Round three: Matador Welsh RallyDessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride and Mark Solloway/Kevin Lewis were the major winners during round three of the 2006 Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship, the Matador Welsh Rally (29/30 April).While Solloway/Lewis led the event from the front to dominate the post-historic category, Nutt/McBride moved ahead on Sunday morning after Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies retired their Sunbeam Tiger in the historic category.Once again, over 100 stage miles on Epynt proved to be a tough test of man and machine, and those that claimed awards had won them the hard way!Historic (category 1)Watts/Davies set a blistering pace on the two long stages that opened the rally on Saturday afternoon. A third long stage across the ranges was cancelled due to an administrative problem, but that a major relief for Watts. "We were sat on the start line of stage three with no brake fluid, so I was rather glad it was cancelled," admitted Watts. The front caliper seals had melted and they changed the calipers at first service on Sunday morning, having found some replacements in a breaker's yard!Meanwhile, Watts/McBride settled in their stride, but were only 11s up overnight on the charging Lotus Cortina of Philip Atkinson/Stuart Harrold. However, the battle for second lost Jonathan and Graham Gale overnight after a drama with road car keys left them running their Lotus Cortina in the Trophy Rally.Watts/Davies kept up their pace on Sunday morning, but running first on the road had concerned Davies from before the rally started due to the number of sheep on the ranges. Sadly, on stage nine they couldn't avoid a sheep and the damage done to the Tiger put them out of the rally.Now Nutt/McBride were left with a clear lead and were able to continue pulling away from the Lotus Cortina battle to secure a clear victory.Atkinson/Harrold kept on chasing, and took class B4 with a minute in hand over Neil and Michelle Calvert (Lotus Cortina). Paul Mankin/Desmond Bell took their Lotus Cortina to third in B4.One of the best class battles of the rally raged in B2 as Clive King/Bob Ward (Mini Cooper S) beat off the MG Midget of James Stait/Stewart Lawson by just nine seconds. "That was all hard work," said King. "It was flat, and then some!"  "Clive has driven really well today," acknowledged Stait, who had been troubled by brake problems throughout Sunday's stages.Taking an excellent third in B2 was the Mini Cooper of Alison Lock/Barbara Alexander after one of Lock's best ever performances, finishing just 16s up on the similar car of Phil and Barbara Smith.Post-historic (category 2)Everyone expected Solloway to fly on stages that he knows well and he duly took his Escort Mk1 into the lead on the opening stage and never looked back. In the process, he delighted the fans with his spectacular handing of the BDA-powered Escort. While the post-historic category always looked secure, Solloway/Lewis had a mighty battle for overall victory with the Classic category Mk2 Escort of Gareth Lloyd/Den Golding. In the end, Solloway took it by 1.4s."I had to try didn't I?" joked Solloway of his attacking drive, which was boosted by a diff change on Sunday morning. "I've always used a 4.6 diff here, but there are so many chicanes that we put a 5.1 in at first service this morning," he explained.Leading the post-historic chase of Solloway/Lewis were the Porsche 911s of Steven Smith/John Nichols and Jimmy McRae/Campbell Roy. Running his 911RS for the first time, Smith was able to take the place by 40s after a fine debut for the car. "It has run like clockwork straight out of the box; that's a very good start," said Smith. McRae, meanwhile, lost time on Saturday with brake worries. "It's still a daunting place," he said of Epynt, on his first rally there for around 20 years.Out of the post-historic contest on Sunday morning went David Stokes/Guy Weaver, with their Escort Mk1 jammed in first gear. They had been sitting nicely in third overnight as Weaver made his Epynt debut.Instead, fourth post-historic went to the Solloway-tended Escort Mk1 of Dewi Bowen/Mike Williams after an excellent BHRC debut. It was Bowen's first rally for nearly three years and Williams' first event on Epynt for 20 years.A fabulous performance from Bob Gibbons/Neil Cook put their C3-winning Escort RS2000 into fifth overall in post-historics after a truly attacking drive. "That's a good result; I'm very, very pleased," said Gibbons with justification.Overnight, John Worthing/Bill Robertson headed C2 in their Escort Mexico after a blistering opening pair of stages. However, clutch failure put them out on Sunday and it was Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes who took C2 from Russell Morgan/Martin Kenyon. "Only a heavy landing which bent the sump on the final stage gave Forster cause for concern.Notable among the post-historic retirements was the new, and very pink, Porsche 911RS of Andrew Street/Jez Mason, which clobbered a wall in the 'Irish village' when caught in dust, and the similar car of Nick Whale/Sally Wood with major brake dramas. However, Whale's car was fixed for Sunday's Trophy Rally, which they won by a minute from the 911 of Graham Wilson/Keith Fellowes.