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Lewis and Hunter Contracting Cambrian Rally 2009
On Saturday 17th October, North Wales Car Club organised the Cambrian Rally. Sponsored this year by Lewis and Hunter contractors, the Cambrian Rally consisted of 45 miles of competitive action in the challenging North Wales forests of Clocaenog and Penmachno.
Last year Hugh Hunter, this year’s event sponsor, took first place honours in his Ford Focus WRC car.
This year North Wales Car Club welcomed back Mikko Hirvonen along with other works WRC teams as they took the opportunity to use the Cambrian rally for a shake down for the Wales Rally GB, which followed 5 days later.
Ludlow Castle Motor Club member Andrew Sankey co drove for Icelandic Rally Champion Daniel Sigourdarson on the Cambrian Rally and will be contesting the Wales Rally GB with him as well.
Now in its 54th year, the Cambrian was the last of the qualifying rounds of the BTRDA (British Trail Drivers Association) Silverstone Tyres Rally Series. The Cambrian, along with last month’s Woodpecker Rally, are recognised as two of the best rallies in the UK. This was confirmed in 2008 when the Cambrian rally was crowned 'Best Event' by both the BTRDA and ANWCC.
Competing along with the WRC stars were a number of LCMC members which included Michael Wilding, Alex Allingham, Gary Scott, Neil Weaver, Bob Morgan and Adrian Allen.
With the appearance of the WRC stars, spectators lined the Llandudno town start, as well as the forest stages.
It was a cold but bright morning with some ground frost in places, which due to the smoothness of the stages made them quite slippery for the first run through Clocaenog East.
First LCMC members through this stage were Gary Scott and Neil Weaver in the GRS Weaver Motorsport Vauxhall Corsa. Half way into the stage they experienced drive problems and retired with a broken drive shaft.
Daniel Sigourdarson / Andrew Sankey in the Mitsubishi EVO 10 had a steady first stage, lying in thirteenth place going into stage two. This was not a good stage as they hit a boulder lying in the middle of the road; this was thrown there by one of the front running cars clipping the apex of the corner. It slid off one of the under body guards on Sigourdarson’s car damaging the rear suspension.
Due to this they had handling problems all day, but a lesson was learnt and adjustments to the rear guards would be made for the Rally GB.
Sigourdarson / Sankey lost time as well on stage five with a puncture which cost them four minutes. The wheel was changed and they finished the stage. Without pushing too hard throughout the day they managed to finish in 32nd place.
Alex Allingham took it steady on SS1 but managed to beat both his rivals Pearcy and Naughton as due to their exuberance they both spun/overshot, giving him a small early advantage.
He clipped a small bank on SS2 resulting in a softening tyre which went flat by the end of the stage, but no time was lost. On SS3 he pushed very hard, but an 80mph excursion into the trees led to a battered quarter panel, bent wheel, no rear lamp, damaged bumper and a broken drop link. At service, the drop link was sorted and 2 new front tyres fitted. Alex went into the stage a second in front of Pearcy and a fair gap in front of Naughton. He pushed throughout the stage, but was careful not to overdrive the car and came out on top to take GpN honours, an excellent result.
Cyril Crook and Michael Wilding in the rear wheel drive Vauxhall Astra had a small half spin in the first part of the last stage due to the braking point into a left-hand bend being very slippery. They lost 30 seconds but finished the event 67th overall 4th in class.
Fellow LCMC member Adrian Allen brought his Opel Manta home in 59th place and 5th in class, with Bob Morgan finishing 20th and 5th in class, in his Subaru.
Overall winner of the event was Mads Ostberg in the new shape Subaru Impreza, 1min 52 seconds ahead of last year’s winner and event sponsor Hugh Hunter (Focus WRC)
Report by Russell Kenhard and Keith Gluyas
Photos by Russell Kenhard (kentonphotografix)
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