Swansea Bay - (Sat) 21 Jul 07

Posted: July 23, 2007 5:00 PM

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Dodd/Bargery Take Victory on Swansea Bay Rally
Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery took maximum points in round five of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship which comprised the Swansea Bay National Rally, as they claimed victory on today?s event.

Driving the Hyundai Accent WRC, Dodd and Bargery finished 21.4 seconds ahead of main championship rivals Steve Perez and Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) after taking charge from the opening stage and maintaining their lead throughout as they notched-up their third win in the series this season across the wet and slippery stages of the 60-mile Vale of Neath-based rally.

Perez and Mole ended-up a comfortable 1 minute and 29.7 seconds in front of the third-placed Subaru Impreza WRC of Roger Duckworth, co-driven by Alun Cook this time out, to remain leaders of the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship by just 14 points from Dodd and Bargery at the midway point of the season but with dropped scores still to take into consideration, there is still all to play for.

Perez and Mole were in second place following the opening test but exchanged places with Andrew Burton and Shelley Rogerson in the Peugeot Cosworth only to edge ahead again on stage four to take the runners-up position as Burton/Rogerson were fourth as they experienced a mechanical problem in the afternoon.

?The strategy was to go out on the first stage and build a lead over Steve,? Dodd said. ?We took a 17 second lead which was the cushion for the day and then drove to maintain this and we did not have to push too hard.?

Phillip Morrow and Daniel Barritt clinched the Production Cup honours and victory in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evo Challenge as they finished fifth overall in their Mitsubishi Evo 9.

Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick brought home their group N Subaru Impreza sixth and won the Subaru Trophy followed by the Ford Focus WRC of Michael O?Brien and Paul Spooner.

Nik Elsmore and Vicky Allen were eighth and second in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge in their Evo 9 as David Bogie/Rob Fagg and Julian Reynolds/Patrick Walsh rounded-up the top 10 in their Evos. Reynolds and Walsh dropped over two minutes in the afternoon with transmission troubles.

Sebastian Ling and Aled Rees, who went into the event in third overall in the championship standings, retired on stage one after they left the road in their Evo 9.

In the VK 1400 Challenge, Julian Wilkes and Andy Ballentine took the spoils in their Vauxhall Nova VXR and with it victory in the HPM Motorsport 2WD Challenge.

In the Hankook Forest Rally Challenge Jonny Greer and Jonny Hart took the full points as they finished second overall in the Swansea Bay Clubman?s Rally in their Ford Fiesta ST. Adam Gould was second in the series in his Fiesta ST co-driven by Scott Martin.

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Fiestas - Greer reigns in Wales!
It was a fraught start to the fifth round of the Vodka Kick supported 2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy, the Swansea Bay Clubman Rally, as Mother Nature made sure all crews had a battle ' even to get to the start venue at Swansea’s SA1 dockside location. Torrential rain throughout the south of the UK made road conditions treacherous and a number of crews struggled to battle through flooded roads, a number of drivers having to spend all night stranded in their cars.

However; for the second time this year it was plain sailing for 18'year'old Jonathan Greer from Carryduff, and his co'driver Jonny Hart, in the Carryduff Forklift / Lindsay Ford supported Ford Fiesta ST.

By the time the first car left the SA1 start venue the rain had stopped but the conditions were far from ideal. The worst affected crew were 20'year'old Tom Walster from Nottingham and his co'driver Tim Sturla. Walster set off from his home at 10:30 on Friday and did not arrive in Swansea until 09:30 on Saturday – 23 hours later and crucially 15 minutes after his due starting time.

With a number of crews struggling to reach the start venue, event organisers made the decision to try to permit everyone who arrived within the pre'determined time, to start the rally. As a result of this Walster started the event dead last car – arriving only three minutes before the last possible time to start. With frantic preparations to get the car over the start ramp, their luck changed as they set the fastest time on the first stage, Rheola, by 9.2 seconds from Greer. Third on the stage were local crew Tom Curtis, 25 from Newport, and co'driver Dai Roberts.

Organisers sensibly cancelled stage 2, Walters Arena ' the shortest stage of the rally, to be able to best utilise the rescue crews that had battled through the conditions on the longer stages, thereby protecting the available stage mileage for competitors. The loss of the second stage meant crews came straight into the only service point of the day at the famous Walter Arena. Grateful of the chance to service was 21'year'old, Surrey'based Max Utting, and co'driver Huw Mathias, who had problems with the power steering meaning heavy going in the muddy conditions. Utting’s crew leapt into action and fixed the problems to allow them to continue with minimal time loss.

Stage 3, the 13.2 mile Margam test, was the longest of the event. Fastest was 18'year' old Alastair Fisher from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, with co'driver Paul Morris, 1.6 seconds faster than 20'year'old Adam Gould from Bristol. Gould had a new co'driver for the event, fellow MSA British Rally Elite member, Scott Martin. Martin is shoehorning programmes with Mark Higgins in the Production World Rally Championship and Barry Clark in the FST International series but was able to help Gould on this event at short notice. Having taken one stage to settle into the new relationship, the English pair seemed to have found their confidence. Third on the stage by just 0.1 seconds was Greer.

In trouble on this stage was Walster. Leading after service he left the road and rolled into retirement. With little damage to the car they were able to get it onto the road but unable to re'start it and therefore had to retire. Also in trouble was 26'year'old Fraser Jones from Ayr and co'driver Lee Burgess.

Jones was another driver struggling to get his car to the Swansea start overnight. They then ran wide on a left hand corner and slipped off the road. With only a small number of spectators on hand they were unable to get the car back onto the road. After the final car came through another ten helpful spectators arrived to push the car back onto the stage but by this time they were too late to continue.

Stage 4, the 7.7 mile Rhondda test, saw Gould go fastest – proving the relationship with Martin was working, they took 2.3 seconds from Greer, to move into third in the FST series just ahead of 18'year'old Elfyn Evans from Machynlleth. Third fastest on the stage was second placed Alastair Fisher.

Going into the final stage of the event, the 10.6 miles of Resolven, Greer held an eleven second lead over Fisher with Gould in third. A superb effort by Greer saw him secure victory in style with the fastest time, 5.8 seconds faster than Gould, with Evans in third. The loser on the final stage was Ulsterman, Fisher, who overshot a junction and in the process slipped from second to third, switching places with Gould – however the gap at the end of the event was only 0.1 seconds, showing just how competitive the FST series is.

After going quickest on the final stage, Greer moved into second position overall within the clubman section of the rally – just 1.5 seconds off his first event win! Fourth on this event was Evans. With father Gwyndaf competing on the Isle of Man as part of the Mitsubishi team, Evans did another solid job gaining more experience and returning the car to mid'Wales with no damage.

Fifth was Utting ' after the problems on stage 1, he recovered well and was able to thank his team for their efforts to keep him in the event.

With four different crews taking one fastest stage time each, the victor of the Castrol Hard Charger award was decided by the first crew to score the fastest time and for the third event in a row was Walster.

The winner of the Competition Car Insurance supported Best Improvement on Seeding award went to 20'year'old Barry Greer from Carryduff, Northern Ireland, elder brother of FST winner Jonathan.

Jonathan Greer said:
“I am happy enough, it has been exciting, muddy and slippy all day. Some bits were nice and flowing and some were dangerously slippy. I am delighted to be here at the finish and claim maximum points but obviously disappointed for Tommi – but that’s rallying!”

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Morrow takes fourth Evo Challenge win of the season
For the fourth time this season Phillip Morrow recorded victory in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge when he won Saturday’s round five, the Swansea Bay Rally. Together with his co-driver Daniel Barritt, he finished one-minute 48-seconds ahead of second-placed Nik Elsmore/Vicky Allen, with David Bogie/Robert Fagg in third.

The event also hosted round five of the Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship, the 15 Evolution Challenge entries representing 25% of the 60-car field.

With the recent severe weather creating havoc with the UK’s road network, many crews were experiencing problems - even before the start – three of them Mitsubishi competitors: Bradley Magnus, co-driver for Jonathan Sparks, spent all night on the M5 and started the event having had no sleep whatsoever. Wayne Radford’s team were also held up because of the conditions and his Lancer arrived in Swansea with just minutes to spare on Saturday morning. More unfortunate was Miles Johnston, who was also held up on the M5 overnight and, when traffic started moving again, he found was too far away to get to the start in time. Ironically, both Radford and Johnston are the two leading crews for the Evo Cup, the class for closer-to-standard Mitsubishi Lancers.

The officials of the event were also affected in similar ways and, with some marshals and rescue crews unable to get to Swansea, organisers had no choice but to cancel the shortest stage of the rally and re-deploy the manpower where it was needed. This meant that the day now comprised five stages instead of six, all of which took place in the Neath and Rhondda valley forests, the gravel roads reported to be extremely slippery because of the wet conditions.

Having won the previous round, Morrow carried on from where he left off and was the fastest of the Evo crews on SS1, a 12.5 mile run through Margam Park - albeit with a slow puncture. Julian Reynolds, who won this event outright in 2005 and was therefore expected to go well, was 11 seconds behind, having lost time after sliding wide on a corner - the consequent bumps causing the master ignition switch to cut his car’s electrics and he lost around 20 seconds before getting going again.

Another driver tipped to be a contender for victory was Seb Ling – but it was not to be. On a very slippery section nine-miles into the first stage he too slid wide, but a wheel clipped a bank and flipped the car over. Although resulting in very little damage and landing on its wheels, his Evo was going nowhere as it was stuck the other side of the bank frustratingly, just a few feet from the road.

Others to suffer problems in the opening stage were Neil McCance, who’s car had developed a power-sapping misfire, David Bogie and Stepehen Petch both collected punctures and Alex Sabater, who was having to adjust his pace after his co-driver, the experienced Miquel Amblas, was feeling ill for the first time in 150 events.

Stage three claimed the second Evo Challenge retirement of the day – Daniel Barry, who slid off the road at a down-hill hairpin beaching his car on its belly and, with no spectators around, could not push his stranded Evo back onto the track.

At the first service halt, after crews had completed three stages, Morrow’s lead had now decreased to eight seconds from Reynolds, with Bogie a further 50 seconds behind in third.

Stage four was the longest of the rally at 17 miles and where Morrow stamped his authority on proceedings by setting a time 20 seconds quicker than any other Evo Challenge competitor. His advantage was increased when a transmission shaft broke in Reynolds’ car, who took over two minutes longer than the young Ulsterman to complete the stage.

Wayne Sisson’s good run was ruined when he had to stop and change a puncture four miles into the stage, the five-minute delay destroying his chances of a much hoped-for podium finish. No such problems for Elsmore however, who had now moved into third, with Reynolds relegated to fourth, With the second service halt providing teams with an hour to fix any problems, Reynolds’ car was repaired. However, the same could not be said for McCance, who’s engine wouldn’t start when it was time to leave the service area.

The final stage was another run through Margam Park, by which time Morrow had amassed an 80-second lead and therefore opted for a steady run to ensure he made it to the finish.

Bogie was second and now 24 seconds ahead of Elsmore, but a spin in the last stage cost the Scottish youngster half-a-minute and he crossed the line third, six seconds behind a delighted Elsmore.

With his car retuned to 100% Reynolds proved a point by setting fastest time on the final stage and claimed fourth place. Petch survived a selection of spins and overshoots to finish fifth, with Thomas Naughton sixth having enjoyed the demanding nature of the rally, whilst Sabater was pleased to have made his trip from Spain to finish seventh - despite the conditions.

Sisson was disappointed to finish eighth after such a promising start, whilst in contrast Alan Carmichael was happy to be in the points in ninth. Radford claimed the top Evo Cup placing and was 10th of the Challenge runners too, whilst Sparks was relieved to get to the end of an event with his engine still functioning correctly – his co-driver’s efforts and the team’s determination to continue, rewarding them with the Tesco 99 Octane Spirit Award.

But it was Morrow’s day, as his performance also saw him win the event’s Production Class, claim an overall position of fifth, score maximum points towards the PIAA Junior Award – and, most importantly, places him in a commanding position in the race for the Evo Challenge title and the first prize of a Mitsubishi works drive. At the finish he said:
“This result has certainly made things easier for the rest of the season. I didn’t expect to win by such a big margin on this event, but when others were having problems I was fortunate to be able to keep out of trouble, which took some doing in the tricky conditions.”

For the sixth round of the Evolution Challenge the series moves away from the Hankook Championship and into the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, with the all-asphalt, Armagh-based Ulster Rally on 31st August and 1st September. The Evolution Challenge offers drivers what is widely regarded as the best prize in British rallying – the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2008 British Rally Championship.

Also included in this year’s Mitsubishi championship are the Pirelli and Performance Friction Brakes Cups.

The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart, with support from its associate sponsors: Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Sparco, Performance Friction Brakes, Shell Helix and Tesco 99 Octane - suppliers of the controlled fuel for the championship.

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge Round Five - Results
1 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Daniel Barritt (Burnley) – 1:03:02.8
2 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Vicky Allen (Denbigh) – 1:04:50.6
3 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Rob Fagg (Isle of Man) – 1:04:56.0
4 Julian Reynolds (Narberth)/Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth) – 1:05:07.7
5 Stephen Petch (Richmond)/Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) – 1:07:00.2
6 Thomas Naughton (Bury)/Horace Saville (Bury) – 1:08:05.5
7 Alex Sabater (Spain)/Miquel Amblas (Spain) – 1:08:27.9
8 Wayne Sisson (Carnforth)/Daniel Stone (Chesterfield) – 1:09:35.3
9 Alan Carmichael (Ballymena)/Ivor Lamont (Ballymena) – 1:12:05.9
10 Wayne Radford (Dinnington)/Paul Drew (Stroud) - 1:13:33.3
11 Jonathan Sparks (Glastonbury)/Bradley Magnus (Downham Market) – 1:13:34.1

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Cup
1 Wayne Radford (Dinnington)/Paul Drew (Stroud) - 1:13:33.3


Retirements
SS1 Sebastian Ling (Llandysul)/Aled Rees (Crymych) – Accident
SS3 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowens (Cork) – Accident
SS5 Neil McCance (Coomber)/Ian Windress (Northallerton) – Engine

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Perez Maintains Championship Lead
VK Vodka Kick rally driver Steve Perez maintained his lead in the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship following on a second place finish in today?s Swansea Bay Rally.

Driving the VK Ford Focus WRC, Perez from Chesterfield and Berwickshire co driver Claire Mole finished behind main rivals Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) after a day of action in the wet South Welsh forests which formed round five of the ANCRO organised series.

Ex champion Dodd stole a march on 2004 champion Perez and despite Steve?s best efforts he couldn?t quite haul Marcus in meaning he had to settle for runner up spot for the third time this season.

?Second place is good but if I?m being truthful, Marcus caught me with my trousers down early on so I?ll need to get up a lot earlier if I?m to beat him on the next couple of events. Everything was good with the car and we?re still at the head of the Championship going into the next round in Ireland which will be a new experience for us all. However I?m confident we can turn the tables in the last two rounds and there?s still all to play for.?

The result was Perez? fifth consecutive podium finish and he heads Dodd by 14 points going into the final two rounds but with two scores to drop, all is still to play for.

The next round of the series takes place with the Killarney Forest Rally on September 1st.

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Magic Marcus blasts to Bay success!
Multiple British National Rally Champion Marcus Dodd took an excellent victory on this weekend’s Swansea Bay National Rally.  The Poole driver was never headed as he led the rally from start to finish in his Flitewise.com, Pirelli Tyres, Sunoco Fuels and Sunseeker Powerboats backed Hyundai Accent WRC.  

Terrible weather on the Friday prior to the event was to cause numerous problems for the organisers of the fifth round of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship, but a relaxed Marcus was confident of success prior to the rally.  Together with Manx co-driver Andrew Bargery, Dodd was the defending winner of the event from 2006 and was looking forward to a good battle with the likes of Steve Perez, Roger Duckworth and Andy Burton.  

The HPM Motorsport team had a clear plan of attack for the event.  Flat out from the start.  True to his word, Dodd was at his attacking best on the opening test in Margam.  Marcus was a clear 17 seconds faster than Perez and the rest were even further back.  Marcus and Andrew were pushing hard and the times were coming good.  Dodd was able to keep Perez at bay whilst Burton briefly challenged before mechanical problems dropped him down the order.  

Perez had no answer to the Hyundai in the wet Welsh valleys and Marcus was pleased to be able to control the pace from the front.  With the penultimate stage in Walters Arena cancelled due to the exceptionally inclement July weather, Marcus arrived at the final test in Margam a clear 26 seconds ahead of Perez and co-driver Claire Mole.  

The HPM pair eased through the test setting second fastest time in the process.  Perez won the stage, but was unable to take the victory as he finished the rally 21.4 seconds behind the dominant duo.  

Marcus was delighted with a job well done in difficult conditions:  
“Firstly I’d like to thank everyone connected with the running of the event for making it happen.  The conditions the day before the rally were atrocious and it is a great credit to everyone involved that the event ran at all.  On a more personal level, I’d like to thank Andrew and the HPM team for their efforts as we pushed really hard on the opening stage and controlled the pace from there.  The car felt fantastic and despite the challenging conditions we felt very comfortable all day long.  The pressure is moving towards Steve Perez now in the championship as we are scoring very well and he needs to beat us on the remaining rounds.  With a trip to Ireland coming up it should make life interesting for us all.  It looks like being a very close battle to the end of the year and we’re well up for it!”  

Unfortunately Marcus was the only HPM Motorsport driver to make it back to the finish at Swansea Docks.  Harry Dodd had been up to 22nd overall after the fourth stage but a mechanical problem on the last stage of the rally would see him and co-driver Richard Skinner forced to retire.  The series now moves to the Killarney Forest Rally in Ireland which is a rally that neither Marcus nor his championship rivals have contested before.  

To keep up to date on HPM Motorsport or to find out more about Marcus Dodd log on to www.hpmmotorsport.co.uk.

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Barry's determined drive comes to a premature end.
Enniskerry rally driver Daniel Barry, co-driven by Mark Bowens from Castlemartr, was back in action this weekend competing in round five of the fiercely fought Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, the Swansea Bay Rally.

Although determined to do well, Danielʼs aspirations were dampened by the conditions, when the car spun on a slippery section of road on the third stage and his Mitsubishi became stuck on bank. Having posted a number of very respectable stage times so far this season, but denied a good result because of bad luck or problems, 22-year old Daniel was eager to show his potential this weekend. However, torrential rain leading up to the event had left the South Wales stages extremely slippery, the conditions catching out a number of drivers during the course of the day.

Even the organisers had problems because of the weather and one of the tests was cancelled, reducing the event to five stages. However, there was still 60 competitive miles in the forests, most which are also used in the Wales Rally GB – Britainʼs round of the World Rally Championship.

The event also hosted a round of the Hankook MSA National Gravel Championship and Daniel was seeded 20th in the 60-car entry – 14 of which were also competing for honours in the Evolution Challenge.

After a successful test the day before, Daniel got to grips with his car and the conditions right from the start and emerged from the first stage – a 12-mile run through Margam Park – 5th of the Mitsubishis and 12th overall.

All started well for the 8-mile stage two in Rhondda Forest, but the conditions caught Daniel momentarily by surprise on a 90-degree left-hander and the car spun. Although only resulting in a ten-second delay, it dropped the young Irishman to 7th and 17th in the Evo Challenge and overall placings respectively.

Daniel then set-off on stage three in Resolven Forest focussed on making up for lost time and started to push a little harder. However, eight miles into the 10-mile stage his efforts were dashed, when the car began sliding on a slippery surface on the approach to a blind down-hill hairpin. Although coming to rest only a few feet off the track without damaging the car, it was beached on its belly and, with no spectators around, Daniel and Mark could not push the stranded Evo back onto the road.

“It was very frustrating to end our event in this way. As soon as we were towed off the bank we were able to drive the car back to the service area. Up until then I was very pleased with the way things were going, so I’m now looking forward to the next rally in a few weeks time.”

Even though it wasn’t the result he was looking for, Daniel still holds a top 10-position in the Evolution Challenge and currently lies fourth in PIAA Junior Award for under-25 year-old drivers competing in the Mitsubishi series.

However, some good came of his early retirement, as it allowed Daniel to keep fellow countryman and another Mitsubishi competitor Keith Cronin in the event, by stripping parts off his own car.

To help Daniel become even more competitive, the Barry Motorsport team are now planning to convert their Evolution VIII into the latest version of Lancer - the Evolution IX - in readiness for round six of the Mitsubishi championship, the all tarmac, Armagh-based Ulster Rally on 31st August & 1st September.

Daniel’s 2007 campaign is supported by: Peggy Murphy’s of Enniskerry, BPI Telecom, Henco under-floor heating and SC Signs.

Results
1 Marcus Dodd/Andrew Bargery (Hyundai Accent WRC) 1:00:54.9
2 Steve Perez/Claire Mole (Ford Focus WRC) 1:01:16.3
3 Roger Duckworth/Alun Cook (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1:02:46.0
4 Andrew Burton/Shelley Rogerson (Peugeot Cosworth) 1:02:52.1
5 Phillip Morrow/Daniel Barritt (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) 1:03:02.8
6 Jock Armstrong/Kirsty Riddick (Subaru Impreza N12) 1:04:05.1
7 Michael O'Brien/Paul Spooner (Ford Focus WRC) 1:04:48.8
8 Nik Elsmore/Vicky Allen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) 1:04:50.6
9 David Bogie/Rob Fagg (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) 1:04:56.0
10 Julian Reynolds/Patrick Walsh (Mitsubishi Lancer E9) 1:05:07.7

Full Results
Tynemouth Computer Services Rally Results

Swansea Bay Rally

• 2007 ANCRO MSA National Gravel Rally Championship
• 2007 Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge
• 2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy UK

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• Battle of the Bay for Dodd in Swansea
• FST UK Round 5 Preview
• ALL TO PLAY FOR IN SWANSEA...
• Entry list on line
• Evos Swarm to Swansea
• Unseeded list of Entries to Date available
• Keith Cronin/Anthony O’Conaill enter Swansea Bay
• Regulations Available

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17/07/07
Battle of the Bay for Dodd in Swansea
Multiple British National Rally Champion Marcus Dodd heads west along the M4 to Swansea on July 21st with one aim in mind. The Poole based driver will be targeting maximum MSA National Gravel Championship points on the Swansea Bay National Rally.

After taking a maximum points haul on the recent Severn Valley National Rally, Marcus will look to repeat that feat onboard his Flitewise.com, Sunseeker Powerboats, Pirelli Tyres and Sunoco Fuels backed Hyundai Accent WRC4. The HPM Motorsport run car will be gunning for glory in the forests of the Neath Valley where Marcus took the slenderest of victories a year ago together with Andrew Bargery.

Dodd and his Hove based co-driver fended off a stiff challenge from flying Norwegian sensation Andreas Mikkelsen to win the dusty event by just three seconds. A repeat of that result would do Dodd nicely in 2007 on stages he knows well. Dodd’s main task is to score maximum points and keep main title rival Steve Perez behind him. The VK backed man has been a consistent finisher throughout the year and Marcus knows that he needs to beat off the challenge of the Chesterfield driver to keep his title hopes going.

The Swansea Bay National Rally uses the well known forests of the Neath Valley including legendary stages such as Resolven and Rheola which incorporates the now famous ‘Walters Arena’. With a new rally base at the SA1 development in Swansea, Marcus will lead the field away knowing that the dust that can play a crucial part in deciding the outcome of the event is unlikely to be a major problem this year. Rally organisers have the option to run the crews with a two minute gap therefore minimising the advantage of running first on the road. For Dodd, this is a good and bad thing:

“It is fair for everyone, but running first on the road on a dusty event is a bonus if the crews behind do not get a two minute gap. If that rule is applied, then we’ll be sweeping a clean line of gravel for everyone so if anything being first on the road may be a disadvantage for us. The main goal for the weekend is score maximum championship points and that is all I will be concentrating on. We know that we have a very strong package and our win on the Red Dragon Rally back in May was very useful testing as it used a very similar route. Hopefully that will benefit us as I’m sure that Steve (Perez) and Roger (Duckworth) will both be attacking hard so there will be little time for us to sit back and watch how things go. We’ll need to be pushing from the start on this event.”

Dodd will once again be joined on the event by his father Harry. Dodd senior will be partnered by the experience Manxman Richard Skinner and the pair will be looking to enjoy the classic and challenging South Wales stages when the event gets underway on Saturday morning.

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16/07/07
FST UK Round 5 Preview
Round five of the VK supported Fiesta SportingTrophy takes place next Saturday as competitors take on the challenge of the Swansea Bay Clubman Rally, based in South Wales using stages in the same area as Wales Rally GB.

With the same characteristic of fast gravel stages to the Severn Valley Clubman Rally last month, organisers have prepared a fantastic format of 44 stage miles in just five stages that will mean the drivers have to be wide awake for Saturday morning. The 18 entered crews will start from Swansea at 09:15 on Saturday, with just one service available at the Walters Arena service park, before arriving back in Swansea for the finish at 15:20.

183year3old Jonathan Greer from Carryduff, Northern Ireland, will lead the FST crews away from the start ramp and will once again be co3driven by Jonny Hart. Greer, a business student, has an eight point lead in the series as the championship moves into the second half of the season but with dropped scores to take into account the battle is raging on.

Second in the championship, Tom Walster, with co3driver Tim Sturla from Blackfordby, will start just behind Greer. Walster, 20 from Nottingham, had a dream event on the Severn Valley, taking maximum points in the championship, he broke a new FST record by scoring fastest times on every stage and was fastest overall in the Clubman section of the event on the final 5.5 mile stage. Of the four events to date, he has won two and finished second once, only loosing out on the championship lead with a final stage technical fault on the RBS International Manx Rally.

Third in the series is 183year3old Alastair Fisher from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. After finishing second on the Severn Valley rally and recently winning his first FST Ireland event, the Donegal International, Fisher comes to Swansea full of confidence. This will also be his second rally with co3driver Paul Morris after the relationship got off to an excellent start in Mid3Wales last month.

Fourth in the overall standings at the mid3way point is the third driver from Northern Ireland, 193year3old Liam Regan from Belfast. After finishing fifth on the Severn Valley event, Regan and co3driver Mark Ammonds have been super consistent in the championship, which has rewarded them with a great position in the series. Liam is in his first season of the UK FST and continues to improve rally by rally.

Fifth in the championship is another driver in his first year of the series, 183year3old Elfyn Evans from Machynlleth. Evans, the son of Mitsubushi GB factory driver Gwyndaf Evans, has been another driver to impress this year, finishing on the podium in the last two rallies and improving his speed with every event. With 2006 FST champion co3 driver Richard Edwards navigating, the partnership will continue to develop over the Welsh stages.

Other drivers to watch on this event include Fraser Jones, 26 from Ayr, and co3driver Lee Burgess. After winning the Pirelli Rally and crashing on the RBS International Manx, Jones and Burgess were keen to rebuild their confidence and speed on the Severn Valley rally, finishing seventh FST crew but crucially only 20 seconds off the podium. Also hoping for better luck on this event is Bristol based driver, 203year3old, Adam Gould, whose first event with new co3driver Mark Walker resulted in an accident. The team have had a race against time to prepare for the Swansea Bay rally but are confident to be competitive on their return.

Another crew to watch is 253year3old Tom Curtis from Newport, West Wales. This will be Curtis and co3driver Dai Roberts’ home event as they look to put the ghosts of Severn Valley rally to rest. Lying second on the Severn Valley rally at first service, disaster struck when a ball joint broke on SS3, ending their event instantly. All registered crews will be competing for a prize fund of £23,400 over the course of the year, with the winner of each round taking home £750, down to £75 for eighth position. At the end of the season, the winner will be presented with a Ford Fiesta ST road car and the top two plus a ‘wildcard’ will be given the opportunity to compete head3to3 head with drivers from all over the world at the FST International Shoot3Out for an opportunity to win a years work experience with the BP3Ford World Rally Team.

FST championship leader Jonathan Greer said:
“I’m really looking forward to the event as I finished second FST there last year. I’m not sure what to expect after Severn Valley Rally and Tommi (Walster) will know these stages better that me. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to drive on the event, we’ll see how we go on the first stage and decide what to do after that.”

FST competitor Tommi Walster said:
“After showing what we can do at Severn Valley I feel we need to do the same at Swansea Bay. The rally is full of nice flowing stages and it will be good to compare times to Victor (Henriksson), who competes in the Swedish FST, to see how we match up. We will be pushing but at the end of the day I’ve also got to think of the championship.”

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ALL TO PLAY FOR IN SWANSEA...
The battle for honours in the 2007 Hankook MSA Gravel Rally Championship is starting to hot up as competitors head back to Wales for the fifth round of the ANCRO-organised series whereby the Swansea Bay National Rally takes place next Saturday, 21st July.

Port Talbot Motor Club’s flagship event has a new base in the SA1 region of the City of Swansea, located at the Village Hotel, and with around 150 crews entered for the latest round of the top National series, most of the leading contenders will be in action around the classic stages of South Wales which have become synonymous with Wales Rally GB.

2004 ANCRO National Champion Steve Perez from Chesterfield leads the standings thanks to a win and three other podium placings in his Ford Focus WRC and along with Berwickshire co driver Claire Mole, the pair have a 17 point lead. But with victory last month on the Severn Valley event to back up that on the season opener Rallye Sunseeker, Dorset businessman Marcus Dodd and co driver Andrew Bargery from Hove are looking to close the gap even further in their Hyundai Accent WRC.

That and the fact that crews have to drop two scores from the seven rounds and with one DNF to Dodd so far when he rolled out of the Border Counties Rally in March; it means that nothing will be decided just yet!

Ex champion Roger Duckworth can’t afford any further non finishes in his Subaru and Scotsman Dave Weston is another ANCRO-registered competitor who could spring a surprise in his Ford Focus WRC.

Within the main event, teams from the popular Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge and Cup will reconvene with these crews making up a quarter of the National event entry.

Having won this event outright in 2005 driving a World Rally Car, local ace Julian Reynolds is expected to figure prominently and lies fourth in the championship but now armed with an ex-works Evo IX, he is definitely in with a chance of lifting Mitsubishi honours.

The Welshman will face a stiff challenge, however, most notably from current series leader and three-times Evo Challenge winner this year, Ulsterman Phillip Morrow, whilst second in the series, Seb Ling, will also be looking for a win on home ground. Having been runner-up three times this season, Ling is also out to score his first win and is another potential candidate for the Mitsubishi podium.

Jock Armstrong and fellow Scot Kirsty Riddick comfortably lead the Subaru Group N Trophy and with the event comprising rounds of the HPM Motorsport 2WD and VK1400 Challenges, there will be battles right the way down the field.

In the Hankook Forest Rally Challenge, Pickering driver Steve Magson (Opel) and Ludlow’s Dave Brick (Ford) can’t be separated and are tied on points at the top of the table meaning a battle royal once again in the ‘Clubmans’ ranks.

To compensate for potential problems which could be caused by dust from the gravel forest tracks, organisers have elected to start cars every two minutes, rather than with one minute intervals, as is the norm in other events.

1 Marcus Dodd / Andrew Bargery Hyundai Accent WRC
2 Steve Perez / Claire Mole Ford Focus WRC
3 Roger Duckworth / Alun Cook Subaru Impreza WRC
4 Dave Weston / Aled Davies Ford Focus WRC
5 Andy Burton / Shelley Rogerson Peugeot-Cosworth
6 Julian Reynolds / Patrick Walsh Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
7 Phillip Morrow / Daniel Barritt Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
8 Seb Ling / Aled Rees Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9
9 Jock Armstrong / Kirsty Riddick Subaru Impreza N12
10 Damian Cole / Craig Drew Hyundai Accent WRC

Spectators are welcome on the rally, with four locations available, including several stages and times throughout the day and more information is available on the rally website below

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13/07/07
Entry list on Event Webiste:

Swansea Bay Rally

• 2007 ANCRO MSA National Gravel Rally Championship
• 2007 Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge
• 2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy UK

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Evos Swarm to Swansea
As Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge teams regroup after a seven-week break, it’s back to Wales for the second time in as many events for round five, the Swansea Bay Rally on 21st July.

15 Evo Challenge competitors make up 25% of the 60-car National event entry, which starts and finishes at Swansea’s recently developed SA1 waterfront complex. The rally route includes 65 competitive miles split into six timed special stages featuring many of the forests used for the Wales Rally GB.

Having won this event outright in 2005 driving a WRC car, Julian Reynolds is the top Mitsubishi seed on this occasion and will be looking to put his challenge for the title back on track following a problematic round four. Reynolds currently lies fourth in the championship, but now armed with an ex-works Evo IX, he is definitely in with a chance of lifting Mitsubishi honours in what is his most local event.

He is followed by current series leader and three-times Evo Challenge winner this year Phillip Morrow, who knows he can’t relax just yet but is pleased to be starting the second half of the season at the top of the table.

Morrow likes the Swansea stages and is destined to go well, but he is the meat in a South Wales sandwich, with second in the series Seb Ling starting just behind him. Having been runner-up three times this season Ling is also out to score his first win and is another potential candidate for the Mitsubishi podium.

Fourth to leave the start will be David Bogie, who has shown he has the pace and is now keen to turn his stage times into a good result. Next up is round three winner Neil McCance, who may well just do it again if he can avoid the problems which have plagued him since his victory in the Isle of Man.

Others likely to score well in the Evo Challenge points are Nik Elsmore, third in the championship Stephen Petch, Wayne Sisson and Daniel Barry. Thomas Naughton, Jonathan Sparks and Alan Carmichael are also likely to feature highly if conditions prevail, whilst making a welcome return to the UK are two of the championship’s overseas competitors, Alex Sabater from Spain and Daniel Sigurdsson from Iceland.

If the Swansea Bay Rally lives up to its usual reputation of being dry, then the fast forest roads will suit the characteristics of the top-spec production class Lancers. With this and Evo Challenge points at stake, the pace is likely to be fierce and it would not be a surprise to see the leading Mitsubishi contenders high in the overall places at the end of the event.

To compensate for potential problems which could be caused by dust from the gravel forest tracks, organisers have elected to start cars every two minutes, rather than with one minute intervals, as is the norm in other events.

Also included in this year’s Mitsubishi championship is the Evolution Cup, for closer to standard Group N Mitsubishis. This is currently being led by Miles Johnston who will be aiming for his fourth win of the season in Swansea.

The Evolution Challenge offers drivers what is widely regarded as the best prize in British rallying – the chance to become a Mitsubishi works driver in the 2008 British Rally Championship. It also features prizes for the Pirelli and Performance Friction Brakes Cups and the PIAA Junior Award for under 25 year old drivers.

The series is backed by Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart, with support from its associate sponsors: Pirelli, PIAA, Speedline Corse, Sparco, Performance Friction Brakes, Shell Helix and Tesco 99 Octane - suppliers of the controlled fuel for the championship.

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge entries
5 Julian Reynolds (Narberth)/Patrick Walsh (Aberystwyth)
6 Phillip Morrow (Lisburn)/Daniel Barritt (Burnley) (J)
7 Sebastian Ling (Llandysul)/Aled Rees (Crymych)
10 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Rob Fagg (Kirkmichael) (J)
11 Neil McCance (Coomber)/Ian Windress (Northallerton)
15 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Vicky Allen (Denbigh)
18 Stephen Petch (Richmond)/Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) (J)
20 Wayne Sisson (Carnforth)/Daniel Stone (Chesterfield)
25 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowen (Cork) (J)
29 Miles Johnston (York)/Ian Bevan (Wrexham)
30 Thomas Naughton (Bury)/Horace Saville (Bury)
31 Alex Sabater (Spain)/Miquel Amblas (Spain)
43 Jonathan Sparks (Glastonbury)/Bradley Magnus (Downham Market)
45 Alan Carmichael (Ballymena)/Ivor Lamont (Ballymena)
TBC Daniel Sigurdsson (Iceland)/Isak Gudjonsson (Iceland)

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05/07/07
Unseeded list of Entries to Date On Event Website below:

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13/06/07
Keith Cronin/Anthony O’Conaill have placed an Entry for the Swansea Bay Rally in the Hankook backed Evo 7.

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29/05/07
Regulations Available

Swansea Bay Rally

• 2007 ANCRO MSA National Gravel Rally Championship
• 2007 Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge
• 2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy UK