Jason Pritchard from Builth Wells together with co-driver Phil Clarke driving the North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC made the perfect start to the defence of their UK Asphalt Rally Championship by dominating last weekend’s Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt Rally.

Based in Llandovery but with all of the 70 competitive miles taking place on the closed roads of the Epynt military ranges – 72 crews started the Port Talbot Motor Club organised event that formed the opening round of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.

It’s often said that you can experience all four seasons during a single day on Epynt, this was certainly the case last Sunday.

The forecast was for sunshine, showers, sleet (on high ground) plus an amber warning for high winds was also in place for the area – in short, it was a typical welcome to Epynt.

Hoping to add UK Asphalt title number seven to his collection was multiple champion Damian Cole from Abergavenny, on this occasion electing to wheel out his older Focus WRC as opposed to the Fiesta WRC he normally campaigns. 

In addition to the local favourites a host of other top clubman drivers from all corners of the UK were eager to displace the two Ford Focus drivers for the event spoils.

Also hoping to dislodge the more fancied runners was Craig Jones from Brecon and co-driver Shaun Layland driving their CMJ Motors Mitsubushi EVO 9. Craig became familiar with Epynt in recent years competing in the smaller grass roots event at the venue - this experience paid dividends as the Brecon Motor Club member set the time sheets alight on the opening stage by recording fifth fastest time - this against more powerful and technically more advanced machinery.

On the following stages Craig maintained this pace and the Mitsubushi pilot ran fourth before slipping to a highly commendable sixth at the finish and class 6 victory.

Meanwhile brother Josh was making his Epynt debut in a Peugeot 205 and delivered a fine result in challenging driving conditions, finishing inside the top 30. Jonathan Davies from Cathedine had a fraught day in his immaculate Darrian T9 retiring after collision damage sustained after hitting a sheep – an unfortunate additional hazard at the venue.

After taking time to adjust to the Focus on the opening stage Pritchard admitted to being a little rusty but then he and Phil Clarke took the lead of the event on SS2 and never looked back.

On each stage thereafter they stretched their advantage – their 2 minute 13 second victory margin doesn’t accurately reflect the big battle they had with Damian Cole in his similar Focus WRC05.

The Get Connected/Energizer-backed driver led after SS1, and it was only two poor tyre choices on two of the longest stages that prevented Cole pressurising Pritchard more for the win, Cole lost 14 seconds on SS4 when the wintry conditions in the service area at the Quarry could not have been more different to the dry and sunny conditions some six miles away on the other side of the ranges.

Results:

1 Jason Tauber Pritchard/Phil Clarke FORD Focus WRC 58:59

2 Damian Cole/Shelley Rogerson FORD Focus WRC 1:01:12

3 Sebastian Ling/Aled Rees Citreon DS3 R5 1:01:15

4 John Stone/Jack MortonFord Fiesta WRC 1:03:05

5 Alan Kirkaldy/Cameron Fair Ford Fiesta R5 1:03:19

6 Craig Jones/Shaun Layland Mitsubishi EVO 9 1:03:22