By Paul Evans
“I’m never going to hear the end of this,” joked Melvyn Evans, although there was only pride in his voice as he recalled being beaten, fairly and squarely, by his son Meirion on the Carryduff Folklift Down Rally in Northern Ireland.
Evans junior celebrated his 23rd birthday with a faultless drive in The Scan Station-backed Ford Fiesta R5, as the Lampeter driver mastered the big jumps and twists of the County Down roads to finish a magnificent fifth overall. Co-driven by Jonathan Jackson, Evans was only beaten by three local drivers and a more powerful Mini World Rally Car.
“I think it’s fair to say that we’ve waited a long time for that one,” said Evans. “It’s been an awesome day on the Down Rally, finishing fifth overall and third R5 car. Thanks to everyone who made it happen and still believe in us! It’s nice to finally deliver a result that we always knew we were capable of, on only my second event in an R5 car.”
Melvyn Evans also recorded an excellent result, with ninth overall in a Ford Fiesta WRC that he’d never even driven before the 62 stage mile event started. Both Evans cars come out of the highly successful Llanwrda-based Melvyn Evans Motorsport stables, but the Fiesta WRC is normally driven by former Welsh Rally Champion Luke Francis on forestry rallies, and was only converted to asphalt spec after it had finished second on the previous weekend’s Nicky Grist Stages. That gave Evans senior no time to test it, and he found it a lot different to drive than the Subaru Impreza WRC he’s more accustomed to. He lost time with a bad vibration, but once a warped rear brake disc was replaced, he and co-driver Mark Glennerster flew over the closing stages to secure a top 10 finish.
Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke contested the event in their Manx National winning North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC and were aiming to regain the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship lead, but it wasn’t to be their event. Locking brakes contributed to a spin into a bank on SS4, which damaged the rear bumper and spoiler. The Builth Wells driver then temporarily blocked the road after another spin on the second loop of stages, which removed the front bumper, while a rear puncture detached a bit more of the rear bodywork. Much time had been lost and Pritchard was relieved to finish 18th, and more importantly fourth in the Asphalt Championship standings, to net some good points and keep his title aspirations very much alive.
Tywyn-based navigator Max Freeman remains at the top of the Asphalt Championship Co-Drivers’ points table. It wasn’t all plain sailing, as he and driver Wayne Sisson took out a fence on SS8 in their AMS Arnside Motorsport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, reaching the end of the stage with a long wooden fence post inside the engine bay. They eventually came home 16th overall, and collected third placed Asphalt Championship points.
Llandudno’s Matt Edwards, who leads both the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship and Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series as a driver, swapped seats and contested his first Tarmac rally as a navigator. He and driver Richard Clews were going well, until their ITG Air Filters Subaru Impreza stopped with overheating problems.