Ludlow cars battle for Welsh placings

Newtown and District Automobile Club Ltd organised the Mid Wales stages last weekend, with rally HQ at the Hafren Theatre in Newtown. The event was sponsored once again by Rally Marketing.

Ludlow Castle Motor Club had quite a few members entered in different categories of this multi-championship rally.

Taking a new date this year the rally was the opening round of the Dunlop/Wanago MSA British Historic Rally Championship in which three LCMC crews competed.

Overnight rain dampened the gravel stages, but a dry morning greeted competitors as they faced the first Stage in Hafren South.

LCMC's Chris Brooks teamed up with MK2 Ford Escort ace Nick Elliot and they found themselves in a battle at the front of the field most of the day, providing the spectators with some fabulous sideways driving. However, closest rival Julian Reynolds came out on top beating them by just 2 seconds.

Fellow club members Alan Walker/Jez Rogers and John Worthing/John Cadwallader also competed in this section.

In the open category the first LCMC member on the road also had a change of seat. Instead of sitting in the TNT Tyres Mitsubishi Evo, Ben Innes co-drove for Damian Cole in the Hyundai World Rally Car. Cole had not competed on gravel for nine months, so was a little rusty at the start of the day.

The car developed problems the day before the event when the paddle shift failed. This was fixed for the rally, but fuel starvation and binding front brakes along with Cole's cautious start hampered the day.

The pairing worked well, Innes was getting used to the different style of pace notes and Cole put in fast times on the later stages. They finished third overall and Innes enjoyed his first rally in a WRC car.

Tim Cains/Richard May in the Reg May Butchers/C and R vehicle repairs Peugeot 309 were delighted with their finish of third in class, the car running faultlessly all day.

After their engine failure on the Wales GB Rally, Cains was a little despondent with the car and felt he had let down his sponsors.

He and trusty mechanic Ian Clair spent all winter getting the car ready for this season, to do his sponsors justice. This included many mods and a new engine which produces just the right amount of power and torque.

Cains has also adopted a new tighter driving style which means he can relax behind the wheel and still put in good times. The style paid off on this event, not only with his result, but the fact he was catching cars while driving at only 90 per cent of his best.

He was driving for a finish, to preserve the car and achieve as many championship points as he could. The winner of this section was Welshpool's Mick Jones, but as he isn't registered for championship points Cain starts the season off in second place.

Cyril Crook/Mike Wilding brought their rear-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra home third in their class with no problems reported.

Well done to the organisers for once again putting on a very good event.

• Report and photos: Russell Kenhard (kentonphotografix photography)