Turner Takes Rally Prize At Pembrey

By Paul Evans

Phil Turner won the Carmarthen Motor Club organised West Wales Rally Spares JAFFA Stages in impressive style at an extremely wet Welsh Motorsports Centre at Pembrey on Saturday.

Co-driven by Simon Anthony, the 59-year old from the village of Craig Cefn Parc put all his rally experience to good use to master the tricky five Tarmac stages in his T.C.S. Plant Hire Group A Mitsubishi Evo 9 to win by 18 seconds.

“It’s been a excellent day, with no problems whatsoever,” said Turner. “We’ve been playing around a little bit with the car’s suspension set-up and just concentrating on not doing nothing stupid behind the wheel. The plan’s worked out well and I’ve really enjoyed the event.”

Jamie Jukes led initially in the Spencer Sport-run Mitsubishi Mirage R5, but dropped to second after losing time when a turbo pipe came loose on SS3. A spin onto the wet grass on the following stage ended any chance of a comeback – but it was a remarkable performance on Jukes’ first rally since breaking his neck in a crash on the Isle of Man 15 weeks ago.

Three Subaru Imprezas rounded off the top five, with Jim Munden claiming the final podium spot, ahead of fourth-placed Steve Knibbs and Ceri Davies in fifth. A remarkable drive in the slippery conditions rewarded Philip Lloyd with the top two-wheel drive award and sixth overall in his Escort Mk2.

Paul Fowden was hotly tipped to challenge for victory, but retired when his Subaru S11 WRC broke a propshaft leaving the start line of SS2.

Six time MSA Asphalt Rally Champion Damian Cole went off after hitting some bumps on the Beach Road and parked his Get Connected Escort Mk2 in a barbed-wire fence, while Thomas Cooper’s hopes of back-to-back wins ended after several spins and gear linkage issues with his Group N Mitsubishi Evo 8.

On his first ever rally at Pembrey, and his first rally for four months, BRC star Osian Pryce was out for a bit of fun in his Ford Fiesta R2. It didn’t start too well, after a driveshaft broke on the opening stage, but he was allowed to continue and entertained the large crowd who had come to enjoy the final Welsh rally of 2017.