National Tour of Epynt

Previous Winners

2007 - Rally Report

It was fuel on the fire at the finish of last week-ends John Price Rallying National Tour of Epynt organised by Port Talbot Motor Club, the first round of the 2007 Legend Fires MSA Asphalt Championship and BTRDA Asphalt Championships, as six leading cars - including the rally winners Melvyn Evans and Sean Mullally in a Subaru Impreza WRC and Legend Fires Championship sponsor John Stone in his Hyundai Accent, who had won his class - were excluded from the results after refusing to submit to a mandatory fuel sample procedure required by the Motor Sports Association (governing body of British motorsport) at the finish of the rally. The situation caused the prize giving to be delayed, as did a huge number of  timing queries caused by the torrential rain throughout the day.

The fuel situation caused a lot of ill feeling by the competitors toward the MSA ruling, and the series Sponsor John Stone left the event expressing great anger, and indeed the Directors of his company issued a statement on Monday morning severing all connections with the two BTRDA Championships that Legend Fires were backing, as a result of the disqualifications and adverse publicity. A sad situation, but in defence of the governing body it has to be noted that the British policy - and indeed the championship Regulations - clearly specifies that normal "pump fuel" must be used by all competitors, although of course it was – finally – not the legality or otherwise of the fuel but the refusal by the competitors to allow such testing that caused the exclusions from the results.  As no judgement can be made on the fuel the excluded cars were carrying, as they declined to provide samples, objecting to the process in a variety of ways, the crews now face possible disciplinary action for the refusals, under MSA Regulations, rather than for any alleged fuel irregularity.

The event attracted both quality and quantity, almost one hundred rally crews tackling the fifteen planned stages over the notorious military roads above Sennybridge Army Camp, conditions of driving rain and high winds making the demanding rally doubly difficult. Stage fifteen - a long run over Epynt from east to west of some fifteen miles - was cancelled due to continually deteriorating conditions, the roads badly flooded, much to the relief of hard pressed Marshals, who had stuck to their posts throughout the day, and who were the real heroes of the day !

John and Caroline Price in the Metro 6R4 were - as expected - fast from the outset, looking purposeful over the slippery asphalt, and - as John himself said "Right on the pace" - before cruel luck ended their rally on stage seven, losing fourth place when a throttle slide broke. At the finish John and Caroline confirmed that they intended to do the whole MSA Asphalt championship, and were regretting that they had to wait until the middle of May before getting some more mileage in on the Manx Rally on the Isle of Man.

Others excluded were Llanelli expert Bob Fowden, losing a seventh place in his Subaru Impreza, Steve Hendy and Welsh co-driver Aled Davies who were formerly third in the new Hendy-Ford Focus WRC, making a debut with the new car. Aled will be partnering Hendy for the rest of the 2007 season, although their full participation in the MSA Asphalt series may now be in doubt following their exclusion. Steve had driven the Focus for the first time from Scrutineering to the Rally HQ Castle Hotel in Llandovery, and expressed his satisfaction with the Ford - a third place before that sorry exclusion was a measure of how well it went on a first outing, and plans are afoot to tackle the TAP Rally in Belgium.

Steve Simpson and Mark Booth in their Hyundai Accent WRC were declared winners after atrocious weather on the ranges forced the cancellation of  the final stage of the day.

Welshman Mark Solloway and Den Golding put in a storming drive in Marks self built Ford Escort RS1600 to take an impressive second place overall and a WAMC Classic Motorsports Championship class win, and Mark Worley/ Hamish Campbell took third and the PTMC Presidents Cups and class win with their Subaru Impreza.  Two more Welshmen – and Ford Escort drivers – Gareth James and Graham Hollis took fourth and fifth overall.

Port Talbot Motor Club had received their best entry for years for the rally and registrations for both the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship & BTRDA Asphalt Rally Series were very encouraging. The first car away from the start was the Subaru Impreza WRC of Epynt winner in 2004/5, Melvyn Evans co-driven by Sean Mullally. Behind them was the similar car of 2006 Asphalt Championship runners-up, Tony Davies and Patrick Walsh, and defending champions David Kynaston and Andy Russell with an Audi A3 Quattro. Nine of the top ten starters were setting out on the road to take the 2007 asphalt title, all capable of that feat.

Torrential rain and driving winds made the range roads treacherous right from the outset, with discretion being the better part of valour when it came to staying on the road. Davies and Walsh were fastest on the opener, from Evans and Mullally and John and Caroline Price in their MG Metro.

Evans and Mullally took fastest on the next stage, moving them into a lead they maintained for the rest of the day until the exclusions at the finish. Also affected were Steve Hendy and Aled Davies who had been having a fine run in their Ford Focus WRC, Class leaders John Stone and Lee Carter in the Legend Fires Hyundai Accent WRC , Rob Tout and Dan Holley in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9 who had been the dominant force in the N4 class, and leading BTRDA Asphalt Rally Series runner Geoff Tremblett,  whose Ford Escort RS was leading class B12.

On an event where out-and-out power was not necessarily an advantage, third overall, and second championship points scorers, were Mark Worley and Hamish Campbell in their Group N Subaru Impreza, while the Ford Escort RS of West Walian Graham Hollis was fifth..

Nick James improved on his top ten finish in 2006 by taking seventh in his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO8, one place ahead of Simon Mauger and Brian Cammack in a Ford Escort RS, whilst one of the ‘drives of the rally’ came from Richard Clews and Barry James, their 1600cc Mechatronics-sponsored Peugeot 106 finishing ninth overall.

Mark Jasper and Don Whyatt had a troubled day in their new Ford Escort WRC, eventually arriving back in Llandovery to take twelfth place, just four seconds in front of 2006 Clubman’s Cup winners Rob & Paula Alderman, in another Ford Escort RS.

The highest-placed BTRDA Asphalt Rally Series competitors were Adrian Spencer and Mark Hewitt whose Subaru Impreza was thirteenth.

With contenders for the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship and BTRDA  Asphalt Rally Series making up almost half of the total entry it was a great start to a championship year, marred by the fuel situation, but in terms of sheer competition skills it was a great day, special mention  made of 16-years old Chris Davies who was co-driving for his father Karl, in a Subaru Impreza. Carefully avoiding all the pitfalls that claimed so many, the pair completed the event in forty second  place and the young co-drivers efforts on his first event at this level were deservedly rewarded with the ‘John Price Rallying Star Drive’ silver salver.

West Walian crew Gareth James and Alan Jones took their Ford Escort Mk.2 to a superb fourth place overall and class second, collecting the PTMC John Price Achievement Awards for the magnificent drive, from a start in forty third place !  In the Fairfield Motorsport RallySport Cup Mark Worley/Hamish Campbell took top points in the Subaru Impreza, Graham Hollis/Gareth Short second, and Dave Pattison/Paul Whittaker third in their Mitsubishi Evo6.

Other local results included an impressive class win (by over 20 minutes !) for Pat Jerome and Mal Stuart, in a Vauxhall Corsa and making a still rapid “comeback” after about twenty five years in rally retirement,  tenth overall and class third for Geoff Kitney and Ken Gibbard (Mitsubishi Evo), a class third for Steve Griggs and Chris Crocker (Vauxhall Nova), a fourth in class for Emmanuele Borrelli and Mike Jenkins (Peugeot 106), a class tenth for Les Skeet and Theresa Fossey (Ford Escort),  a class sixth for Gwilym Owen and Simon Anthony (Talbot Sunbeam), and seventh in class for Brian Davies and Hu Kent (Toyota Corolla). Welsh drivers not so fortunate included Tony Davies, retiring his Subaru WRC on stage nine, Damian Cole out on stage two, his Hyundai WRC handling badly, Mark Morgan sliding his Mitsubishi Lancer off the road on stage one, Peter Lloyd retiring his Subaru on stage one, Tony Rees also out on that first stage with his Darrian T9, and Bryan Davies breaking a throttle on his Vauxhall on the ninth stage.