Davies clinches Clubmans Title

 

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Davies clinches the WAMC Clubmans Championship on the final round - Photo courtesy of James Hatfield Photography

 

     October's stage rallying would only consist of two events in what would be a relatively quiet month. The final round of the BTRDA,Welsh National and Welsh Clubmans championships would take crews into the forestries of North Wales including Penmachno and Clocaenog. This years event would be that little bit more special as the crews tackled the famous Great Orme stage at the furthest peak of Wales along it's coastline.

 

     Dylan Davies, with Andrew Sankey alongside, was looking to go one step further in the WAMC Clubmans championship after finishing in the runners-up spot in 2010 in his Ford Escort Mk1. Davies was one of five drivers with a mathematical chance of winning the title but was the firm favourite requiring a score of more than thirteen points. The event would only see eight registered competitors so a finish would be enough for Davies to claim the title. Eryl Evans was once more looking for a strong finish on his drivers home event to hold on to the runners-up spot in the co-drivers race. Anthony Litchfield would also be out co-driving on the event when he sat alongside Charlie Jackson in a Fiesta Cosworth.

     Davies' event got off to the worst start imaginable as only a mile in to the opening stages he acquired a puncture losing him well over a minute. Evans, with regular driver Keith Parry, also suffered the same fate as they also acquired a puncture on the same stage. Both crews however managed to claw their way back up the leader board with Parry/Evans lying in 14th O/a and Davies/Sankey 18th O/a after SS5. Fortune wouldn't favour Parry/Evans as they slid off on SS6 and lost over eleven minutes. Deep ruts caused by the first run through the stage saw the Impreza bottom out on the repeat run and throw the car off the road and into a ditch. Davies however managed to stay out of trouble for the remainder of the rally and bring his N10 Impreza home safely in 14th O/a, scoring maximum WAMC Clubmans points and taking the 2011 drivers crown. Eryl Evans hopes of holding on to the runners up spot in the co-drivers championship was unfortunately dashed on SS6 but still held the final podium position in the championship. Anthony Litchfield and driver Charlie Jackson finished a respectable 32nd O/a on only their first event together in a one off Fiesta Cosworth.

     Dale Furniss would make his second IRC appearance when he was once more co-driving for Jason Pritchard in his Subaru Impreza N16. The event proved to be a test of both crew and car as slippery conditions with heavy rain fall and some rough stages from previous events. Fifteen stages lay ahead of the crew with night stages on Friday followed by two days of rallying on Saturday and Sunday. Pritchard/Furniss were 19th O/a and third in class after the opening leg and Saturday's stages saw them climb up the leader board a further three places but it wasn't to be without it's problems. Not only had the crew picked up three punctures and a bent wheel but they also found a problem with a front strut at Saturday's final service. After further investigation it was found that the front strut was broken and unfortunately no replacement was available. Sunday's stages therefore meant nursing the car to the finish and gettting the car to the finish. They would be rewarded at the finish for their perseverance however when the two leading cars in class went off the road in the treacherous conditions. Pritchard and Furniss ended the event in 13th O/a and took the Grp N class win.

 

     The Peter Lloyd Stages held in Pembrey would be the only other event to occupy October for LDMC members. Emyr Morgan and Carwyn Lloyd would head the LDMC entrants at car six with Sean Crowley and Marc Mayes closely following at car seven in their Vauxhall Nova. Crowley/Mayes rally got off to a poor start when the Nova jammed in second gear leaving the crew to coast around the stage. They still incredibly set the 14th fastest stage time and set out to climb back up the leader board on the remaining four stages. Morgan/Llloyd's rally wasn't to be without it's dramas either when the slippery conditions caught them out and they hit a chicane damaging the passenger side doors and smashing a back passenger window. After their first stage misfortune, Crowley/Mayes pushed hard on the remaining four stages and fought back to finish an impressive 6th O/a and second in their class. They were closely followed by Marc Hughes who was co-driving for John “Tyres” Davies in yet another Vaxuhall Nova just six seconds adrift taking third in their class. Emyr Morgan and Carwyn Lloyd rounded off the top ten in their Suabru Impreza finishing second in class. Yet another Vauxhall Nova was to carry an LDMC member to a class award when Iwan Griffiths, co-driving for William John, won the 1400 class. The event would also be a round of the J1000 championship for drivers aged between 14-17. Meirion Evans and co-driver Grant Rees finished an excellent third in the junior category whilst Paul Jenkins guided junior Daniel Jones to 11th in the Juniors.