… Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, Fri/Sun 27-29 October 2017 …
There’s quite a bit of Scottish interest in Britain’s World Rally Championship counter next week and the full entry list for the National event is shown below. The trouble is, our lot have a helluva record to maintain. Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton won it in 2013, then Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy in 2014 and 2015, and last year Bruce McCombie and Michael Coutts repeated Scottish success on the National. That means the English and Welsh, and maybe even some of the Northern Irish contingent, will be ganging up on us next week.
Roger Duckworth, Tom Preston and Dylan Davies will head the charge while Andy Davies showed potential on last weekend’s Mull Time Trial, but top seed Bruce McCombie will have some backing this year from John Wink, Simon Hay and Alasdair Graham, all capable of doing the business.
This year’s National is much shorter with just 60 stage miles spread over two days! It’s going to be more of a sprint than a marathon, so that means up an’ at’em from the off.
Meanwhile up the posh end of the entry list all eyes will be on Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle, although Craig Breen and Scott Martin will be on home soil too. Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt are up for the fight as well, but domestic interest will centre on David Bogie and Kevin Rae, Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton while this event also marks the return of John MacCrone with Rhianon Gelsomino. Further down the entry list, in a Vauxhall Adam of all things, are Jim McRae and Pauline Gullick. Jim’s experience of front wheel drive is rather limited, but I’m sure he’ll make the most of its 187bhp. May we wish them all well and every success on the event.
One other crew to cheer on will comprise Matthew Wilson and Stuart ‘The Biscuit Engineer’ Loudon who will be in the Tunnock’s liveried Ford Fiesta R5, so they’ll provide a good match/target for the rest of our lot.
Timetable:
Friday 27 October – Scrutineering, Deeside Service Park
Saturday 28 Oct
10.00 Hrs – Rally Start, Deeside Service Park
11.00 Hrs – Cholmondeley Castle – 1.12 mls
12.45 Hrs – Aberhirnant – 8.64 mls
13.37 Hrs – Dyfnant – 11.13 mls
14.49 Hrs – Gartheiniog – 7.83 mls
15.18 Hrs – Dyfi – 16.07 mls
18.12 Hrs – Finish at Deeside
Sunday 29 October
10.15 Hrs – Rally Re-start, Deeside
12.08 Hrs – Gwydir – 4.65 mls
13.11 Hrs – Alwen – 6.47 mls
14.15 Hrs – Brenig – 4.00 mls
15.32 Hrs – Rally Finish, Llandudno
Total Stages – 8
Total Stage miles – 59.91
Entry List:
200, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) B4
201, Roger Duckworth/?? (Subaru Impreza Wrc S6) B4
202, Thomas Preston/?? (Škoda Fabia R5) B4
203, Dylan Davies/Llion Williams (Subaru Impreza) B4
204, John Wink/John Forrest (Hyundai i20 R5) B4
205, Andy Davies/Max Freeman (Subaru Impreza) B4
206, Simon Hay/Calum Jaffray (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI) B4
207, Barry Jordan/James Gratton-Smith (Citroën DS3 R5) B4
208, Keith Parry/Eyl Evans (Subaru Impreza) B4
209, Alasdair Graham/Laura Stuart (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) B4
210, Richard Barrow/Andrew Richards (Subaru Impreza) B4
211, Ieuan Rowlands/ Emyr Hall (Ford Escort Mk2) B4
212, Shawn Rayner/Declan Dear (Ford Escort Mk2) H3
213, John Rowlands/Glenn Latham (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
214, Neville Jones/Christopher Davies (Subaru Impreza) B4
215, Ashley Davies/Sam Fordham (Ford Escort Mk2) B4
216, Vivian Hamill/?? (Ford Escort Mk2) B4
217, Richard Sykes/Simon Taylor (Citroën DS3 R3T) B4
218, Darren Martin/Martin Steele (Subaru Impreza) B4
219, David Ross/Kyle MacKintosh (DAM 4100) B4
220, Charlie Jackson/Martin McGarrity (Ford Fiesta) B3
221, Daniel Owen/Thomas Driesen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII) B4
222, Ellya Gold/Jean Hay (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI) B4
223, Craig Jones/Jonathan Hawkins (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV) B4
224, Joe Evett/Rob Gilham (MG ZR) B1
225, Carl Tuer/Robin Tuer (MG ZR) B2
226, Gordon Murray/David O’Brien (Ford Escort Mk2) H3
227, Alasdair Currie/Steven Brown (Ford Fiesta R2) B2
228, Rob Aslett/Ashley Aslett (Subaru Impreza) B4
229, Hywell Davies/Clive Jones (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
230, Christopher Daykin/Michael Weeks (Subaru Impreza) B4
231, Alan Desbois/Peter Littlefield (Peugeot 306 RWD) B2
232, Richard Warne/Chris Deal (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
233, Dave Lewis/Brian Stubbs (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
234, Zak Hughes/?? (Suzuki Swift) B2
235, Max Redpath/Callum Redpath (Peugeot 205 GTI) B2
236, Chris Woodhouse/Alan Gilbert (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
237, Robert Smith/Frankie Hillman (Ford Escort Mk2) B2
238, Robert Bradley/Kevin Booth (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
239, Rikki Profitt/David Alcock (Datsun 240Z) H2
240, Michael Robertson/Gary McDonald (Subaru Impreza) B4
241, Alun Horn/Ian Beamond (Subaru Impreza) B4
242, Robin Williams/Iwan Griffith (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII) B4
243, Frazer Martin/Ian Jones (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI) B4
244, Richard Phillipson/Stefan Arndt (Honda Civic) B2
245, Steve Deeley/Alan Proudman (Peugeot 205 GTI) B2
246, Gareth Deezley/James Duffin (Honda Civic) B2
247, Seb Perez/Steve Smith (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
248, Andrew Roelands/Simon Rogers (Peugeot 205 GTI) B3
249, Josh Taylor/Heather Merrison (Subaru Impreza) B4
250, Glynne Jones/Daniel May (Ford Fiesta R200) B2
251, Geoff Goudie/Murray Strachan (Subaru Impreza) B4
252, Stephen Benton/Peter Thomas (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
253, Jonathan Hodgson/Gary Baker (Suzuki Swift) B2
254, Martin Thayne/James Phillips (Suzuki Swift) B2
255, Gary Wright/Chris Pattison (MG ZR) B1
256, Andrew Darlington/Carl Lumb (Peugeot 206 Gti) B3
257, Brynmor Pierce/Alan Jones (Subaru Impreza) B4
258, Tony Cawthorne/Dave Andrew (Peugeot 205 GTI) B2
259, Robert Beales/Mike Leflay (Volkswagen Oettinger GT) K1
260, Callum Jones/Tom Hughes (MG ZR) B1
261, Robert Morris/Dilwyn John (Subaru Impreza) B4
262, Ian Newton/Ian Jones (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
263, Tony Ginns/Ben Giles (Ford Escort MkI) H2
264, Iwan Evans/Sion Williams (Subaru Impreza) B4
265, Kevin Jarvis/?? (Ford Sierra Cosworth) B4
266, Mei Lloyd/James Curtis (Ford Escort Mk2) B3
267, Neil Andrew/Dominic Adams (Ford Escort Mk2) B4
268, Gordon Alexander/Ian Clark (Vauxhall Nova) B2
269, Mark Goodwin/Louis Goodwin (Vauxhall Chevette) B3
270, Ken Davies/Alan Jones (Volvo Amazon) H1
271, Brian Ferreday/Jordan Joines (Volkswagen Beetle) H1
272, Arthur Orme/?? (TBC) TBC
273, Ian Linford/Bart Lang (Land Rover Freelander) B3
274, Richard Roberts/Richard Blears (Land Rover Freelander) B3
275, Ben de Ronde/Scott Quinn (Land Rover Wolf XD) B4
276, Chris McCarthy/Steve Partridge (Land Rover Wolf XD) B4
277, Tyrone Westall/Rob Barr (Land Rover Wolf XD) B4
278, Alan Paramore/James Sunderland (Land Rover Wolf XD) B4
279, Gari Hazelby/Alice Bancroft (Land Rover Wolf XD) B4
280, John Gage/?? (Land Rover Wolf XD) B4
No of Entries: 81
NOTE: I think I’ve highlighted all our lot – sincere apologies if I’ve missed anyone!