This weekend saw an excellent performance by cars using Yokohama tyres on the Carlisle Stages Rally, based in Longtown and using stages in the infamous Kielder forest.
In the N4 category, Yokohama runners Aaron McClure, who graduated from the Formula 1000 series and then, the Next Big Step initiative, had a fierce battle with fellow Yokohama competitor Roland Llewellin.
The pair, both driving Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9s, set about each other from the very beginning of the six-stage rally, trading times on the first four stages of the event with one of them winning the N4 class on each of the timed tests amid hot and incredibly rough conditions.
However, on the fifth stage, McClure asked for a pace note to be repeated on the stage but by the time the call came, he was already too fast into a right-hand corner. The car slid straight on and got beached and as there were not enough spectators to help him get back on to the road, his rally was over. This left the way clear for Llewellin to the end of the event, claiming the N4 win with a 30-second advantage after the sixth and final stage of the rally.
Not only did Yokohama dominate N4, it also held the overall lead for much of the rally, with Jamie Anderson's Yokohama-shod Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05. Anderson held a convincing lead also until the fifth stage of the rally, where he hit a rock and dislodged a tyre from the wheel rim. He tried to continue to the end of the stage but the tyre eventually broke up and the front wing and bumper were damaged, losing him considerable time and dropping him well down the order.
Commenting, Head of Motorsport at YHPT Ltd, Mark Evans, said: "This weekend saw a fantastic performance by drivers using our tyres. Jamie Anderson did a fantastic job to be leading the rally until he had problems while the pace set by Aaron and Roland in N4 was amazing. They seemed to have the measure of the class and it was a shame that Aaron went off and they weren't able to take that battle to the end of the event.
"What is more gratifying is that out tyres were able to consistently perform at the very front of the field, both overall and in the N4 category, in very tricky conditions. I gather that Aaron certainly had a lot of interest in his tyres and I am sure we will be congratulating Jamie, Aaron and Roland on more success throughout the rest of the BTRDA series."
