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CLWYDIAN CARS STAGES
(a report by DVT)
Organiser: Clwyd Vale MC
When: 17 May Where Trawsfynydd Ranges Championships:
ANWCC, Trawsfynydd Challenge Stages: 12 Starters: 47
After many years of many top results, popular local driver Ken Pugh won
an event on Trawsfynydd Ranges! With Gwawr Hughes co-driving and now in
a Lancer they finished just ten seconds ahead of hard-charging Phil
Kendall/Marc Williams (Corsa) with Gary Edgington/Helen Jones (106 GTI)
third – all three crews gaining their best-ever result!
Top seed Kevin Jones/Ros Goodall were quickest over the first stage, but
then rolled lightly on the second and retired. Pugh/Hughes took over
the lead which they never relinquished but could not afford even the
slightest error.
The event had many newcomers to the venue, Alan Kitson/Ron Aspinwall
being one such crew, their Imp taking a comfortable victory in the
1000cc class, second place was closely fought between the Micras of
husband-wife team Alwyn and Alwena Frazer and Aled Loveluck/Tomos Parry,
just two seconds separating them.
Gareth Roberts/Ian Price (106) took the 1400cc class, ten seconds up on
the Sunbeam of Arwyn Williams/Steve Jones, Antony Williams/Tim Gill
(Fiesta) third.
The 1600 class had Geoff McQuilling/Rob Hopewell (Civic) put in a late
charge to make up for a sheep incident, but not quite enough to overall
Edgington/Jones, whilst early class leaders Chris Phillips/Rhys Hughes
(106 GTI) slipped to third due to a poor tyre choice.
Kendall/Williams took the 2-litre class, next being Ranges regulars
Keith Griffiths/Paul Hughes (Escort) with the similar car of Richard
Lewis/Ifan Rowlands third. Carwyn Ellis/Edgar Jones (Escort) were in
contention for the first lap of three stages but failed to restart due
to gearbox problems.
With Pugh/Hughes taking the overall win, the big-engined class went to
Jon Madoc-Jones in his Renault 5GT co-driven by first-timer 17-year-old
Josh Thomas. Jonathan Whalley/Peter Dennis (Escort) were second ahead
of Pete O’Dougherty/Paul Griffiths (Escort Mk4 RWD) who lost out due to
a maximum on the last stage.
Results: 1, Ken Pugh/Gwawr Hughes
(2.0t Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III) 22m 09s; 2, Phil Kendall/Marc Williams
(2.0 Vauxhall Corsa) 22m 19s; 3, Gary Edgington/Helen Jones (1.6
Peugeot 106 GTI) 22m 25s; 4, Geoff McQuilling/Rob Hopewell (1.6 Honda
Civic) 22m 26s; 5, Chris Phillips/Rhys Hughes (1.6 Peugeot 106 GTI) 22m
34s; 6, Keith Griffiths/Paul Hughes (2.0 Ford Escort Mk2) 23m 07s; 7,
Richard Lewis/Ifan Rowlands (2.0 Ford Escort Mk2) 23m 16s; 8, Alan
Evans/Aled Edwards (1.6 Vauxhall Nova) 23m 21s; 9, Paul Hughes/Paul
Stocking (1.8 MG ZR) 23m 22s; 10, Richard Hughes/Gruffydd Parry (2.0
Ford Escort Mk3) 23m 31s. Class winners: Alan Kitson/Ron Aspinwall (1.0
Sunbeam Imp), Gareth Roberts/Ian Price (1.4 Peugeot 106), Edgington/Jones,
Kendall/Williams, Pugh/Hughes.
Report by Dave Thomas, 11 Maes Canol,
Llandudno Junction, LL31 9UX. (07788 995345) |
Ken triumphs at last
(a report by Gareth Williams)
After twelve hard stages, local man Ken
Pugh, partnered by Gwawr Hughes, took their Mitsubishi Lancer to a long
over due outright win on the Clwyd Vale Motor Club’s event. Their road
to their success was n ot all plain sailing though, as the event threw up
some unexpected opposition, as some of the more fancied runners fell
back, and others took up the challenge.
First and most spectacular exit from the event were the top
seeds and leading North Wales crew of Kevin Jones & Ros Goodall. Their
immaculate Ford Escort looked defiantly second hand when they took off
on the infamous yump and a poor landing saw the car somersault in the
air before landing back on it’s wheels, but the damage to the suspension
was too great for them to continue. The pre event favorites, defending
Welsh Champions Geoff
McQuiling & Rob Hopewell were held up by the
aftermath of the car 1 incident, and along with a poor tyre choice, saw
them battle back up the leader-board to finish fourth.
Another fancied crew to fall by the wayside, were Harlech
members Carwyn Eillis & Edgar Jones, who suffered gearbox failure on the
first run of stages.
But as the “regular” top runners fell, they were replaced by
the hard charging front wheel drive cars, they made the most of the damp
early conditions, and pushing hard and reaping the benefits of not
having too much power!
Eventually finishing second, North Wales CC members, Phil
Kendall & Marc Williams bought their Vauxhall Corsa home only ten
seconds behind the winner, and a mere six seconds behind them were Gary
Edgington & Helen Jones. The Bala MC crew pushed their little Peugeot
106 hard to finish only a second ahead of McQuilling/Hopwell at the end.
Another Bala crew finished off the top five. Chris Phillips & Rhys Jones
in another Peugeot 106, making it four Bala MC crew in the top five.
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