rally results service
Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest
Rali Bro Dyfi 1998
Sponsored by Geoff Jones Rallysport
Dovey Valley Motor Club
31st January/1st February 1998
Clerk of the Course: Phil Pugh
Route: 130 Miles
Maps: 124 135 & 136
Starters: 47
Winners: Hywel Davies/Huw Lewis (Toyota Corolla)
Hywel Davies made a triumphant return to the driver's seat when he and Huw Lewis took victory on Dovey Valley MC's Rali Bro Dyfi. Davies, a leading road rallyist of the Eighties, used his local knowledge as a postman in the Machynlleth area to good affect and came home over a minute clear of 1997 winners, Clive Williams/Patrick Walsh.
The Bro Dyfi was the opening round of the Welsh, West Midlands and North Western Road Rally Championships. The organisers received an almost full 60 car entry, however a large number of non-starters meant that only 47 crews took the start. Despite this the quality at the front of the field was very high, with any of the top twenty being capable of taking the win.
The 130 mile event started with four easy sections but these led crews to a run over the tracks of event sponsor Geoff Jones' farm. Davies/Lewis emerged as leaders after this decisive section and consolidated it by being the only crew to clean the second half. Williams/Walsh, in a very standard Nissan Almera, were close to the winner's pace at Petrol, but picked up further penalties on the last test to be a minute down at the end.
The fifth section saw the only leading retirement of the event, the Corolla of Graham Evans/Ian Mills became wedged on a triangle. This incident delayed Dennis Quinn/Andrew Thomson, however they still managed to come home third, a solid start to their championship campaign. Also in trouble on the fifth section were Pete Cotton/Dave Pitchford and Gareth Lloyd/Dorian Evans, both crews becoming stuck and dropping time after wrong slotting. Lloyd/Evans added to this misery by picking up a fail at the very last passage control of the rally.
The 1996 winners, Huw James/Owen Dodd managed a seventh place finish after having to contend with severe brake problems on their Cavalier for most of the event. Similarly slowed by mechanical ailments were Elgan Jones/Byron Jones (Astra) and Cyril Crook/Chris Ware (Sunbeam). Most unfortunate of all were Ian Jones/Alan Williams, they were heading for third with only a few miles to go when their Peugoet 205 cut out, they resumed but the four minutes they had lost dropped them to eleventh.
The Semi-Expert class fell to the Astra of Roger Harris/Chris Winn, after the majority of the class took a mass wrong slot on the notorious fifth section and picked up a pocketful of fails as a result. The novice class was won by Iorwerth Jones, another top driver of the Eighties making a return, he was partnered by Bill Robertson in a Peugeot 205.
OVERALL RESULTS
| Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
| 1 | Hywel Davies | Huw Lewis | Toyota Corolla | 4m 58s | |
| 2 | Clive Williams | Patrick Walsh | Nissan Almera | 6m 04s | |
| 3 | Dennis Quinn | Andrew Thomson | Ford Escort | 7m 39s | |
| 4 | Wynne Pickersgill | Shaun O'Gorman | Ford Escort | 7m 41s | |
| 5 | Kevin Nunns | Neil Spiers | Toyota Corolla | 7m 45s | |
| 6 | Peter Zjalic | Richard Preece | Toyota Corolla | 8m 20s | |
| 7 | Huw James | Owen Dodd | Vauxhall Cavalier | 8m 32s | |
| 8 | Geraint Davies | Sarah Gluyas | Toyota Corolla | 8m 46s | |
| 9 | Cyril Crook | Chris Ware | Talbot Sunbeam | 9m 13s | |
| 10 | Des Phasey | Steve Price | Ford Escort | 9m 29s | |
| 11 | Ian Jones | Alan 'Fanta' Williams | Peugeot 205 GTi | 10m 49s | |
| 12 | Elgan Jones | Byron Jones | Vauxhall Astra GTE | 11m 50s | |
| 13 | Pete Cotton | Dave Pitchford | Ford Escort | 11m 50s | |
| 14 | Gareth Jones | Iestyn ap Dafydd | Toyota Corolla | 12m 21s | |
| 15 | Dave Boucher | Jon Stobbs | Ford Escort | 20m 22s | |
| 16 | Karl Hancocks | Steve Durbin | Ford Escort | 31m 35s | |
| 17 | Roger Harries | Chris Winn | Vauxhall Astra | 36m 01s | |
| 18 | Gareth Lloyd | Dorian Evans | Ford Escort | 1F 10m 28s | |
| 19 | Toby Adam | Mark Robinson | Ford Escort | 1F 15m 29s | |
| 20 | Martyn Evans | Ceri Davies | Nissan Micra | 1F 21m 02s | |
| 21 | Iwan Pritchard | Paul Owen | Ford Escort | 1F 23m 53s | |
| 22 | Keith Daniels | Aneurin James | Ford EScort | 1F 24m 57s | |
| 23 | Will Parry | Iestyn Leyshon | Ford EScort XR3 | 1F 28m 29s | |
| 24 | Alwyn Jones | Aled Pennant | Ford Escort | 6F 15m 08s | |
| 25 | Bernie Harrison | Cliff Washbrook | Ford Escort XR3i | 6F 20m 09s | |
| 26 | Ian Elias | Phil Roach | Ford Escort | 11F 19m 00s | |
| 27 | Bryan Glass | Stephen Kerr | Ford Escort | 12F 8m 35s | |
| 28 | Tony Watkin | Medwyn Evans | Mini 1275GT | 12F 39m 31s | |
| 29 | Adrian Higman | Cyril Jones | Talbot Sunbeam | 13F 22m 26s | |
| 30 | Paul Davies | Phil Ralphs | Ford Escort | 13F 33m 29s | |
| 31 | Chris Rowlands | Brian Jenkins | Toyota Corolla | 13F 34m 12s | |
| 32 | Iorworth Jones | Bill Robertson | Peugeot 205 | 14F 27m 17s | |
| 33 | Arwyn Williams | Glyn Evans | Ford Escort | 14F 29m 06s | |
| 34 | Gwyn Williams | Elfyn Richards | Vauxhall Nova | 19F 19m 59s |