Tom Cave produced a faultless drive to win the third round of the British Rally Championship – the Pirelli International Rally.
Along with co-driver Dale Bowen, the Welsh pairing marched to a 17.6 second victory in their Michelin-shod Hyundai i20 R5 on the third round of the series and for Cave he made it two wins on the bounce in Britain’s premier rallying series.
Wales’ reigning Champion Matt Edwards and co-driver Patrick Walsh started at car one after their 2018 success.
The duo struggled with road sweeping duties early on, but despite that – diced for the overall win.
But on stage three the M-Sport driver from Llandudno suffered two punctures on the rough, demanding stages. Struggling on, the duo attempted to nurse the car on the road section back to service but in the process were in breach of the regulations and thus were struck from the overall results.
That has given Cave a lead of seven points over his fellow Welshman in the drivers’ standings.
“It’s a nice feeling to get two on the bounce,” said the 27-year-old from Aberdovey. “We had a good morning loop and that set the tone for the rest of the day and I managed the gap this afternoon.
“It’s great to have scored two wins on the bounce, especially one on asphalt and one on gravel. I haven’t won the Pirelli International Rally before, so I’m pleased to have laid that spectre to rest. Things really went according to plan and, after taking the lead on stage two, it was a case of managing the gap for the rest of the day.
“The car ran faultlessly throughout the event and I have to thank the PCRS team for all their hard work. This result is testimony to their efforts. Also helping us achieve what we did today were the Michelin tyres that worked extremely well in the ever-changing weather and surface conditions.
“I’m also pleased for Dale too, as this was his very first outright rally win and I have to thank him for doing such a fantastic job not only in the car, but during the lead up to the rally as well.
“It’s great to now lead the championship with three rallies done and three more to go. The race for the title is now well and truly on!
“Heading to Ypres, we are really in the championship fight and I really want to take this momentum into the next round and push on for another win.”
WRC2 star Rhys Yates made an impressive return to the series to clinch second in his Skoda Fabia R5, while 2011 BRC champion David Bogie in another Fabia R5 produced a spirited drive to seal the final spot on an all-star podium.
The Pirelli International Rally got underway at the impressive Pirelli factory just outside Carlisle where the British Rally Championship runners were flagged away at a vibrant family fun day.
Sixty miles of fast and furious action through the iconic Kielder forest followed, with the champagne being sprayed in nearby Brampton town centre for those who conquered the demanding gravel stages. Joining the BRC regulars was Hyundai factory driver Jari Huttunen, who provided high-speed competition in his Hyundai i20 R5.
Huttunen was quickest out of the blocks on the opening stage, but it was Hyundai team mate Tom Cave who would go quickest on the second test.
Cave debuted the i20 R5 on the Cumbrian event in 2017, but had to retire with mechanical failure. There were no such problems this time round as the West Cork winner continued to flex his muscles as he galloped away to a 17.6 second victory to claim maximum points for a second consecutive event to lead the overall drivers’ standings.
