Veteran Cole chalks up another victory on Epynt

LAST Sunday’s RY Matthews Haulage Dixies Challenge on Epynt run by Forresters MC and Forest of Dean MC was won by Damian and Charlotte Cole in the Get Connected Skoda Fabia R5 by 45 seconds from the Ford Escort of Gareth James and Steffan Evans.

The close battle was resolved by the Skoda taking big time margins over the last three stages. It was Gwent man Damian’s 24th Epynt victory and Charlotte’s first overall win, on her third ever rally.

A round of the Team Promotive King of Epynt Challenge, Welsh Historic Championship and HRCR Mini Sport Championship, there were 12 non-finishers over 10 stages. Bob Fowden and Aled Davies were unable to start in the Comline Auto Spares Subaru Impreza, illness affecting the service crew.

Anthony Morgan & Jon Hawkins took third overall and a class win in their Darrian T90, Swansea duo Thomas Cooper & Simon Anthony were fourth and class winners in their Mitsubishi Evo9, Phil Turner got a class second with Paul Williams in the Skoda Fabia, with Ken Pryce and Don James winning the Mini Sport duel in their 1965 1330cc Morris.

Carmarthenshire father and daughter Terry Brown and Angharad Williams won their class in their familiarly fast red Ford Escort Mk2, and William Mains had Claire Williams co-driving once again, taking the 1400cc Vauxhall Nova to the class win from an anything but unlucky number 13 start.

Swansea pairing Peter Jones and Graham Joseph also took a class win by over a minute in their rumbling Triumph TR7 V8, while Ammanford MC pair Richard Stepney and co-driver Dean Wiltshire won the road rally class in the BMW Compact, 25 years since the driver’s last entry on Epynt when he took a second place – job done at last!