Ffestiniog based driver Ieuan Rowlands heads to the forests of Mid-Wales this weekend, as he bids to take the honours on the fourth round of the highly competitive 2004 Peugeot TOTAL 206 Super Cup, the Mutiny Rally.
Saturday 5th June will see the Mid-Wales Spa town of Llandrindod Wells play host to a capacity entry of cars. Fifteen of which will be battling for victory in the 206 Super Cup as the series reaches it’s halfway point and returns to gravel stages, following the last round on the tarmac roads of the Isle of Man.
Rowlands currently lies second in the championship, just one point adrift of his main rival, Irishman and 206 Super Cup stalwart Gareth MacHale. Between them, the pair have won the first three rounds of the championship, and have opened up a clear gap from third placed Mike Faulkner.
The amiable Welshman contested the recent International Rally of Wales, a round of the British Rally Championship, in order to fine-tune the set-up of his car. Despite suffering a number of punctures, and eventually retiring from the rally on the second day whilst leading the class, he was encouraged by setting stage times just a few seconds slower than the far more powerful Super 1600 cars.
The fast and flowing stages used by the Mutiny are amongst Rowlands favourites and he is relishing the challenge. “The Mutiny has good stages which suit my driving style, we hope to do well and a win would put us in a very strong position in the championship. It will be good to get back onto gravel after the tarmac of the Manx, I was very pleased with the result I achieved there considering my lack of experience on tarmac compared to some of my fellow competitors”.
The organisers of the 206 Super Cup have now reduced the number of results to count towards the final championship standings to just five, from the eight rallies that form the series. Rowlands realises that he must push very hard in a bid to win the remaining events in order to score maximum point to maintain his title ambitions. However, this must be tempered by the need to score points and to make sure the team receives a share of the prize money on offer on each round.
Ieuan makes no secret of the fact his 206 campaign is being run on a shoestring budget. He receives backing from Aberystwyth based performance car parts supplier CAMSport as well as on event support, and technical advice, from Geoff Jones Motorsport. However, Ieuan and his family are still making sacrifices to ensure he is able to make the most of this opportunity.
“My brother John, who is preparing and running my car, has set it up for the fast and flowing stages we will be tackling this weekend. He is putting a lot of hard work into this championship, the same as I am. He would usually be competing on this rally but he has chosen to sacrifice that to help me”.
For the crews that are tackling the Mutiny, there will be no chance to ease themselves in, as the first stage of the day is fourteen miles long and held in the fearsomely quick Radnor Forest. As well as battling each other, the crews also have the weather to contend with. Rain will make the stages treacherously slippery whilst a spell of dry weather before the event can cause the stages to become dry and dusty. Rowlands fears the latter will be a big problem on Saturday and could have a bearing on the final result.
Whatever happens, Rowlands championship rivals can be assured he is motivated to win and he has signalled his intentions already. “Winning the remaining events is the plan, rather than settling for consistent finishes. I also have another reason to do well on the Mutiny. Geoff Jones, a good friend of mine, and someone who has helped me a lot in the past and is helping me throughout this year, was injured in an accident on the Rally of Wales. Unfortunately he won’t be on the Mutiny but I intend to do well to cheer him up. The whole team wishes him a speedy recovery”
The Mutiny Rally starts in Llandrindod Wells with the first car due over the start ramp at 8:30am.
