DAVIES AND GILBY ON TOP ON BRO CARON

The Welsh Road Rally Championship reemerged after a three-year break in spectacular style with Andy Davies and Michael Gilbey taking a one-second victory on the

Rali Bro Caron.

The event attracted a capacity 90-car entry and, despite perfect dry conditions, managed to take time out of all crews at several controls.

The leaders at petrol, which was taken at one-third distance, were Lewis Morgan and

Marc Hughes. They were eight seconds ahead of Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams, and held their advantage until the mid-point in the second half, when their Escort’s engine failed.

The lead then swapped between the North Walian pair and the eventual winners, with the two crews matching each other’s times on the last section: this allowed Davies/ Gilbey to take their third Bro Caron win in four outings by the narrowest of margins.

The result was the first defeat of Hughes Jones in over three years, however he and navigator Williams did take the top scores in the Welsh Championship.

Ieaun Evans/Dafydd-Sion Lloyd could have taken victory as they finished with three seconds fewer time penalties than the winners, but they had missed getting a marshal to countersign for the first route check of the night. The resultant fail dropped them to 55th place overall at the finish.

Results

Rali Bro Caron

Organiser: Lampeter & District Motor Club When: March 4-5 Where: West Wales Championships: WAMC Route: 100 miles Starters: 90.

1 Andy Davies/Michael Gilbey (Subaru Impreza) 3m35s; 2 Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams (Ford Escort) +1s; 3 John Davies/Eurig Davies (Vauxhall Astra); 4 Iwan Jones/Andrew Lowe (Ford Escort); 5 Richard Jerman/Alan James (Ford Escort); 6 Huw Jones/Jordan Dziadulewicz (Peugeot 206 XSi); 7 Arwel Evans/Gerwyn Barry (Ford Escort); 8 Mark Lennox/Ian Beamond (Ford Escort); 9 Malcolm ‘Tar’ Jones/Rhys Jones (Peugeot 206 GTi); 10 Mike Roberts/Shaun Richards (Ford Escort). Class winners: Owain Evans/Arfon Griffiths (Ford Escort); Steffan Davies/Eurig Evans (Peugeot 206); Dion James/Richard James (Peugeot 205 GTi).