Cambrian double glory for Matt:
MATT Edwards stormed to victory on the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally at the weekend repeating his 2019 win of the event and starting his season in the 2020 British Rally Championship in emphatic style and raising hopes that he will achieve his third British championship win in a row – a feat that’s never before been achieved.
And the Colwyn Bay driver did it in a new car which he’d only driven briefly before the Cambrian, a Mk2 Fiesta R5 prepared for him by World Rally Championship team M-Sport.
Despite stalling on the start line of the first stage, Matt was a man on a mission and was quickest over five of the seven stages – including a jaw-dropping run around the famous ribbon of Tarmac, that is the Great Orme’s Marine Drive, and arrived at the finish on Llandudno promenade on Saturday afternoon to a homecoming welcome, with a large crowd consisting of friends and family there to celebrate with him and fellow North Walian codriver Darren Garrod.
“You spend all Christmas waiting for the new season, and once you get into it, it’s like an out of body experience.
“Massive credit to M-Sport who have worked so hard to get the car right for this event, it felt so comfortable and felt so right.
“It was a great rally and the stages are just something else to drive and when it is all hookedup, it is such an amazing feeling, it’s a perfect start to the season.”
After a two-year absence, Osian Pryce from Machynlleth returned to British Rally Championship series in fine style by taking second place behind Matt, but Aberdyfi driver Tom Cave, who has led the rally for the first two stages dropped down the finishing order after colliding with a rock on the Penmachno stage.
In the Interclub section of the event, Bala Motor Club’s David Lloyd Roberts and Emyr Hall took the award in the Historics category with a fine drive in a Ford Escort MK2.