LEPLEY PREPARED FOR BIG CHALLENGE
Two-time BTRDA champion aiming for another strong result in Gold Star category on Trackrod Rally
George Lepley insists this weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire will be a “big challenge” despite coming into the event on the crest of a wave.
The two-time BTRDA Silver Star champion was the surprise package on last month’s Woodpecker Stages Rally, as he took top BTRDA Gold Star points in his Mitsubishi Lancer E10 and second overall.
But the youngster admits if he wants to repeat the feat on this weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire he will need to be on the pace from the first stage.
“We certainly did better than I thought I was going to do
[on the Woodpecker],” he told Motorsport News.
“There was a lot of learning. The first two stages were damp and wet, and the test we had was in the dry so I didn’t think the stage times were going to be good and when I saw them for the first time I thought ‘crikey that’s better than I thought’.
“There’s still plenty more to come from me and I’m definitely getting confident which is nice. You’ve got Ollie Mellors in front who won the Woodpecker [outright] and you’ve got last
year’s Trackrod winner
Mat Smith and everyone knows those two are quick so to beat them will be a big challenge.”
Smith is out for the first time since April’s Pirelli Rally on what will be just his third run in a Ford Fiesta R5. He lines up as top seed due to his breakthrough win 12 months ago.
“Last year and on the
Pirelli I put myself under that much pressure to get a result, I almost didn’t take in the experience whereas this year I’ll be more relaxed,” Smith said.
“It’s not very often you get the chance to have a go in something like a Fiesta R5.
“The fast stages suit me but they don’t suit the car as much as they do a WRC car but we managed to win last year so [who knows?] It’s nice to have number one on the side [of the car] and I was hoping we could do something with Peter [Smith] again because number one looks better on the side of the Fiesta than it does the Proton [Satria]!”
Mellors is another candidate for victory in his Proton
Iriz R5, while Stephen Petchwill be desperate to end his campaign on a high. Elsewhere, Thomas Preston has brought his Fiesta WRC out for a run as he winds himself up for an assault on the Wales Rally GB National.