Mellors takes Proton Iriz R5 to impressive Woodpecker win

Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress secured a maiden national rally win for the Proton Iriz R5 since being Homologated by the FIA, taking victory by 20 seconds at last weekend’s Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally, a round of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series (31st August) in Ludlow, Shropshire.

Mellors was fastest on all but one of the event’s five stages in the Welsh Marches and Shropshire forests with the Radnor test often used by the FIA World Rally Championship qualifier Wales Rally GB. Victory for the Thornbridge Brewery backed Proton further cements it’s capabilities as a front running international specification R5 machine.

World Endurance Championship – Silverstone 4hrs

Toyota dominated a rain-hit opening round of the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship season at Silverstone, as Mike Conway / Jose Maria Lopez / Kamui Kobayashi took victory. They lead home the sister car shared by Sebastien Buemi / Kazuki Nakajima / Brendon Hartley by just under two seconds. The no.3 Rebellion of Loic Duval / Pipo Derani / Nathanael Berthon completed the podium despite picking up two penalties for technical infringements, although the Swiss squad did enjoy two spells in the lead. Victory in LMP2 and fifth overall went to newcomer outfit Cool Racing, whose Oreca 07 was shared by Nicolas Lapierre and Antonin Borga.