Rally Archive
Harry Flatters Rally
Sponsored by Stephens & George Printing
Brecon Motor Club
29th July 2012
Clerk of the Course: James Chappelle
Stages: 11 Stages (85 Stage Miles)
Location: Epynt Ranges
Starters: Nat A: 33, Nat B: 63
HARRY FLATTERS NAT A HISTORIC RALLY
Category 1 Results
Category 2 Results
Category 3 Results
HARRY FLATTERS NAT B RALLY
Damian Cole/James Morgan took their Ford Focus WRC to a dominant win on the Harry Flatters National B Rally, taking fastest time on all but one of the day’s stages and leading from Stage One to the Finish.
Cole/James started the day by taking two seconds off 2011 winners Peter Lloyd/Graham Handley on the opening test. Mark Straker/Neil Harrison put their Darrian into the hunt by being second to Cole on SS2. By the time crews arrived back at Service after four stages Cole led Lloyd by 13 seconds, with Straker less than two seconds further back. Ashley Field/Janice Moore led the rest of the field 20 seconds behind Straker.
The entry had been severely depleted after this first series of tests – 11 of the 63 starters failed to make it back to Service. Most notably Steve Simpson/Aled Davies and Bob Fowden/Jason Sugden had gone out, the former with a broken shaft, while a gearbox accounted for Fowden.
The next loop of stages was a repeat of the opening four tests. After them Cole had extended his lead to 15 seconds, with Straker now 12 seconds behind Lloyd. Lloyd had taken his only fastest stage time of day on SS8, beating Cole by just one-tenth of a second.
It was during this loop that Geoff Kitney/Ian Taylor went out with gearbox failure and a broken driveshaft accounted for Graham Hollis/Alan Jones.
Although at this point competitors had completed eight of the event’s 11 tests, they had more than half of the competitive mileage still to tackle. SS9 and SS10 were the same 15 mile test, with SS11 being a 13 mile ‘Sting’.
Despite this the top five places weren’t to change. Cole was fastest with Lloyd in second on all three. The Get Connected Focus finishing almost 30 seconds ahead at the end.
Mark Worley/Hamish Campbell were the most notable casualty of this final section, being forced out of sixth place by that traditional Epynt danger, a collision with a sheep.
The Flatters was a round of HRCR’s Mini Cup. Series leader Nigel Dutson didn’t take the start having broken his arm the previous week, this allowed Ken Pryce to take lead in the Challenge.
Results