Posted: September 26, 2018 7:33 AM - 4614 Hits
Round 8 - 2017 Welsh Rally Championship
Posted: November 6, 2017 11:10 AM
Brackley rally driver Callum Black has placed a last minute entry to next weekend’s Winner Garage Skoda Wyedean Stages Rally, in a bid to secure the 2017 MSA Welsh Rally Championship at the final round.
Fresh from his debut in the FIA World Rally Championship at the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB last weekend where he secured a top 30 position, Black and co-driver Elliott Edmondson will head to the Forest of Dean in their 586 Group Ford Fiesta R5 to try and clinch the title as the series draws to a close.
Black has enjoyed a successful season in the BTRDA Rally Series where he finished runner-up in the championship and has also been racking up the points in the Welsh Championship which runs alongside the series on many events. The 26-year-old secured a run of three maximum scores from the final three rounds to head to the Wyedean in second place, just four points behind the leader.
The decision to head to South Wales for the final round was made just a few days after finishing the gruelling four-day Wales Rally GB in which Black contested over 300km of special stages in the DMACK Tyres shod Fiesta.
Once the team could assess the damage to the car after the rough stages, Black was able to commit to the event and attempt to secure at least one title to his name this season.
“Rally GB took a lot out of the car and me, to be honest, so we didn’t want to commit to chasing the Welsh Championship until we knew how much work the Fiesta would need to re-prep it after the event,” said Black.
“We had a few issues on the event and didn’t quite get a clean run in any of the four days but it was always going to be a learning curve for me and the seat time was certainly valuable."
After missing out on the BTRDA title by just six points, Black will attempt to bring one championship back to Brackley this season.
“The BTRDA Championship was so very close and it could have gone either way at the Woodpecker Stages in September” he explains.
“Of course I was disappointed to lose out but we had been quietly plugging away at the Welsh championship at the same time. With three maximum scores, we found ourselves in with a shout so it seemed silly not to enter and see what we could grasp from the season”.
“I entered the event last year and finished second overall so I`m confident of our overall chances as well next weekend. I thought ending the year with Wales Rally GB would be perfect, but a title or rally win would be better still”.
The Winner Garage Skoda Wyedean Stages Rally takes place in the Forest of Dean on 11th November.
Black is supported by DMACK Tyres, PFC Brakes, 586 Group and MCR Motorsport Media.