BTCC Season Launch

A first for us as we took the opportunity to visit the BTCC Season Launch at Donington Park. The morning was dedicated to static photo shoots for the drivers and teams, as they presented their 2018 charges to the media. Then in the afternoon the crews had their only officially test session ahead of the new season. With wet conditions to start and a drying track the crews had a really useful afternoons testing.

Rally North Wales

The 2018 Rally North Wales was the first event to run to the new Rally2 format and it proved a success. With the BHRC and 2WD running through the stages first it proved to be a battle between the Ford Escort MkII’s. On the first stage though Ieuan Rowlands & Emyr Hall were fastest in the Avenger but retirement on stage 2 saw the normal Escort MkII order restored with Nick Elliott taking over the lead, despite Ryan Barrett going fastest through stage 2. Elliott, co-driven by Dave Price, was then fastest on stage 3 to take a 13 second lead in to service. Osian Pryce & Dale Furniss were up to 2nd ahead of Ryan Barrett & Paul McCann as he got to grips with RWD machinery.

British Rallycross – Round 1, Silverstone

The first rallycross event at Silverstone saw three World RX drivers come and sample the track ahead of the May World RX meeting. Come the final and it was no surprise they filled the podium places but it was how commanding Sébastien Loeb’s victory was. Andreas Bakkerud (S1 WRX) looked unstoppable in qualifying but come the semi’s and then the final he came unstuck against the Peugeot 208 WRX drivers as behind the leader Loeb Timmy Hansen played the joker lap strategy perfectly to take 2nd place. Behind these Julian Godfrey (Mirage RX) was the top British championship crew.

Tour of Epynt

The asphalt rally championship returned with a bang at Epynt, with a quality entry tackling the military ranges for the opening round of the revamped championship. After the first pair of stages Damian Cole & Jamie Edwards (Fiesta WRC) could not be separated from Melvyn Evans & Mark Glennerster (Impreza WRC). Close behind were 2017 Tour of Epynt winners Bob Fowden & Aled Davies (Imprzea WRC), just 4 seconds back. The next pait of stages saw Evans take 11 seconds out of Cole, with Fowden drifting a second further back. Evans then took a further 15 seconds out of Cole on stage 5 whilst Fowden retired after getting his car beached.