reached the second service halt of the day, half way through the event. Deciding to up the pace, they set fourth fastest time on SS5, but it was all to no avail when the car coasted to a halt on SS6.

“We’re not exactly sure what the problem was, but with a different car and difficult conditions these things can happen”, said a philosophical Crealey. “We were going well up until then and I was beginning to really enjoy driving the car. It’s now a case of re-assessing our strategy for the rest of the year in order to maintain our bid for the title.”

Crealey’s Focus is prepared and maintained by VRS Motorsport of Chesterfield and supported by: Superdrive Motorsport Centre, Dunlop Tyres and Shell Racing Fuels.

Late Challenge Cup results after round two
Wigmore claims first and extends overall lead

Jonny Wigmore has claimed his second maximum points haul in the Innovation Motorsports Late Challenge Cup. The young 206 Super Cup driver secured first place on round two, the Mutiny National Rally over the weekend by winning class A6 by 32.5 seconds. Stuart Jones picked up second place points after battling his way to victory in class N4 while Mike Faulkner completed the top three for round two.

In the overall Championship, Jonny has a four point lead over second placed Faulkner going into the next round, Swansea Bay in six weeks time while Phillip Morrow is a further five points back in third place. Jonny said, “Having not been in the Welsh forests for almost a year, getting into the event took a little longer than we both hoped. We found a good pace though and bar a small overshoot on the final stage the event thankfully went without too many dramas! Another maximum score in both the 206 Super Cup and the Innovation Motorsports challenge made a fantastic weekend for Robbie, myself and the Banzai team.”

Championship co-ordinator, Chris Moore remarked, “Jonnie took maximum points on round one, and he's done the same again here on the Mutiny. He's obviously pushing his 206 very hard! Its good to see a two wheel drive car emerge with maximum points once again. However, with the dropped score rule the championship is still wide open. Swansea should be interesting…”

Chris himself may make a return to the stages on Swansea Bay after a fourteen month lay off.

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - Round 4 Report
  • Stuart Jones records second Evo Challenge win.
  • Nik Elsmore claims second place and maintains series lead.



    Stuart Jones and his co-driver Ross Butler recorded their second Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge victory on Saturday by winning round four of the series, the mid-Wales based Mutiny Rally, by a margin of 24 seconds.

    Maintaining their 100% finishing record so far this season, Nik Elsmore/Nigel Gardner claimed the runners-up spot after a day-long battle with the third and fourth placed crews Phillip/Simon Morrow and Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley.

    The 60-car National entry, which included 12 Evolution Challenge competitors, left the start at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on Saturday morning to contest nine special stages in the forests in and around the Brecon Beacons.

    With the series seeing three different winners so far this season, predicting who would emerge on top this weekend was not easy and it was inevitable that the competition between the Evo Challenge front-runners was destined to be fierce.

    Adding to the mix was the changeable weather, ranging from torrential rain to bright sunshine, a factor which made forecasting the result even more of a lottery.

    Such is the will to win the Evo Challenge and claim the first prize of a Mitsubishi works drive in 2006, both Ryan Champion and Colin Greer had changed cars for this event. Champion had elected to swap his Evo VI to the hired Evo VIII in which he won the Manx Rally last time out, whereas Greer had swapped his Evo VI for an Evo VII in an attempt to find an advantage by using a car with active transmission.

    Stage one saw Morrow, ironically in an Evo VI, claim the lead, just two tenths of a second ahead of Champion, with Jones, Elsmore and Greer just a handful of seconds behind.

    However, Jones was in determined mood and aiming to put the non-finish of round two and his troubled run to fourth place in round three behind him, took the lead on SS2. Morrow on the other hand was finding the slippery conditions not to his liking and in the first service halt after SS3 admitted to have left the road on every stage, antics which dropped him to third and elevated Champion to second.

    First Evo Challenge casualty was the luckless Connor McCloskey, the 19 year old Ulster driver dropping his Evo into a ditch on SS2 and although undamaged, the car was irretrievably stuck. Later in the event he assisted the organisers by completing the reminder of the rally as a course car.

    As cars headed to the longest stage of the day, the 17.28 mile run through Radnor Forest, just nine seconds separated Jones in first and Elsmore in fourth. Although Morrow took the fastest time it was not enough to dislodge Jones but enough to overhaul Champion, who uncharacteristically stalled at a hairpin and dropped to fourth behind Elsmore, who was getting quicker as the day went on.

    A second service halt followed before the final leg of five stages, which was good news for Jones, who was able to have a sensor replaced and with his Evo VIII’s active transmission back to full performance, the Welshman now focussed on extending his lead.

    For other crews the story was not so good: Paul James stopped with no clutch, Kevin Stevens’ run of retirements continued with transmission problems on SS5, and Colin Greer ended his rally in abrupt fashion after hitting a tree just after the start of SS6.

    Back at the front it was Jones, followed by Morrow and Elsmore who were swapping places on every other stage. However, with Morrow still doing his best to hit something in every forest he encountered, the advantage was eventually go to Elsmore - albeit by just 1.1 seconds!

    By the time crews crossed the finish line in Llandrindod Wells, Jones had succeeded in extending his lead to 24 seconds and was delighted to put his title hopes back on track. At the finish he said:

    “I’m really happy to have won this round of the Evo Challenge, but I didn’t feel it was my best ever performance. The weather conditions unsettled most drivers today so I suppose the same applied to me. Everything else went well which allowed us to pull away towards the end. This result has done my title hopes no harm at all.”

    Champion ended his day in fourth, albeit a little disappointed. Neil McCance posted another strong performance to claim fifth, with 2004 National Clubmans Champion, Tim Pearcey recording his best Evo Challenge finish to date in sixth. Ed Stallard finished seventh and won the Shell Spirit Award in the process, having recovered from a short period in hospital earlier in the week.

    Unbelievably, McCloskey’s bad luck continued, when just after completing the last of the event’s nine stages a steering arm broke on the road section to the finish and his car rolled into a field.

    The fifth round of the Evolution Challenge will see a return to asphalt and the series’ annual migration to the British Rally Championship, when crews head to Kelso for the Jim Clark Memorial Rally on 8th & 9th July.

    The 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is supported by: Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ralliart, Walon UK, Pirelli Tyres, Shell Racing Fuels, Speedline Corse, PIAA and Mintex.

    Evolution Challenge Round 4 - Results
    1st Stuart Jones (Welshpool)/Ross Butler (Welshpool) 1:15:35.9
    2nd Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Nigel Gardner (New Tredegar) 1:15:59.7
    3rd Philip Morrow (Lisburn)/Simon Morrow (Lisburn) 1:16:00.8
    4th Ryan Champion (Whitby)/Craig Thorley (York) 1:16:47.1
    5th Neil McCance (Newtownards)/Graham Hopewell (Worcester) 1:17:26.0
    6th Tim Pearcey (Harrogate)/Mick Johnson (Thirsk) 1:18:32.3
    7th Ed Stallard (Cheltenham)/Richard Edwards (Wolverhampton) 1:18.44.5
    8th Noel Kelly (Isle of Man)/James Kelly (Isle of Man) 1:27:05.8


    Pirelli Cup Winner - Nik Elsmore
    PIAA Junior Award - Stuart Jones
    Shell Spirit Award - Ed Stallard
    Walon Best Prepared Car - Connor McCloskey


    Retirements
    SS2 Connor McCloskey (Kilrea)/Damien Duffin (Rasharkin) - Accident
    SS4 Paul James (Taunton)/Derek Davies (Swansea) - Clutch
    SS5 Kevin Stevens (London)/Mark Jones (Billericay) - Transmission
    SS6 Colin Greer (Beith)/Neil Ewing (Largs) - Accident


    Jones & Butler Back To Winning Ways
    Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge competitors Stuart Jones and Ross Butler returned to the top step of the podium this weekend, by clinching their second win of the 2005 season, on the Mutiny Rally. Despite fierce competition from Phillip Morrow and series leader Nik Elsmore, they dominated the class, to return to the event finish in Llandrindod Wells seventh overall.

    The event began after a night of heavy and persistent rain. The first loop of stages, comprising three timed tests, meant a compromise on tyre choice for all competitors. The crews started by tackling a pair of stages approximately five miles long, separated by one test almost double the length. However, the two shorter stages saw a very different surface from the long one. Stuart Jones explained:
    “Some sections of the stages were quite hard packed and not especially slippery but other parts were very muddy. Therefore, it meant that whatever tyre and cut combination we chose, it would be right for one set of conditions and not the other. But at least it will be the same for everyone. As it transpired, we had too dry a cut for the opening stage and the third stage but they worked well on the longer test.”

    Following a routine service, the crews headed for the 17 mile Radnor test, widely expected to have a major influence on the outcome of the event. As it transpired, it proved to be a trying stage for Stuart and Ross. A failed wheel speed sensor on a front wheel meant that the centre differential on their Evo VIII failed to operate correctly. “This meant that the car’s handling, steering, braking and stability over the high speed sections were all wrong. So we lost some time but in the end, only dropped a couple of seconds to Phillip, so it didn’t end up too bad,” explained Stuart. “The problem was that it was quite difficult to get a rhythm going while the tyre choice still wasn’t ideal but the last loop, of five stages, should let us get a good rhythm at last.”

    The final loop clearly went more to plan, with Stuart and Ross taking stage wins on three of the five tests, to consolidate their class lead and return to the finish as Evo Challenge winners. Behind them, Phillip Morrow and Nik Elsmore fought a close battle, the latter emerging victorious by just 1.1 seconds, to take the runners-up spot.

    “I’m very pleased with this result,” said Stuart at the finish. “However, I have to say I don’t feel I’ve driven my best today. I think perhaps my pre-event preparation wasn’t as good as it could have been but this result is still great for our championship. Phillip and Nik had a big fight and we could have done with Phillip finishing in front of Nik, only because it would have helped our championship chances even more. But it’s very close and should mean the second half of the season is even more challenging than the first.”

    Commenting on the day’s action, co-driver Ross Butler said: “I feel the event has gone well. We had a few problems, such as losing the centre differential in Radnor and the time that went with it. However, considering that, I feel Stuart drove very well. We had a few moments but he kept it together in very tricky conditions to get our second win of the season. This is very useful for the championship and we will try to move further forward on the next event.”

    The Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge next takes the crews back to Scotland, for the Jim Clark Memorial Rally, the second tarmac event of the championship, over the weekend of 8th & 9th July and based in Kelso.

    DODD WINS AS LAST STAGE DRAMA DENIES PERROTT
    BIRD OVERCOMES PROBLEMS TO INCREASE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

    Round four of the 2005 MSA National Gravel Rally Championship saw drama of the highest order unfold as former champion Mark Perrott and co driver Patrick Walsh (Ford Escort WRC) were denied victory on the very last stage of the Mutiny National Rally due to mechanical problems.

    Having not scored in the previous two rounds of the ANCRO series, the pair took over the lead after SS1 and held a 31 second advantage over another former champion Marcus Dodd and co driver Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) going into the penultimate stage but as they crossed the flying finish, the bottom arm broke and with no emergency service, they were forced to tackle the final test with the problem.

    Try as he might to get the car through the stage with minimal time loss, Perrott’s heroic attempt was to end in disappointment and at the end of the stage, Dodd had clawed back the time difference to wrest the victory and in doing so, got his championship challenge back on track having retired last time out in the Isle of Man.

    Taking third on the event was defending champion Steve Perez and co driver Neil Dashfield who charged through the field in their Ford Focus WRC and in doing so, they too got their challenge back on course to retain their crown whilst fourth placed Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield (Subaru WRC) overcame a slow start to end up just 3.5 seconds further adrift of Perez.

    Craig Middleton and Robin Hernaman (Hyundai Accent WRC) recorded their first ANCRO finish of the season in fifth following victory on the event last year but for the two drivers at the head of championship, the day proved problematic with leaders Paul Bird and Ian Windress (Ford Focus WRC) and Barry Johnson and Stewart Merry (Subaru WRC) suffering in the Mid Welsh forests.

    Bird started strongly by holding third place for most of the event before a huge spin on SS7 dropped him 40 seconds and relegated him to sixth where he stayed until the finish whilst Johnson endured gearbox problems in the S9 to end up in eighth.

    As a result, Bird still heads the standings ahead of Johnson on nett scores but once the drivers’ worst scores have been dropped, the championship bunches up considerably meaning all is still to play for going into the next round which comprises the Swansea Bay National Rally in six weeks time.

    Further down the order, Stuart Jones and Ross Butler took Production Cup honours as well as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Challenge victory ahead of Nik Elsmore/Nigel Gardner with Ulster brothers Philip and Simon Morrow clinching tenth overall and third in class.

    Jonnie Wigmore and Robbie Durant continued their domination in the Peugeot 206 Super Cup ahead of Mike Faulkner/Heather Connon but a crews falling by the wayside included Brendan Crealey and Steve Harris who retired their Ford Focus WRC with fuel problems on SS6, whilst comeback driver David Mann and co driver Alun Cook lasted until SS8 in their Subaru before stopping.

    Supporting the main event for the first time in 2004 were the ANCRO Clubman’s Championship competitors and for the second rally in succession, Allan McDowall and co driver Gavin Heseltine (Opel Kadett) took the victory by a mere 0.2 of a second ahead of James Potter and Bob Stoke (Ford Escort) with Alistair Adama and Andy Ballantyne third in their Ford Escort.

    With championship leader Paul Daniels and Leonie Dykes languishing down the order in 15th, McDowell takes over at the head of the Dunlop Tyres backed series by just four points from Simon Hawthorne and Martin Jones with Daniels holding third at the half way stage.

    Mutiny National Rally – Results
    1 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery Hyundai Accent WRC 1:13.05.8
    2 Mark Perrott/Patrick Walsh Ford Escort WRC 1:13.30.6
    3 Steve Perez/Neil Dashfield Ford Focus WRC 1:13.42.1
    4 Roger Duckworth/Mark Broomfield Subaru Impreza WRC 1:13.45.6
    5 Craig Middleton/Robin Hernaman Hyundai Accent WRC 1:14.11.3
    6 Paul Bird/Ian Windress Ford Focus WRC 1:14.13.7
    7 Stuart Jones/Ross Butler Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 1:15.35.9
    8 Barry Johnson/Stewart Merry Subaru Impreza WRC 1:15.41.8
    9 Nik Elsmore/Nigel Gardner Mitsubishi Lancer 1:15.59.7
    10 Philip Morrow/Simon Morrow Mitsubishi Lancer 1:16.00.8

    Championship Positions provisional (nett)
    1 Paul Bird 81 (64)
    2 Barry Johnson 76 (61)
    3 Marcus Dodd 67 (67)
    4 Roger Duckworth 58 (58)
    5 Steve Perez 53 (53)
    6 Brendan Crealey 50 (50)

    Mutiny Clubman’s Rally
    1 Allan McDowall/Gavin Heseltine Opel Kadett 59:01.4
    2 James Potter/Bob Stokoe Ford Escort 59:01.6
    3 Alistair Adams/Andy Ballantyne Ford Escort 59:52.5
    4 Simon Hawthorn/Martin Jones Ford Escort 60:04.9
    5 Dave Brick/Rob Woodhouse Ford Escort 60:37.3
    6 George Collister/Rob Fagg Ford Escort 60.37.8

    Championship Positions provisional

    1 Alan McDowell 58
    2 Simon Hawthorn 54
    3 Paul Daniel 45
    4 James Potter 44
    5 Alistair Adams 42
    PRE EVENT NEWS
    • 206 Cup Preview
    • Who Will Go Fourth? - Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - Round 4 Preview
    • Jones & Butler Chase Bounty On The Mutiny
    • BOUNTY HUNTERS ON THE MUTINY - Ancro Preview
    • Entry List available
    • ORGANISERS PLAN MUTINY!…
    • Regulations and Entry Form now available
    01/06/05
    206 Cup Preview
    The forthcoming Mutiny National Rally on 4th June marks the half-way point of this years Peugeot 206 Super Cup. With eleven crews travelling to mid Wales for the MSA National Gravel Championship counter, all eyes will be series leader Jonnie Wigmore as the 206 Super Cup returns to gravel.

    Wigmore, partnered by Robbie Durant, took victory on the opening round, Rallye Sunseeker, faltered on the Border Counties after a first stage incident dropped him to fourth, and recovered to win the tarmac Isle of Man round by over a minute. With Gretna's Mike Faulkner non-scoring in Bournemouth, taking second on the Isle of Man and the win on the Border Counties Rally, the stage is set for an interesting battle as Faulkner aims to keep the pressure on Wigmore in the classic mid-Wales stages that make up the Mutiny National Rally. "I'm looking forward to the Mutiny", said Faulkner, "The minute margin Jonnie had over us at the end of Friday evening on the Isle of Man was just too much to make up without risking everything, and the point for second were important to our championship, but we will be trying hard in Wales".

    Second in the points table, Richard Sykes will aim to use his recent knowledge of the classic mid-Wales tests gained as he took victory here on round two of the Peugeot 206 Winter Cup, the Red Kite Rally. "We've had a good start to the year, with some solid points scores", commented Sykes, "That was the plan, and except for a minor hiccup on the Border Counties, we are where we wanted to be." Always on the pace, Sykes' progress on the Isle of Man was slowed by an incident late in the day, dropping him to fourth place, behind the hard charging Owen Murphy. The eighteen year-old from Cork set some blistering times in the Isle of Man, and came home fastest on the final four stages of the rally. Murphy will hope that his form now carries over on to the gravel and he can showcase his talent fully.

    With Paul Jones missing the trip to the Isle of Man, his return to Super Cup with a new co-driver may prove interesting, the diminutive Kent based driver is always capable of upsetting the form book with his turn of speed coupled with his experience of the Group A Peugeot 206. Also travelling for the south-east, Trevor Martin and Ray Cleghorn will hope for a better result than their Manx outing where the pairing suffered from the effects of the rain and fog on Friday evening and Martin suffering from an ear infection on the Saturday, the result dropping this consistent pairing to third in the championship table.

    Three crews make the long haul from Northern Ireland once again for the 206 Super Cup; Colin Britton and Kenny Hull have had a mixed season to date, transmission problems forced retirement in Bournemouth, fourth place in Keilder and trouble with the Friday weather in the Isle of Man all give Colin the determination to bounce back on the Mutiny. Willie Mavitty will once again team up with Scots' co-driver Kirsty Riddick after university examinations saw Kirsty missing from the car on the Manx. Mavitty is now rapidly coming to grips with the Peugeot, as is series newcomer and 1400 Challenge winner from 2004, Declan Magee and the pair look set to continue the battle for stage honours.

    Clive Wheeler and Ken Bartram will once again bring the Skip Brown Cars prepared 206 to Llandrindod Wells for the Mutiny, the pair will be hoping for better luck with only one finish recorded this year, Clive uncharacteristically putting the immaculately prepared car off on the Border Counties Rally and also another feeling the effects of the Manx weather.

    Somerset haulier Jon Sparks, with Brad Magnus on the maps, went OTL on the Manx as they struggles with stub axle problems, but the pairing have made considerable progress with the 206 this season, "We've made a lot of changes to the set up of the car this year", commented Magnus, "Jon is now getting what he wants from the car, and the times are getting better."

    So with all still to play for the Special Tuning (UK) Limited Peugeot 206 Super Cup looks set to continue to be a close fought battle all the way through the eight round series. With continued support from Kumho Tyres, Mintex, Champion, Motorsport News, Hella and MotorSport Travel, the crews have many battles to come before the winner takes the keys for their Peugeot 206 Super 1600 driver on the 2006 British Rally Championship.

    01/06/05
    Who Will Go Fourth? - Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - Round 4 Preview
    • Challenge sees three different winners in first three events
    • Title battle hots up as series returns to gravel
    So far this year the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge has seen three different winners from its first three events, a statistic which confirms the competitiveness of the UK’s premier one-make series.

    With each of this year’s three winners all having no-scored on one round, the race for the title is well and truly on and round four, next weekend’s mid-Wales based Mutiny Rally, could even hail a fourth winner!

    Stuart Jones claimed victory on the opening round in Bournemouth and is expected to go well in Wales next weekend, keen to shake off the misfortunes of the past two rounds. Philip Morrow sprayed the Champagne on round two following a day in Kielder Forest, whilst Ryan Champion showed the others how it was done on the asphalt of the Isle of Man, but now the series returns to gravel, the playing field levels out once more.

    However, it is consistency that is paying off for Nik Elsmore. After scoring two thirds and a fourth he heads to the Mutiny Rally leading the Evolution Challenge with 24 points on the board. He is two points ahead of Morrow and Champion who are tying on 22. Jones follows in fourth, a further two points behind.

    With the leaders standings so close, the battle between the leading quartet is destined to be fierce next weekend, but also showing pace this season is Neil McCance, Colin Greer, Ed Stallard and Kevin Stevens. All these drivers have been snapping at the heels of the front four and are ready to steal a place on the podium, if not the winners rostrum, at just a hint of an opportunity.

    The Mutiny Rally starts and finishes in Llandrindod Wells on Saturday 4th June, with nine timed special stages held in the forests around Radnor and Brecon. 12 Evolution Challenge crews will start the 70 mile competitive route and although numbers in the series are less than is usual on this event, the figure still represents 20% of the overall National Championship entry.

    The 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is supported by: Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ralliart, Walon UK, Pirelli Tyres, Shell Racing Fuels, Speedline Corse, PIAA and Mintex.

    List of Mutiny Rally entered Evolution Challenge competitors in start number order (home towns in brackets)
    17 Stuart Jones (Welshpool)/Ross Butler (Welshpool)
    18 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Simon Morrow (Lisburn)
    19 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Nigel Gardner (New Tredegar)
    20 Neil McCance (Newtownards)/Graham Hopewell (Worcester)
    21 Ryan Champion (Whitby)/Craig Thorley (York)
    26 Colin Greer (Beith)/Neil Ewing (Largs)
    27 Ed Stallard (Cheltenham)/Richard Edwards (Wolverhampton)
    28 Kevin Stevens (London)/Mark Jones (Billericay)
    29 Tim Pearcey (Harrogate)/Mick Johnson (Thirsk)
    36 Connor McCloskey (Kilrea)/Damien Duffin (Rasharkin)
    37 Paul James (Taunton)/Derek Davies (Swansea)
    38 Noel Kelly (Crosby)/James Kelly (Crosby)
    31/05/05
    Jones & Butler Chase Bounty On The Mutiny
    Fresh from what can best be described as a character-building event, the Roush Manx Rally, Stuart Jones and Ross Butler head to in south Wales for the fourth round of the 2005 Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, the Mutiny Rally. Currently fourth in the championship with just a handful of points covering the top positions, competition on the gravel stages is sure to be fierce, with all four crews looking to gain an advantage over their rivals.

    This event sees the championship return to gravel after the sealed surface of the Roush Manx, a factor which is sure to please Stuart. The stages themselves are all located in the south of Wales, around the event base of Builth Wells. Indeed, several of the stages form part of the route for the UK’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Wales Rally of Great Britain.

    Crews will be faced with a variety of stage characteristics, varying form ultra-fast roads over the Epynt Moors and ranges to tighter and twistier tracks. Some drivers may struggle to establish a natural rhythm on such differing tests but Jones is actually looking forward to the challenge.

    “I love the stages down there – I feel they are among the best in Wales. I actually quite like it when there is a variety in the type of roads that are used. On this event, there’s a combination of very fast and quite twisty but all the roads tend to be pretty flowing, so finding a rhythm should be quite straightforward.

    “I also know the stages down there a little bit, particularly the areas which can be a bit tricky. I think this is more useful than knowing which bits are easy, as it gives you an idea of when to back off a little, to make sure you don’t take any unnecessary risks. This will give me extra confidence.

    “I think the 17 mile Radnor stage will be the main factor in this rally – I have a feeling the event will be won or lost on that stage. It’s very long and very fast and will definitely sort the men from the boys.

    “I’m also looking forward to getting back in the car. The last two rounds of the Evo challenge have been quite tough, so we’re hoping to put them behind us and have a clean run. We really need to win this event, not just for ourselves but to close the points gap to the leaders. Ryan [Champion], Phillip [Morrow] and I have all had a dropped score already, so competition will be fierce, for this event and for the championship. I would imagine that Phillip will give us the hardest run for our money on the Mutiny.”

    Commenting on the upcoming event, co-driver Ross Butler said; “Naturally we will be looking for a good result here to boost our championship hopes. The long Radnor stage will definitely be a main factor in this rally, testing crews’ fitness, stamina and mental agility. Stuart and I have done this length of stage before and we’ve both been training to make sure we can maintain concentration for the whole test.

    “We will also be using organisers’ notes again on this event. While the notes themselves are very good, we definitely prefer using our own system but that’s not allowed here. Looking at the itinerary, nine stages, almost 70 stage miles and a late afternoon finish will mean a fairly busy day but it should be an enjoyable one as well.”

    The 2005 Mutiny Rally starts at 08.00 on Saturday 4th June, from the Royal Showground in Builth Wells, the location for the event headquarters and main service area. Crews face nine stages in total, before the first car is due to finish the event, in Llandrindod Wells, at 16.25 that afternoon.

    27/05/05
    BOUNTY HUNTERS ON THE MUTINY - Ancro Preview
    The battle for the 2005 MSA National Gravel Rally Championship continues next weekend (June 4th) when competitors converge on mid-Wales for round four of the series in the shape of the Mutiny National Rally.

    Having visited England, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the three previous rounds, the classic Welsh forests around the Powys towns on Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells will see the leading competitors scrapping it out as the most competitive series in the UK hots up.

    Fresh from his second place on last weekend’s Pirelli International Rally, ANCRO series leader Paul Bird will be looking to consolidate his lead at the top of the overall driver’s standings in his Stobart Motorsport Ford Focus WRC. Along with co driver Ian Windress (Northallerton), the Penrith driver has proved to be most consistent this season having finished on the rostrum in the past three rounds despite not recording a victory.

    But the Mutiny will prove a difficult task for Bird due to his lack of knowledge of the Welsh forests and he’ll face a stiff challenge from the more experienced crews. Winners of the event last year were Craig Middleton from Llandrindod Wells and co driver Robin Hernaman (Royston) and after two retirements in the opening two rounds of the series, the Hyundai Accent WRC pairing have nothing to lose on their home event.

    Second in the points table and just three points behind Bird is Barry Johnson (Shildon) and Jersey-based co-driver Stewart Merry who will be looking to repeat their victory on the Border Counties Rally which formed round two in their ex Petter Solberg Barrier Surveillance Subaru Impreza S7. Ulsterman Brendan Crealey (Portadown) is rapidly getting to grips with his Ford Focus WRC that he shares with Sheffield co driver Steve Harris and the pair currently lie in third whilst Marcus Dodd (Poole) and Andrew Bargery (Hove) have made no secret of the fact that they expect to be up there and challenging in their Flitewise Hyundai Accent WRC after the disappointment of retiring on the Roush Manx Rally.

    Former champion Roger Duckworth (Towcester) and co driver Mark Broomfield (Blakesley) made up for a slow start to the season by taking victory on the Isle of Man in their Autosportif Subaru WRC whilst defending champion Steve Perez (Chesterfield) and co driver Neil Dashfield (Burnham on Sea) have endured a torrid time so far this year and will be looking for better things in their ex Markko Martin VK Vodka Kick Ford Focus WRC03.

    Lyonshall farmer Andy Burton missed the last round but will be back in action at the wheel of the radical Dunlop-backed Peugeot Cosworth that he shares with co driver John Roberts and hoping for better luck following two successive retirements will be Leominster’s Mark Perrott and co driver Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth) in their PBS Ford Escort WRC.

    The event will see the ANCRO based Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge and Production Cup competitors resume battle with Nik Elsmore (Coleford) and Nigel Gardner (New Tredegar) leading brothers Phillip and Simon Morrow (Lisburn) and Yorkshiremen Ryan Champion and Craig Thorley in both categories.

    Bicester competitors Jonnie Wigmore and Robbie Durant currently head the Peugeot 206 Super Cup standings as well as class honours in A6 whilst other selected leaders include Phillip Morrow (National Junior Driver) and Shelley Taunt (Swindon) who heads the Ladies Cup.

    M-Sport Ford lead the Group ‘A’ Manufacturers championship ahead of Hyundai, Prodrive – Subaru and Mitsubishi, whilst Mitsubishi lead the Group ‘N’ standings and Jonnie Wigmore leads the Innovation Motorsports ‘Late Challenge Cup’.

    Supporting the main event will be the ANCRO Clubmans Championship which forms round three of the season and for the first time in 2005, runs alongside the National competitors. Just two points separates the leading four drivers following the Barrett’s Rally of Kent back in March with Paul Daniel from York (Ford Escort Mk 2) sharing the lead with Simon Hawthorn (Kidderminster) in a similar car whilst two points further adrift are Allan McDowall from Tarbolton in his Opel Kadett and Pickering’s Steve Magson Pickering (Vauxhall Astra RWD).

    Ulsterman Martin Laverty leads the Peugeot 206 1400cc Challenge with Iain Shirlaw Barnoldswick (Proton Satria Kit Car) heading the EuroRallye Cup.

    The event gets underway on Saturday morning from the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells at 08.00 before returning to the finish at Powys County Hall in Llandrindod Wells at around 17.00.

    25/05/05
    Full Entry list on:
    28/05/04
    ORGANISERS PLAN MUTINY!…
    Regulations for the 2005 MUTINY NATIONAL RALLY (Saturday 4th June) are now available and the organisers, Midland Manor Motor Club Ltd & Ludlow Castle Motor Club Ltd, have a very busy day in prospect!

    As has become the norm in recent times, the rally is really three-events-in-one as, within the framework of the Mutiny National Rally, the Mutiny Club Rally and the Mutiny Historic Rally Challenge will also be taking place. The events are qualifying rounds of the following Championships :

    MUTINY NATIONAL RALLY :
    • MSA National Gravel Rally Championship
    • OSG Motorsport/Dutton Tyres Welsh National Rally Championship
    • Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge
    • Peugeot 206 Super Cup


    MUTINY CLUB RALLY :
    • ANCRO Clubmans’ Gravel Rally Championship
    • Peugeot 206 1400 Challenge
    • EuroRallye Cup 2005


    MUTINY HISTORIC RALLY CHALLENGE :
    • Armajaro-MSA British Historic Rally Championship
    • HRCR Historic Rally Challenge
    • HRCR Classic Rally Challenge


    The Mutiny Rally will be based at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, for all the pre-event formalities on Friday 3rd June and for the start on Saturday 4th. Rally HQ then transfers to the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells during the afternoon and it is here that the finish of each event and individual Awards Presentations will take place.

    22/04/05

    • Topics: Mutiny 

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