By Paul Evans

Meirion Evans got his 2020 Irish Tarmac Championship campaign off to an excellent start with a solid fourth place finish on the opening round of the series, the Galway International Rally.

Having driven both a Škoda Fabia R5 and Hyundai i20 R5 in 2019, this was the Lampeter driver’s first event in a new Volkswagen Polo R5 – which, like the cars before it, is run by the family’s hugely successful Llanwrda-based rally preparations business, Melvyn Evans Motorsport.

Co-driven by Colwyn Bay-born Jonathan Jackson, Evans looked immediately at home in the Polo R5 and was quick out of the blocks in the wet and extremely slippery conditions, setting third fastest time on the opening stage. A loss of power at the start on SS2 cost him over 20 seconds, but he pressed on and set his first fastest time in the car on SS7.

In the end a near faultless performance was enough for a solid fourth overall and a strong points scoring finish ahead of round two, the West Cork Rally, next month.

Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble won the Galway Rally in another Polo R5.

“Job done in Galway,” said Evans. “Typical Galway weather and conditions stayed with us all day, but we’re very pleased to take fourth overall on the opening round, mixing times with the top three all day and sneaking a stage win on stage seven on our first day in the car.

“It’s been a really positive day and it shows how far we’ve come in the last twelve months.

“Thanks to JJ, all the boys, The Scan Station and Michelin, whose tyres worked brilliantly all day.”