RALLYING returned to Sweet Lamb on Sunday as the Newtown and District Motor Club held the first running of the Select Security Services Rally Time Trial.
The event was held at Sweet Lamb near Llangurig, the world famous forestry stages and long time Wales Rally GB venue until organisers took the unpopular decision to move the Welsh rally to Northern Ireland in 2019.
Mark Lennox and Ian Beamond in action at Sweet Lamb. Picture by Bob Benyon.
While the UK round of the World Rally Championship has not taken place since at any venue, local crews were keen to return to the popular setting after more than two years of misery and frustration due to the pandemic and Welsh sporting lockdown restrictions.
A total of 37 competing crews from across mid Wales and the borders descended for an early start at the venue and were greeted with changeable weather conditions throughout the day.
Action from the Select Security Services Rally Time Trial at Sweet Lamb. Picture by Bob Benyon.
Six stages lay ahead of the crews with three stages run in the morning which was then turned around at the lunchtime halt for the remaining three stages,
At the lunchtime halt it was the Skoda R5 of Dylan Davies/Dorian Evans who held a two second advantage over Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke in their VW Polo R5.
Action from the Select Security Services Rally Time Trial at Sweet Lamb. Picture by Bob Benyon.
In the first stage after the break the leading crew broke a shaft in the stage and limped it back to service only to retire, which gave Pritchard/Clarke the lead and the overall win on the time trial.
The pair were using the event as a test ahead of the Nicky Grist stages which starts in Builth Wells next weekend.
Action from the Select Security Services Rally Time Trial at Sweet Lamb. Picture by Bob Benyon.
Meanwhile John Caine/Benjamin Caine of Knighton ended second in their Subaru Impreza with Neil Weaver/Rhodri Evans (Ludlow/Machynlleth) ninth in a Vauxhall Corsa.
Olly Hunt/Andy Falconer of Newtown completed the top 10 in a Subaru Impreza.
Action from the Select Security Services Rally Time Trial at Sweet Lamb. Picture by Bob Benyon.
Mark Lennox/Ian Beamond of Bishop’s Castle ended 15th in an Escort mk2 while Hywel Davies/Daniel Jones of Machynlleth ended 20th in an Escort mk2.
Further down the field saw Richard Bennett/John Tomley of Newtown end 25th in a Vauxhall Nova while Alun Jones and Ifan Devine of Newtown were 27th in a Mitsubishi evo4 and Chris Gittins/Chris Arnott of Newtown were 28th in a BMW Compact.
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