FAIRY TALE BR C TITLE FOR EDWARDS AS BOG I ES TAR S
Bogie and edwards split leg wins to close the brc season. by jack benyon
Penmachno. It’s Matt Edwards’ favourite stage, and the one he said he wanted to win on his way to a first British Rally Championship title, after 15 long and hard years of rallying.
Instead of being the dreamy scenario he had hoped for, it nearly cost him the BRC title he so craved.
The BRC was returning to Wales Rally GB for the first time in 10 years and it was split into two legs, Thursday-friday and Saturday-sunday. With both legs offering full points, Edwards needed just fourth place to seal the deal on day one. If he didn’t, David Bogie, Rhys Yates and Alex Laffey were waiting for the chance. On Penmachno, that chance almost came. “I had a funny feeling it [Penmachno] was going to do something to me today,” said Edwards, now speaking with a smile after arriving back at Deeside as champion.
“It was in the Tarmac section. It was awash with mud and we aquaplaned. We touched a bank and that spun us around. It broke a bracket on the hub, we put a strap around it to make sure we got it back.”
He finished third, as 2011 champ Bogie ran away with the lead and won the first leg by over three minutes ahead of Yates, Bogie arguably driving better than he ever had in his career. But it still wasn’t enough.
“I conceded that the title wasn’t achievable,” said Bogie. “Matt’s a good driver and he drives with a sensible head.”
With only four R5 cars entered, bringing the car back to service would almost guarantee the title for Edwards. His father Alyn – Cambrian Rally clerk of the course – and long-term backer Pete Smith were waiting for him and the celebrations began.
After winning the BRC Group N title in 2016, Smith gave Edwards the chance by placing him in an R5 programme for two years. It was the culmination of a brilliant journey which started with BTRDA giant-killing in an MG ZR.
“It’s 15 years worth of what I wanted to do,” said Edwards. “I’ve been watching and spectating on the events for years, I’m a big supporter of the British Rally Championship and to come and win it means a massive amount.
“I have to be grateful. There are hundreds and maybe thousands of people out there who would love the chance to do what I’ve done. I’ve had Pete and Swift’s backing for eight or nine years so it hasn’t happened overnight, I’ve always been grateful to him and them. There’s been ups and downs and things I don’t want to talk about ever again, but it’s just an amazing feeling to tick the box and the top of the list.”
Darren Garrod, Edwards’ navigator, sealed the co-drivers’ crown at the same time.
“Everyone wants to win their domestic championship,” said Garrod. “I’ve won titles abroad, in Canada and two in China, it’s obviously fantastic, but to win your home is the best.
“I am so happy for Matt, he is proper grassroots, bobble-hatter turned rally driver, he fully deserves it.”
The second leg started badly for Bogie with a spin, but as the stages dried rapidly Edwards struggled to adapt quick enough having moved towards a wet set-up for his Fiesta. That left Bogie ahead of Edwards, while Yates retired his Skoda in a Myherin ditch in the afternoon having sat second overnight ahead of Laffey’s Fiesta.
It would all turn around on Sunday though. Bogie, lying fifth overall in the R5 class, had bad pacenotes for the first stage, and then took a wheel off his Fabia in the second stage, Gwydir. After replacing the wheel, a few corners later he was caught out by a tightening right-hander and broke his radiator on a bank. But the pace was sensational, to lie mere seconds behind works Hyundai ace Jari Huttunen, and fifth in the RC4 class overall before the off.
“I could have said at that point I’ve got a nice BRC lead of 40 or 50 seconds and settled for the BRC win,” said Bogie. “But I’m a competitive driver and I only get one chance a year to put myself up against drivers in the world championship. I was really enjoying the rally. It’s a disappointing end.”
With that, Edwards had an easy win. Only the first leg stood between him and equalling Colin Mcrae’s record of winning all BRC rounds in a season in 1992, albeit with less events.