COMPETITORS PRAISE NEW WALES RALLY GB NATIONAL SCHEDULE
Wales Rally GB National competitors have praised the event for reverting to a Friday and Saturday schedule for 2018.
Last year some drivers were discontented at the Saturday and Sunday timetable, which meant the popular Friday stages of the likes of Sweet Lamb Hafren and Myherin were missed.
Although some were unconvinced by Friday’s “half-day” timetable, as drivers entered the last stage at only 1347hrs, generally competitors thought the format had taken a step in the right direction and the finish on Saturday gave the crews a fighting chance to be ready and back in work on Monday morning.
Hyundai i20 R5 driver John Wink, who climbed three places from 2017 to finish second in this year’s National times, said: “This format is better for me because we’ve got a seven-and-a- half-hour drive home. It means we can still be back for work on Monday. The format this year has been super.”
Third place finisher Roger Duckworth added: “Two years ago we first did Myherin and we loved that, so to get to do the mid-wales stages is better. Last year we missed out on some of the good ones which was a shame but this year it was lovely to do.”
Wales Rally GB organiser Ben Taylor added: “Last year we did Saturday and Sunday and competitors didn’t get to go down to mid-wales. All the conversations that we had with the competitors last year suggested they really like driving those Myherin, Hafren stages so if they were going to miss a day then they don’t really want to miss that day. We have to put the National rally in where we can fit it according to the schedule. That’s worked well this year. We have to improve everything year on year.”