MAS Asphalt Rally Championship Preview: The Mewla Rally

To a certain extent, the eventual outcome could rest on how others fare on the day but it was as Cole brought his Ford Focus WRC back to the finish of the last year’s Mewla at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells that he was declared 2010 REIS Asphalt Champion.

While Cole leads the drivers’ table, co-driver James Morgan, who missed the opening round of the season, trails Brian Cammack in this category and will be quietly hoping something untoward happens to Simon Mauger’s Ford Escort MkII that will allow him to overhaul his main rival!

Behind Cole/Morgan, Peter Lloyd rejoins the Championship in his Subaru Impreza WRC. As we haven’t seen him since the last visit to Epynt back in March, Lloyd is not in contention for the Championship but he is a past winner on the Ranges and could still upset the apple-cart on the day.

2007 MSA Asphalt Champion Steve Simpson is definitely having ‘one of those seasons’ with his Impreza WRC. He and Patrick Walsh have retired from no less than four of the six rounds so far but, on paper, are still in with a shout of the title.

Whatever happens, Simpson’s speed over Epynt is without question and, having won the Tour of Epynt, could well put in a repeat performance this time.

Then Mauger/Cammack, who clinched the overall Millington Escort Challenge title on the recent Tyneside Stages, have Cole in their sights. Ten points is the current difference and, with 25 available for a win on the Mewla, any problems in either camp could considerably change the face of the leaderboard as the season moves towards its conclusion.

David Kynaston/Andy Russell return in an attempt to break the jinx that has seen their Audi A3 Quattro, which took them to the 2006 & 2008 MSA Asphalt titles, retire from virtually every Championship round it has entered since the start of last year. They will have mixed emotions about the Mewla – they won it in 2006 but, three years previously, suffered a high-speed accident that left the driver with a broken bone in his neck!

Apart from a no-show on the ALMC Stages after their Darrian T90 GTR was damaged on Rally of the Midlands, John Indri/Dave Engwell have become a regular – and very welcome – part of the REIS Championship this year. Their banter, especially with fellow two-wheel drive crew Mauger/Cammack, is proving to be a popular ‘side-show’ but, at the same time, there is no doubting that the ‘Essex boys’ are ultra-competitive and it would be a fool who ignored their potential to spring a surprise, especially if the rain keeps away.

Rounding off the Top Ten are Graham Coffey/David Gamblin in their Subaru Impreza WRC, with Epynt ‘veteran’ Bob Fowden and Jason Sugden right behind them in their example. A tidy run on the Tyneside Stages for David Hardie/John McCulloch (Impreza) brought to an end a run of retirements, while such a luxury has yet to favour John Stone. After his Skoda Fabia WRC’s engine vented itself on Rally of the Midlands, the early Championship leader, both this year and last, was forced to sit out the trip to Dublin in July for the ALMC Stages. Then, hiring a car for the Tyneside Stages did nothing to change his fortune as an ‘early bath’ ensued and, while John’s name appears on the Mewla entry, he has yet to nominate a vehicle.

No less than 35 REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship registered contenders have entered the Mewla and they continue with :

• 21 Adrian Spencer/Mark Hewitt Subaru Impreza
• 24 Graham Hollis/Alan Jones Ford Escort MkII MEC
• 25 Darren Underwood/Sue Underwood Vauxhall Nova
• 27 Michael Glendinning/Nicola Fearnley Subaru Impreza
• 28 Andy Davison/Mike Curry BMW M3
• 30 Julian Wilkes/Andy Ballantyne Vauxhall Nova
• 33 Pete Rayner/Den Golding Ford Escort MkII MEC
• 35 Richard Clews/Barry James Subaru Impreza
• 38 Philip Turner/Simon Anthony Subaru Impreza
• 40 Myf Owen/Baz Green Mitsubishi Lancer EVO7
• 42 Neal Arden/Giles Corbett Subaru Impreza
• 44 Phil Sprason/Andy Boswell Ford Escort MkI MEC
• 45 Chris Lloyd/TBA Ford Escort MkII MEC
• 54 Kev Monaghan/Chris Purvis Vauxhall Corsa
• 58 Dave Allmark/Leigh Woodington Ford Escort MkII MEC
• 62 Craig Jose/Nigel Hewett Peugeot 205
• 63 Paul Clapham/Kenny Owen Peugeot 106
• 64 Geoff Glover/Bob Brown Vauxhall Astra RWD
• 65 Tim Daltry/Emma Morrison Peugeot 205 GTI
• 71 Richard Felgate/Mark Mason BMW 325i
• 72 Rod Bennett/Henry Richardson Fiat Punto S1600
• 78 Ian Copping/Dave Rowley Ford Fiesta RWD
• 88 Kevin Harbour/Dave Tortoishell Peugeot 205
• 91 Stuart Spyer/Pete Williams Vauxhall Corsa
• 92 George Cooke/David Millard Citroen Saxo VTS

* MEC = Millington Escort Challenge contender

The first car leaves the start of the Eventsigns Mewla Rally on the Epynt Ranges at 8.00am on Sunday 28th August and 170 miles later, eighty of which will be contained in special stages, the first car is due back at the finish at the Showground at 5.00pm that afternoon.

Watch the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship on Motors TV


Andrew Haill