Tomas Davies and Eurig Davies en route to victory on the West Cork historic rally (Ciandon)

It's been a very busy weekend for club members with action taking place on the loose, in the lanes and on tarmac, with the Get Jerky Rally North Wales, the Mervyn Hughes memorial Rali Llyn and the Clonakilty Park hotel West Cork historic rally all taking place on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of March. 

Kicking off in the forests of North Wales the Get Jerky Rally North Wales, which was the opening round of the Welsh forestry rally championship, and would offer some forty-five miles of competition in the forests of Dyfnant and Gartheiniog from its base in Welshpool. Club members Daniel O’Brien and Mark Glennerster were running at 403 (third four wheel drive vehicle) in Daniel’s O’Brien group Ford fiesta world rally car. 

Chris Richmond Hand and Shaun Richards guide their escort round the lanes for their maiden Bro Caron victory (Adrian Convery photography)

The weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of March saw the forty-first running of Lampeter and district motor club’s Bro Caron road rally. Once again this rally would feature in the welsh road rally championship, being the second event in the championship. Once again joint Clerks of the course were club chairman Dafydd Evans and club secretary Cadog Davies, and together with a team of dedicated volunteers, hosted a 110 mile event that used the very best roads on OS map 146. Windy corner coaches would again sponsor the event, with Rhydian being a dedicated member who is always on hand to help out in all things with the club. 

Owen Rowcliffe guides Alan Gaunt through the fog for a top 10 placing on the Cambrian (Joseph John Gilbertson)

The weekend of the 3rd and 4th of February saw the Tregaron and district motor club organised Cambrian road rally take place. This rally would be the first round of Lampter’s road rally championship so featured a good number of club competitors. Starting from the Tregaron cattle market a route of some 65 miles plus a test up in Dolboilon rally stage. Among the 58 starters on the entry list were Alan Gaunt at number 11 in Alan’s Peugeot 206 GTI. Behind them at 12 was Andrew Gaunt who was navigating for Jonathan Davies in a Mk2 Ford escort. At 20 was Damian Summerfield who was out in a hired Proton Satria GTI, he had Dan Parsons navigating for him. Owain Evans was at 30 in his Peugeot 206 GTI, he had Callum James sat with him. Right behind them at 31 were Llyr Davies and Osian Jones in a Nissan Micra. Another Lampeter pair followed, with Carwyn Jones and Steffan Thomas taking the number 32 slot on Carwyn’s Proton satria GTI. Navigating in car 41 was Mathew Pryce, he sat with Arwyn Jones in Arwyn’s Subaru impreza. Sion Busson was also on navigating duties, he sat with Owain Dixon in Owain's BMW compact. They were seeded at 42

Owain Evans and Marc Hughes on their way to second in class and Fourth overall on the Powys Lanes (Gary Jones)

We may be getting to the end of the year but the rallying action shows no sign of slowing down with events happening all over the country. Going back to the 28th of October the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally took place in Llandudno. This 5 stage event would make up the sixth round of the welsh forest rally championship and would include a couple of club members on the entry list. At number 43 was Dafydd Evans who would sit with Ieuan Evans in Ieuan’s historic specification Mk2 Ford escort. They would be using this car on the up and coming Roger Albert Clark rally, and they were using this rally as a shakedown to familiarise themselves with the car and conditions of loose surface rallying. Also out was Gareth Bevan in his historic specification Mk2 Ford escort, he had Daniel Petrie on the notes. 

The first of the five stages would be Elsie 1, at over 14 kilometres it was a great opening test for competitors. Ieuan and Dafydd got off to a great start in their escort, even though they were using the day as a test they still opened their event with the twentieth quickest overall time. Gareth and Bevan also got off to a great start with twenty-ninth quickest overall time. Ieuan and Dafydd were twenty-fourth on the second stage, Craig, and Gareth and Daniel were thirty-third. 

Andy davies and Michael GIlbey charging to a second overall finish on the Cilwendeg (Joseph John Gilbertson)

The weekend of the 21st and 22nd of October saw the eighth round of the welsh road rally championship take place, with Teifi valley motor clubs incredibly famous Cilwendeg once again running in the Newcastle Emlyn area. As per usual the mart car park in Newcastle Emlyn provided the start venue for the 90 cars entered, which included members of Lampter and district motor club. First up at car 3 was Dafydd Evans who would once again sat with Ieuan Evans in Ieuans’ Immaculately prepared Mk2 Ford escort. At 4 was Cadog Davies who would be with regular driver George Williams in George’s Mk2 Ford escort. He and George are locked in a battle for Welsh championship honours and were looking for a strong result here. Behind them at 5 was Andy Davies in his regular Subaru impreza, IDZ. He would again have Michael Gilbey on the map. Marc Hughes was once again on navigational duties, originally entered with Gethin Morgan a last minute change of driver was carried out and he ended up with Lewis Morgan in Lewis’ Mk2 Ford escort. They were seeded at 13 and hoping for similar times that they had set on the Bro caron earlier this year. At 17 was Arwel Evans in his Mk2 Ford escort, he would be with Ryan Griffiths for this event. Navigating at 27 was Arfon Griffiths who was sat in Tomos Evans’ Mk2 ford escort. The Escort is still clearly a very popular car among drivers.  At 48 were Sam Woodcock and Owen Rowcliffe in Sam’s Subaru impreza, they were aiming for a finish and a lot of fun along the way. Osian Jones and Lewis Jenkins took number 66 in Osian’s Nissan micra, and navigating in the car behind them and rounding off club members was Geroge Eadon who was out with Thomas Jones in Thomas’ Peugeot 206. 

Just a small sample of the varied vehicles that attended the day

Sunday the 8th of October saw a very special event take place in the town of Lampeter, with club members Anthea and Dai Jones organising a charity car run an auction to raise money for a couple of very special causes. 

The event came about from a cause very close to Anthea’s heart, as it was the thirtieth anniversary of her mother’s cancer remission, so to celebrate, a car run and auction was organised, with the help from Lampeter and district motor club, to raise money for the breast cancer unit at the Prince Charles hospital in Llanelli and the chemotherapy unit at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth.