Grist to the Mill for Challenge Contenders!
The Nicky Grist Stages will be another great opportunity for the main protagonists in the West Wales Rally Spares HRCR Stage Masters Challenge to increase their points tally. The rally runs out of Builth Wells and uses old favourites like Crychan, Halfway, Gwibedog (Monument) and the open roads of Login where the brows and crests require very precise pace note calling.
Top seeds and great all rounders with so much experience are Devonian Rudi Lancaster and Midlander Guy Weaver in their familiar Woolacomb Bay Ford Escort RS1800. This pair have consistently scored points so far this season and will be at the sharp end of their class this time too. In the same class we expect to see Jack Thorne and Dan Morefield go well too, this Devonian pairing have shown a good turn of speed this year and have had plenty of seat time since their last outing which will stand them in good stead. Rob Dennis in his similar RS1800 will also be there or thereabouts and he will be looking to finish in order to keep ahead of Thorne. Lee Ashbury and Ian Jones are well up the points table after a decent Manx outing and Steve Ward will also be there with Phil Sandham to collect more points if possible, all these crews campaign RS1800s. Just to complicate matters, Alan Jones is a registered co-driver and will be out and about with Charles Hopkinson.
In the C5 class it will probably be business as usual with Jonathan Brace and Spooner being the crew to match in their Ford Escort RS1600, however Andy Stokes and Jonny Tad Evans won’t be too far behind and will be ready to pounce if Brace encounters any issues. Jeremy Wells is back out in his good looking Escort too, the former Cotswold stone magnate enjoying rallying in retirement.
Hywel Davies should go well in the D3 Pinto powered class but Paul Holmes and Elizabeth Beesley hold sway in the points table at the moment by virtue of a maximum score on the first Challenge round when Davies was absent.
Graham Thatcher and Tim Samuel will add colour and sparkle in their Triumph TR7 V8, this pair always look as if they’re having fun and they just need to finish to grab a maximum score.
Finally, welcome to the Challenge Robert Clarke, who after a couple of false starts, like the Plains Rally being cancelled, joins us for the first time in his Mini to hopefully enjoy the delights of the forests on offer.
