With all the podium places on Saturday’s Severn Valley Stages being claimed by Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship contenders, outright victory and their first maximum points haul of the season went to Malvern driver’s Bob Ceen and co-driver Andy Bull, from Birmingham, in their Subaru Impreza World Rally Car.
It was the crew’s second victory on the event, the previous win having come in 2009 and on the winner’s rostrum Ceen commented, “It’s nice to be back here. I’ve always liked these stages.”
The early stages of the event saw Ceen having to work hard to hold off the Mitsubishi Lancer of Luke Francis and co-driver John H Roberts of Colwyn Bay until, as the Abergele driver put it, “The back end of the car decided to part company with the chassis.”
Although they were able to limp their car back to the lunchtime service halt at the Royal Welsh Showground, where some frantic welding by their service crew kept them in the event, the lost ground was too much for then to make up in the afternoon stages and they were forced to content themselves with second place.
Meanwhile a strong performance by Llanon’s Dylan Davies, back in rallying this season after 18 months away from the sport, saw him and co-driver Llion Williams from Caernarfon take a final podium place in their Subaru Impreza. At the finish of the event, Dylan commented, “Top five was the aim so third place is a bonus really.”
Ceen’s victory promotes him to second place in the championship behind Worcester driver Paul Davy who continues to hold both the overall and Group N category leads despite losing out this weekend to fellow Group N competitor Roland Llewellin from Haverfordwest who took the class honours by just 10 seconds.
That moves Llewellin up to third place overall ahead of Dylan Davies while Hugh Hunter shares fifth place with Luke Francis despite the Ruthin driver’s absence this weekend.
Paul Davy’s co-driver Roger Allan tops the co-driver standings from Llion Williams with Wrexham’s Jamie Edwards lying third.
A second non-finish in as many events sees Llandysul’s Jamie Jukes slip to second place in the two wheel drive category with John Baker from Ellesmere taking over the lead Top class honours on the event went to York driver Gary Coper in his Lotus Sunbeam. In the junior driver category Meirion Evans from Llanwrda retakes the lead from absent Pontyclun driver Morgan Handford.
Things could hardly be closer in the junior co-driver category with Caron Tomlinson of Penmachno holding a one point lead over Ludlow’s Keaton Williams and Keegan Rees from Llanelli one point further back.
In the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge, based on performances within classes, Paul Davy holds an 11 point advantage over John Baker while Dylan Davies and Bob Ceen are tied for third place.
The next round of the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship is the Nicky Grist Stages, once again based in Builth Wells, on 11 July.
You can find out more about the rally on the event website, www.nickygriststages.co.uk, and about the championship on www.wnrc.wamc.org.uk , the championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.