By Paul Evans
Damian Cole put his recent run of bad luck behind him by winning a very wet, windy and slippery SGC Printing Harry Flatters Rally.
Co-driven by Craig Drew, the Abergavenney driver led from start to finish in his Get Connected Ford Fiesta WRC to win the 11 stage event by 21 seconds.
This was Cole’s fifth consecutive victory on the Harry Flatters, giving him a record seven event wins in total. It also secured him his seventh King of Epynt Challenge title and his 20th rally victory on Epynt – having scored his first win there in 2003.
Alex Laffey/Patrick Walsh came home second in their Fiesta R5, while the 2014 Welsh Tarmac Rally Champion Rob Tout (co-driven by Peredur Wyn Davies) finished third in the National B category in his Mitsubishi Evo.
As well as being a round of the JD Tyres Welsh National Tarmacadam Championship, the Brecon MC-organised event was also a round of the British and Welsh Historic Rally Championships, meaning that a large number of Escorts and Avengers (not to mention the odd Chevette, Cortina, Sunbeam and TR7) were also blasting around the famous military range. This National A Rally category was won by asphalt experts Gareth James/Steffan Evans in an Escort Mk2 – who would have finished an incredible third overall, despite the atrocious conditions favouring the four-wheel drive cars.
On his first Tarmac rally in a rear-wheel drive car, Osian Pryce/Dale Furniss finished second in a RallyXtreme Escort BDG, while Neil Williams/Peter James were third in another Mk2.
One of the favourites for victory, Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke, retired with transmission problems in their North Road Garage Fiesta S2000. Gearbox problems side-lined both Richard Merriman/Kath Curzon (Darrian T90) and Phil Turner/Simon Anthony (Mitsubishi Evo), Huw Reed/Anthony Hackett retired their Darrian T90 GTR when the wiper linkage broke, Tim Hill/Paul Spooner stopped on the opening stage when the ECU in their Fiesta packed in and Jonathan Davies/Wayne Jones blew the engine of their Peugeot 206.
Harry Flatters National A Rally – top six finishers
1. Gareth James/Steffan Evans (Escort Mk2)….60mins 43secs
2. Osian Pryce/Dale Furniss (Escort Mk2)….61mins 07secs
3. Neil Williams/Peter James (Escort Mk2)….62mins 25secs
4. Barry Jones/Jade Philips (Escort Mk1)….62mins 40secs
5. Paul Barrett/Dai Roberts (Escort Mk2)….62mins 49secs
6. Dewi Bowen/David Owen (Escort Mk2)….64mins 43secs
Harry Flatters National B Rally – top six finishers
1. Damian Cole/Craig Drew (Ford Fiesta WRC)….59mins 36secs
2. Alex Laffey/Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta R5)….59mins 57secs
3. Rob Tout/Peredur Wyn Davies (Mitsubishi Evo)….61mins 14secs
4. Tony Rees/Geraint Thomas (Darrian GTR)….63mins 49secs
5. Marcus Padgett/Rhys Stoneman (Nissan Micra Kit Car)….64mins 38secs
6. David Morgan/Richard Suter (Darrian T90 GTR)….65mins 37secs