Can Sisson hold Asphalt series lead?
Wayne Sisson will look to sustain his surprise MSA Asphalt Rally Championship lead on this weekend’s Mewla Rally, the 40th anniversary of the Epynt event.
Mitsubishi Lancer E10 NR4+ driver Sisson leads by 16 points over Dan Harper’s Mini John Cooper Works WRC, but dropped scores will play a role towards the end of the season.
Harper has never competed on Epynt before, while Jason Pritchard, in third, lives just down the road and is a regular frontrunner over the Epynt Ranges. Damian Cole, fresh from breaking a number of records on the Harry Flatters – the last rally on Epynt – will go off as car number one on this weekend’s event ahead of Pritchard and Harper.
“I’m not likely to be at the forefront of the battle as we can’t keep up with the WRC boys,” said Sisson, who starts at car six.
“It will be interesting to see how it pans out. I didn’t expect to be leading the championship, but then again at the start of the year we weren’t really sure who would be doing it.
“It’s good to have one event on Epynt [first round of the MSA Asphalt season] under my belt, but, at the same time, you’re still going up against guys who have been competing on Epynt for 20 years.”
Melvyn Evans, the winner of the season-opening Mini Epynt Stages, will get his third car in as many rounds, switching from a Subaru Impreza S12B WRC to a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, and now to a new Hyundai i20 R5.
The event first run in 1978 – in the dark – will be based at the Builth Wells Showground and features 75 miles of stages, kicking off on Sunday at 0801hrs.