For the third event on the trot, Ray Bellm (Ford Escort Mk1) and Dessie Nutt (Porsche 911) were the winners in the Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship.
After 120 miles of flat out rallying over the Epynt ranges, Bellm and Nutt claimed the honours in the International Welsh Rally (May 1/2).
Historic (category 1)
After just over two hours of competitive action, just 17 seconds split Nutt/Geraldine McBride from the similar Porsche 911 of Francis Tuthill and Nick Kennedy. However, had they not lost a lot of time on the opening stage with a puncture, Patrick Watts/Elgan Davies would have won the historic category in their Sunbeam Tiger.
Nutt was forced to make a cautious start over the opening 15-mile stage on Saturday afternoon when he found the car's handling to be awry. "It was a wee bit scary," admitted Dessie. However, the team worked on the car's set-up at each service and by the end of the first four stages the Irishman was much happier. "This is the first time on tarmac since the car was rebuilt. We're working away at it," he reported after four long stages totaling 60 miles on Saturday.
Into the overnight halt, Nutt had a 15-second lead over Tuthill, while Watts, on his first experience of Epynt, was fighting to recover lost time. "We lost six minutes on the first stage; but this is an awesome place and it was a baptism of fire going straight into a 15-mile stage!"
Chris and Hilary Green topped class B4 overnight, a position they would hold throughout the event in their Lotus Cortina. However, out of the event on the opening stage went the B2 pacesetting MG Midget of James Stait/Fiona Hamilton, leaving the way open for Mike Barratt/Michelle Calvert to steer their Mini Cooper S to class victory.
On Sunday, Tuthill immediately started putting pressure on Nutt and had chipped the gap down to around 10 seconds. However, the matter was really settled on SS15 (Steps 2) when Tuthill had a massive spin within sight of the stage finish. "It was at about 80mph," explained Kennedy. "We went round three times completely and didn't hit anything. We were just so lucky!" That was all that Nutt/McBride needed to consolidate their advantage and complete a cracking hat-trick of wins.
The Greens were third in the historics and clear class winners, while Watts stormed the Sunday stages to claim fourth in the historics. "I'm happy that we're competitive," he said, having hit 135mph several times on the New Road. Completing the class winners in the historic category were Jonathan and Graham Gale (Ford Cortina GT) and John Morris/Chris Flavell (Hillman Imp) after excellent performances.
Post-historic (category 2)
The action in the post-historics started with a vengeance on the opening stage of Saturday. Bellm/Marc Jones slid off on the Burmah Road and lost over two minutes in a ditch. At almost the same point, Richard Gower/Carl Williamson punctured and lost six minutes when they stopped to change the wheel. Then, Stuart Rolt/Kevin Devine rolled their Porsche 911 out of the rally at Edmond's Bend!
Untroubled by all of this, Dominic Frattaroli/Wyn Thomas set a flying pace in their Datsun 240Z to take an immediate 30-second lead. While others battled to regain lost time, Frattaroli took a 1m40s lead into the overnight halt. Out on the final stage of Saturday went David Stokes/Den Golding with stub axle failure in their Escort, so the stage was set for a Frattaroli victory on Sunday.
Through the first eight stages it all looked good for the Datsun crew. Bellm/Jones were taking some time back, but not enough, while Gower/Williamson were flying up the order with a string of fastest stage times. However, Frattaroli's dreadful luck struck again on SS18 (Four Ways 1) when a driveshaft failed just after the start and pitched the car far off the road.
Now Bellm was ahead and had more than two minutes in hand with four stages to run. "You've just got to keep going," he admitted. "From ditch to victory!" Second in the post-historics went to Steven Smith/John Nichols after a gritty performance to keep their Escort going against the odds. Major gearbox and oil pressure dramas threatened to end their rally, but they battled home for class victory by 22 seconds over Bob Gibbons/Neil Cook (Escort RS2000). The Welshmen had driven a superb rally and were rewarded with one of their best BHRC results.
Out of the battle for fourth in dramatic style went Mike Jordan/Howard Pridmore with a massive accident at Devils Leap. Their Mk1 Escort went end over end and then barrel rolled to end what had been a brilliant drive from Jordan in only his second ever rally. "I don't normally take the gung-ho approach," admitted Jordan after the huge accident. "It just pogo'd straight off to the left."
Instead, Gower/Williamson claimed fourth in the post-historics after a mighty recovery drive, while a class C2 winning seventh place was a great reward for Dave Dyer/Graham Wride (Escort Mexico). Meanwhile, the remaining class victory went to Paul Drinkall/Roy Brown after a solid Epynt debut in their Porsche 911.
The BHRC now moves back to gravel for round four, the Mutiny Rally on 5 June.
