Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship

TOM STAYS ON TOP

None of the front-running crews enjoyed a totally trouble-free run on the latest round of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship. It was Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy who overcame their tribulations on the Builth Wells based Nicky Grist Stages, organised by Quinton Motor Club, to take maximum Championship points while Tom Llewellin retains his overall series lead.

Scott Faulkner and Gareth Parry set the quickest time among the Championship contenders on the opening stage but after the second stage it was Thompson and Murphy who headed the field. However, just two seconds separated them from the next three crews, Richard Hill and Steffan Evans, Matt Hirst and Declan Dear and Faulkner and Parry.

While Faulkner and Parry and Hill and Evans would both be side-lined with differential problems, Hirst and Dear overcame steering issues on their Mitsubishi Evo IX to finish second while Thompson and Murphy had to cope with a puncture on their Group N version of the same car en route to top honours.

Third place went to the Talbot Sunbeam of Andy Davison and Tom Murphy with Tom Llewellin finishing fourth in his Historic Specification Ford Escort Mark II.

Llewellin now holds a four point advantage in the overall drivers’ standings from Matt Hirst with Russ Thompson a further seven points back but with competitors only counting their best six scores from the eight round series, the battle remains wide open.

Declan Dear leads the overall co-driver standings from Andy Murphy and Jim Lewis.

Thompson and Murphy also picked up maximum Group N points, for less modified cars but they still trail Wug Utting and Bob Stokoe, who finished second in Group N on this event, by 14 points while Faulkner and Parry remain in third place.

While Davison and Murphy claimed top points in the two-wheel drive category, sponsored by lightninghouse.co.uk, Llewellin retains the lead in this category ahead of Talbot Sunbeam mounted Chris Powell. Perry Gardener, driving a front wheel drive Fiesta, lies third.

Top two-wheel drive co-driver is Jim Lewis, ahead of Tom Murphy with Keaton Williams in third place.

A sixth successive maximum score in the Junior driver category means that Tom Llewellin is now unassailable in that class and he has secured the top award of a test drive in a PCRS Rallysport Hyundai i20 R5, courtesy of sponsors onthepacenote.co.uk.

Second among the junior drivers is Gethin Price, just two points ahead of third placed Zak Hughes.

Tom Murphy leads the junior co-driver category, 10 points clear of Rhys Stoneman with Keaton Williams third.

Tom Llewellin also heads the drivers’ section of the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge from Subaru Impreza driver Josh Taylor with BMW pilot Andy Fox three points further back in third.

Tom Murphy leads the co-drivers’ section of the Challenge from Simon Jones who is just one point ahead of Keaton Williams while Jessica Hockly is only three points further back.

The next round of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship is the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally on 31^st August. The event, organised by Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club is based in Ludlow with much of the competitive action taking place in the Mid Wales forests.

You can find out more about the rally on the official event web site www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk and about the Championship at wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.

Credit for the image given to paulmitchellphotography@gmail.com

Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship

Round 6 Nicky Grist Stage

Championship Tables have been updated following the Nicky Grist Stages.
The latest table can be found by following this link or clicking on the "results tab"

Results

The Fight Heats Up in Welsh Rally Championship

Competitors in the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship head to Builth Wells this weekend for the sixth round of the series, the Nicky Grist Stages, with Ben Llewellin leading the overall drivers, standings by seven points. With competitors counting the six best scores from the eight-round series the battle both for overall honours and for the various classes remains wide open.

It was Russ Thompson who took maximum points in the season opener, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally. After missing the next round and failing to finish round three he has come back to take two second places in the most recent rounds and currently lies in third place.

The second event of the year was Rally North Wales and that produced a first ever outright victory for 2018 Junior Champion Matthew Hirst who lies in second place behind Ben Llewellin. Rounds three and four, the Rallynuts Stages and the Plains Rally produced back to back maximum points scores for Scott Faulkner. Scott had finished in second place on the opening round but has missed two events and is in fourth place after five rounds.

The most recent round, the Red Kite Stages saw 2019 Champion Dylan Davies return to the sport after an eight-month break and immediately get back to his winning ways, picking up maximum points.

It is consistency that has paid off for Ben Llewellin, son of double British Rally Championship David Llewellin, however, as he has driven his Historic specification Ford Escort to the top of the table with three rallies to go.

Topping the overall co-driver standings is Declan Dear who is fifteen points clear of Jim Lewis with Andy Murphy two points further back.

Wug Utting heads the Group N category while Russ Thompson lies in second place ahead of Scott Faulkner. Bob Stokoe is top placed Group N co-driver ahead of Andy Murphy and Gareth Parry.

Tom Llewellin holds first place among the two-wheel drive runners, 21 points clear of fellow Escort driver Chris Powell while Hywel Davies lies third in his Escort. Jim Lewis leads the way among the two-wheel drive co-drivers from Tom Murphy and Simon Jones.

Llewellin also leads the Junior driver category, sponsored by OnthePaceNote.com, with Gethin Price and Zak Hughes second and third respectively.

Tom Murphy leads the Junior co-drivers from Rhys Stoneman who suffered his second successive retirement from a Championship round on the last event. Third place is held by Keaton Williams despite his absence from the previous round.

Tom Llewellin holds a commanding lead in the drivers’ category of the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge with a 51 points advantage over Josh Taylor although only four points separate Taylor from third placed Andy Fox.

Things are closer in the co-drivers’ section of the Challenge, leader Tom Murphy just nine points clear of Simon Jones and Jessica Hockly a further five points back in third place.

The Mid Wales stages that face the crews this weekend are always popular among the competitors and they could have a big say in the ultimate destination of many of the Championship awards up for grabs at the end of the season.

You can find out more about this weekend’s rally, organised by Quinton Motor Club, at www.nickygriststages.co.uk and about the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship at wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook Page and on Twitter @WnRC.

DYLAN MAKES A COMEBACK WHILE TOM RETURNS TO NUMBER ONE

Reigning Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Champion Dylan Davies returned to the sport after an eight month lay-off on Sunday (23^rd June) and showed he has lost none of the pace that took him to last year’s title.

Dylan tackled the Red Kite Stages, organised by Amman and District Motor Club, in a hired R5 specification Ford Fiesta. With co-driver Mark Glennerster alongside him he led from the first to the final special stage, overcoming a late scare to take outright victory. The scare came on the final stage when the engine briefly cut out, costing the duo around 10 seconds before they got it fired back up.

Second place went to Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy following a rally long battle with 2018 Junior Champion Matt Hirst and co-driver Declan Dear. Thompson and Murphy had the upper hand for the opening two stages in their Mitsubishi Evo IX but following the first service halt of the rally Hirst and Dear moved ahead of their rivals and maintained their advantage until the final stage when a puncture on their Mitsubishi dropped them outside the top 10.

In addition to taking second place, Thompson and Murphy also claimed maximum Group N points ahead of Wug Utting and Bob Stokoe in their Subaru Impreza.

Third place overall and top honours in the two-wheel drive category, sponsored by Lightning House, went to Steve Bennett and Osian Owen in their Mark II Ford Escort RS1800. Second among the two-wheel drive runners were Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver with Tom Llewellin and Patrick Walsh making it an Escort 1-2-3 while Llewellin was top Junior driver.

With pre-event championship leader Scott Faulkner absent while his car undergoes some redevelopment work, it is Llewellin who also climbs back to the top of the overall driver standings, seven points ahead of second placed Matt Hirst. Russ Thompson is a further 10 points back in third place while Faulkner slips down to fourth.

Declan Dear tops the co-drivers’ table, 15 points clear of Jim Lewis with Andy Murphy a further two points back.

Wug Utting heads the Group N category while Russ Thompson moves past the absent Scott Faulkner and Zak Hughes and into second place. Bob Stokoe is top placed Group N co-driver ahead of Andy Murphy and Gareth Parry.

Tom Llewellin retains his lead among the two-wheel drive runners, now 21 points clear of fellow Escort driver Chris Powell while Hywel Davies climbs up to third in his Escort. Jim Lewis leads the way among the two-wheel drive co-drivers from Tom Murphy and Simon Jones.

Llewellin also extends his lead in the Junior driver category, sponsored by OnthePaceNote.com, with Gethin Price and Zak Hughes second and third respectively.

Tom Murphy leads the Junior co-drivers from Rhys Stoneman who suffered his second successive retirement from a Championship round. Third place is held by Keaton Williams despite his absence at the weekend.

Things are closer in the co-drivers’ section of the Challenge, leader Tom Murphy just nine points clear of Simon Jones and Jessica Hockly a further five points back in third place.

The next round of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship is the Nicky Grist Stages. The Builth Wells based event takes place on 13^th July. You can find put more about the event on the official website, www.nickygriststages.co.uk and about the championship at wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.

- ENDS -

Issued 25th June 2019

Note to Editors: Image Credit: Paul Lawrence

Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship.