ELFYN Evans and co-driver Craig Parry took a convincing win on the Nicky Grist Stages last weekend.

World Champion Evans made it three wins from five and his second ‘home’ victory in Wales this season. Fellow Welshman Tom Cave equalled his season best with a fine second while Irishman Desi Henry completed the podium after a tough two-day encounter.?Based in Builth Wells, the Nicky Grist Stages is a unique event on the BRC calendar with the two days split into two surfaces.

Heavy rain and hill fog greeted the competitors on the opening day with crews slipping and sliding through 45 miles of forestry gravel stages before tackling the famous Tarmac on the Epynt Ranges on the second day.

It wasn’t just the crews inside the car who were tested this weekend as the service teams had just two-and-a-half-hours on Saturday evening to convert the cars from mud-slinging monsters into Tarmac-hugging weapons.?

Series leader Evans had a difficult start to the event, as the Ford Fiesta R5 driver was not to have it all his own way, with a spin on the opening stage and pop-off valve problems on the second.

Undeterred by these early issues, the Welshman swiftly got back into his dominating stride, topping the time sheets on 12 of the event’s 15 stages to finish with a healthy 1 minute 11.4 second margin as the cars returned to Builth Wells for the ceremonial finish.

It was to be fellow countryman Cave in his Michelin-shod Ford Fiesta R5 who drew first blood, however, setting the fastest time on the opening stage of the rally. Cave would lead the event until an inspired Evans snatched the advantage on the third stage.

Thereafter Cave couldn’t live with Evans’ pace but showed his own improvement in speed by recording another second place and his third podium of the year ­– a result that has helped him to leap-frog Swedish driver Fredrik Ahlin into second place in the championship points standings with two rounds remaining on the calendar. Ahlin missed out on a points haul after retiring on the opening day after hitting a log pile in Halfway Forest.

Henry picked-up from where he left off in Scotland with another fine third position in his Skoda Fabia R5. The Northern Ireland driver started off cautiously but gathered pace as he flew through the gravel stages. It wasn’t to be plain sailing for the likeable Irishman, though, as he took a big cut on the opening day nearly sending the Skoda onto its roof.

With the Fabia safely back on all four wheels, Desi pressed on – more so when the competition switched to his preferred sealed-surface. Eager to hold station, Henry chalked up a fastest time on stage 12, showing his asphalt form which, in turn, elevated him up the championship points table at the end of the Mid Wales event.

Scottish star David Bogie had a disappointing run of bad luck with two retirements since his podium on the Circuit of Ireland. The Dumfries-based driver suffered turbo issues on the final day but was pleased to score points once again with fourth overall.

Circuit of Ireland winner Josh Moffett moved through the order on the Epynt Ranges to place his Fiesta R5 in fifth while rounding out the top six in his Citroen DS3 R5 was Ulsterman Jonathan Greer. Local Epynt expert Damian Cole had a troublesome rally in his Fiesta Super 2000.