Preview, round three: Matador Welsh International RallyRound three of the 2005 HRCR Classic Stage Rally Challenge will form part of the Matador Welsh International Rally on Sat/Sun (30 April/1 May). As is the norm for 2005, the Classic category cars will run alongside the Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship on the asphalt event on the notorious Epynt ranges in Mid-Wales
Heading the Classic field will be the West Wales Rally Spares Escort Mk2 of Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James. They currently lead the series after taking maximum points on the Robin Hood and second on the Astra Stages. Last year on the Welsh they fought a great battle at the head of the field and should set the Classic pace across the ranges.
The big threat to Lloyd/James will come from Isle of Man crew Martin Freestone and Chris Heyes (Ford Escort RS1800). They've got bags of asphalt experience from their home stages and will head to Wales fresh from contesting the gravel Somerset Stages a week earlier.Second overall in the points is father and son Mark and Brett Clifford (class D3 Escort Mk2). The Lincolnshire crew don’t have too much Epynt experience and will lose out in the power stakes on this event. However, their fine form to date suggests that they will be tough to beat in the class and will be looking for another big points score.
The Cliffords can expect a big challenge from the Opel Kadett GTE of Yorkshire crew Bryan Gill/Nigel Hutchinson. Now tackling a full Classic season in the car used by Bryan's father John in the late 1970s, they suffered a last stage fuel pump failure on the Robin Hood. That drama hurt their early points score, but they should fly on Epynt, although Gill is another driver without recent experience of the challenging stages.In contrast, Stephen Hall and Aggie Foster are well known on Epynt from their historic escapades in a Triumph TR4. They are now running a TR7 V8 supported by TR Enterprises and should find the V8 well suited to the Epynt stages.
Another Ford Escort RS1800 will be in the hands of Ralph Abel and Spanish co-driver Samuel Palanca Armida. They will be aiming to get their Challenge properly under way after a non-finish on the Robin Hood, while making their 2005 Classic debut is Talbot Sunbeam crew John Williams and Dave Griggs. They had a fine run on Epynt in 2004 and should use that experience to good effect this year.
The Matador Welsh International Rally is organised by South Wales Automobile Club, Forresters Car Club and Epynt Motor Club. For more details about the event, please visit the website at: welshinternationalrally.com
The historic rally starts from Llandrindod Wells at 11am on Saturday.
