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RED KITE IS PLAIN SAILING FOR DAVIES AND WILLIAMS

A first maximum points score of the season means that Dylan Davies and Llion Williams retain the lead in the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship with five of the eight rounds completed.

With the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive machinery tackling the Red Kite Stages separately, it was Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss who took the initial lead in their historic specification Mark II Escort. Llanfyllin’s Furniss came straight to the event from the PK Memorial Road Rally, where he had driven to victory.

It looked like being two wins out of two until Llanon’s Davies and Williams from Caernarfon completed the same five stages in their Subaru Impreza that the two-wheel drive competitors had tackled earlier in the day.

When they returned to the finish at Resolven, they had pipped Pryce, from Aberangell, and Furniss by 26 seconds. With the Escort mounted duo finishing in second place, third went to the Impreza of Surrey driver Wug Utting and co-driver Bob Stokoe, while Scott Faulkner and Gareth Parry were fourth in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.

Will Rogers, partnered with Paul Barrett who is not registered for the Championship finished second among the two-wheel drive co-drivers in their Mark II Escort, ahead of the similar Escorts of Steve Bennett and Osian Owen and Rudy Lancaster and Guy Weaver.

With Davies and Williams leading the title chase, Wug Utting and Bob Stokoe hold second place, three points clear of Pryce and Furniss.

Utting and Stokoe also top the Group N standings, for less modified cars, ahead of Treorchy driver Kalvin Green who was forced to retire his Ford Fiesta with a broken stub axle. Phil Spilsted, who was teamed up with Ron Hall in an Impreza, lies second in the Group N co-driver standings.

Despite his retirement, Kalvin Green continues to lead the junior category ahead of Matthew Hirst, who was also a non-finsiher. Rhyl’s Osian Owen is currently top placed junior co-driver, 10 points clear of Keaton Williams who is one point ahead of Gareth Parry.

Max Utting leads the two-wheel drive category despite having to recover from an off road excursion that left his Ford Fiesta ST with two punctures and only one spare wheel. Ffestiniog’s Ieu Rowlands overcame an early misfire on his Hillman Avenger of hold second place in the Championship standings while Hereford driver Colin Griffiths is third despite rolling his BMW Compact out of the event.

Clive S Jones is top of the two-wheel drive co-driver standings, three points clear of Corwen co-driver Emyr Hall with Newcastle Emlyn’s Paul Wakely five points further back.

In the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge for drivers who have not finished in the top 10 overall on a Championship round, Max Utting tops the table ahead of Matthew Hirst and Colin Griffiths. In the co-driver category, it’s Declan Dear who heads the field from Dei Jones and Alan Proudman.

The next round of the Championship is the Nicky Grist Stages on July 14^th. The event, organised by Quinton Motor Club, is based in the Royal Welsh Showground with a Town Centre start in Builth Wells. You can find our more about the rally on the official website, www.nickygriststages.co.uk. More information about the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship is available on their website, wnrc.wamc.org,uk, on the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.

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ISSUED 25^TH JUNE 2018

Credit for the photographs :- Rally Sport Media

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

CHAMPIONSHIP HIGH FLYERS TAKE ON RED KITE STAGES

This weekend (Sunday 24th June) sees the 2018 Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship move into the second half of the season with the Red Kite Stages. The series has generated a record number of entries and a tight battle not only for the overall title but also many of the class honours. 

The first four rounds of the Championship produced three different winners. Aberangell’s Osian Pryce took the honours on the season opener, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally but it was a very different car from Pryce and Llanfyllin co-driver Dale Furniss’s R5 Mitsubishi Mirage that took top spot on Round 2.Ford Escort stalwart Nick Elliott, partnered by Dave Price took maximum points on Rally North Wales ahead of the Subaru Impreza of Llanon’s Dylan Davies and Caernarfon co-driver Llion Williams while Pryce and Furniss, out this time in a Mark II Escort themselves, retained their Championship lead with a third-place finish.Having crashed out of the lead on the season opener, Matt Edwards from Llysfaen and Darren Garrod of Pwllheli took victory on round 3, the Rallynuts Stages.The duo followed it up with a second victory on round 4, the Plains Rally with fellow former Champions Rhuddlan’s Luke Francis and John H Roberts of Caernarfon taking their Fiesta to second place for the second event running.Consistent finishing, however meant that Davies and Williams had moved to the top of the table, ahead of Edwards and Garrod with Llangefni’s Keith Parry and Eryl Evans of Llanon in third place.

In Group N, Kalvin Green has been the man on the move, finishing ahead of a number of more powerful cars in his Ford Fiesta ST. That has also made the young Treorchy driver the front runner in the junior category,

Like the overall standings, the two-wheel drive category has produced a close battle so far this year, with different winners in each of the first four rounds.John Rowlands from Ffestiniog and Glenn Latham of Machynlleth took the honours on round 1 before Nick Elliott and Dave Price made it two out of two for Mark Two Escorts on the second round. It was the front wheel drive Fiesta of Surrey’s Max Utting who took top category points in round three before the Volvo powered Escort of Ieu Rowlands finished top of the tree on round four.

The RAVENOL Welsh Challenge is aimed at competitors who have never finished in the top 10 of a National B status event and among the drivers setting the pace in the competition are Mitsubishi Evo driver Matthew Hirst, BMW Compact pilot Colin Griffiths and Group N front runner Max Utting. In the co-driver category, top points scorers include Declan Dear, Mike Ainsworth and Geraint Thomas.

The return to the classic stages of the South Wales Valleys is a welcome prospect for the Championship contenders. Expect some epic battles with Championship points at a premium.

The two-wheel drive contenders in Sunday’s event, organised by Amman and District Club, leave the start at Resolven Mart Ground from 8:30am with the four-wheel drive event getting underway at 1:00pm. Further spectator information is available at the event web site, www.redkitestages.co.uk while you can find our more about the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship at wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.

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Issued 18th June 2018

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

Credit for the image:- RallySport Media

Matt's Plain Finish

Matt Edwards put in another dominant performance to claim back to back championship wins. The result lifts Edwards to second in the championship standings behind Dylan Davies, who decided to miss this round.

Some overnight rain eased dust concerns and led to almost perfect conditions as 117 competitors left the Welshpool start to visit four stages in Dyfnant and Garth before a lunch break in Dolgellau followed by a repeat of the mornings tests. 

Matt Edwards, Llysfaen, with Co-driver Darron Garrod, Pwllheli, set fastest times on seven of the eight tests. It did not all go to plan, however, on the opening test a puncture resulted in a destroyed wheel which left Edwards in thirteenth place, 28 seconds off the lead.

The lead was held by Rhuddlan’s Luke Francis, who with Co-Driver John H Roberts, Colwyn Bay, had stormed through the first test in their Fiesta WRC. Francis held onto that lead until just after the rest halt. Edwards, though, was on a charge and claimed the lead on the second test of the afternoon run and then went on to win by a margin of twenty seconds. 

Meanwhile the remaining podium place was keenly contested between Bury's Tom Naughton Mitsubishi Evo 10 and the Volvo powered Escort of Ffestiniog’s Ieu Rowlands. Tom Naughton and Co Driver Will Rogers held the upper hand into the lunch halt but on the opening afternoon test the pair rolled heavily near the stage finish stopping the stage. Ieu Rowlands and Co Driver, Emyr Hall, Bala, who had been in the top four all day were now third whilst Llangefni's Keith Parry and Co Driver Eryl Evans, Lampeter, pushed their Subaru through the final test to finish fourth, just one second ahead of the Mk 2 Escort of Nick Elliott and Dave Price. The result lifts Parry into third place in the championship standing on equal points with Doncaster’s Matthew Hirst. 

Hirst, who had rolled his Mitsubishi Evo 9 out of contention on the previous round, was more than happy with his days’ work and together with Co-Driver Declan Dear, the pair have now built a seven point lead in the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge which is aimed at drivers who have not previously claimed a top 10 finish. Colin Griffiths, Worcester, lies in second place whilst Surrey’s Max Utting is third.

In the Group N category for less modified cars, Kalvin Green, Treorchy, has seen a consistent run of results in his Fiesta ST lift him to the top of the standings, ahead of the more powerful Subaru of Surrey’s Wug Utting who has one less score.

On the day Scott Faulkner, Solihull, together with new Co Driver Gareth Parry, Aberystwyth, took maximum points and at the finish declared himself very happy with the car’s set up. Championship regulars Tom Naughton, Bury, and Co driver Will Rogers, Ross, were heading the standings until a very heavy roll on the fifth test resulted in Tom Naughton needing medical assistance.

Kalvin Green’s consistency means he leads the Junior category as well though Matthew Hirst claimed his third maximum score on the Plains. In the Co-drivers, Osian Owen, Rhyl, heads Ludlow’s Keaton Williams.  

The very well supported Two Wheel Drive category has seen four different drivers take maximum points on the opening four rounds. This time it was the turn of Ffestiniog’s Ieu Rowlands and Emyr Hall to take top score. Meanwhile it was Surrey’s Max Utting and Co-Driver Mike Ainsworth who now head the category standing. Their front wheel drive Fiesta ST heads an impressive line-up of rear wheel drive machinery. Colin Griffiths is on equal points in his BMW whilst an impressive list of Escorts includes Rob Dennis, Owen McMackin, John Rowlands, Nick Elliot and Ieu Rowlands will see this category "go to the wire". Rudi Lancaster, Woolacombe, with Guy Weaver, Wolverhampton, also put down a marker taking fourth in the category on the day.

Meanwhile in the RAVENOL Freelander Category, Alex Howard, Colchester, with George Fleming, Chelmsford, have enjoyed some excellent results and tops the category from Ian Linford Stevenage, who together with Demelza Scholes, achieved their first finish on the Plains. 

The next round of the Pirelli MSA Welsh Rally Championship is the Red Kite Stages. The Neath based event, organised by Amman and District Motor Club takes place on Sunday 24th June.

More information about the Red Kite can be found on the event website  www.redkitestages.co.uk  and about the Pirelli MSA Welsh Rally Championship at www.wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook page and Twitter @WnRC.

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Issued 15th May 2018 

Note to Editors: Credit for the image :- RallysportMedia 

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