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Gareth Hall Winter Challenge
Bala & District Motor Club
28th/29th January 2006
Clerk of the Course: Emyr Hall
Route: 140 Miles
Map: 116 & 125
Starters: 57
Winners: Gary Jones/Steve Herbert (Toyota Corolla)
The second running of the Gareth Hall Winter Challenge attarcted 57 starters; the organisers feeling that the clash with the Carpetbagger had lost them a significant number of entries. Additionally Kevin 'KJ' Jones/Dilwyn John were non-starters as their Sierra hadn't recovered from its collision with a Sweet Lamb rock on the previous weekend's Ystwyth Rally.
Winners: Gary Jones/Steve Herbert (Toyota Corolla)
Photograph: © Brian Gilbert
The rally opened with two standard sections which, though very icy, didn't cause any of the leading runners to lose time; the exception were Kev Parry/Gareth Price (Toyota Corolla), who were seven seconds late at the end of the second section.
Competitors then embarked on the longest section of the night, a regularity that ran from Bala to Lake Vyrnwy and then back from Bwlch-y-groes to Llanuwchllyn; there were four ITCs.
Mark 'GT' Roberts/Steve Price (VW Golf GTi) were fastest over the section, eight seconds ahead of Ian Lloyd/Cyril Jones (Subaru Impreza), with Gary Jones/Steve Herbert (Toyota Corolla) five seconds further back. Mei Jones/Gwawr Hughes (Vauxhall Astra) were tied with Merfyn Hughes/Brynmor Pierce (Subaru Impreza) for fourth place, 24 seconds off the lead. With the next standard section being cleanable, this is how the pacings stood at Petrol.
Action then moved towards the Trawsfynydd Ranges and a regularity with one ITC. Jones/Herbert were one of three crews who cleaned the section, this put them into the lead as Robert/Price were 18 seconds late at the finish control. The Golf pairing fell to third as Hughes/Pierce were also clean and moved into second place, four seconds off first and one ahead of third. Howard Price/Baz Green (Ford Escort) were the third crew not to pick up any additional penalties and they passed Jones/Hughes, whose Astra had a fuel pipe break costing them a minute.
Second place was the high point for Hughes/Pierce as they were contending with gearbox problems, including the loss of first gear, they fell back and finished in eighth place.
The final dropper of the night for the leading two crews was through Arenig Quarry. Roberts/Price gained four seconds back on Jones/Herbert, but this still left them one second off the lead. With both contenders cleaning the remainder of the event, this is how they finished, the Corolla beating the Golf by the narrowest of margins.
The battle for third was decided in favour of Lloyd/Jones after Price/Green, who had been closing on the position, were held up on a later section by a non-competing car and lost a minute.
Despite the patchy ice that made the going tricky, 46 crews were classified as finishers, with all top 15 seeds making the final control.
OVERALL RESULTS
| Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
| 1 | Gary Jones | Steve Herbert | Toyota Corolla | 3m 10s | |
| 2 | Mark 'GT' Roberts | Steve Price | VW Golf GTi | 3m 11s | |
| 3 | Ian Lloyd | Cyril Jones | Subaru Impreza | 4m 39s | |
| 4 | Howard Price | Baz Green | Ford Escort | 4m 50s | |
| 5 | Kev Parry | Gareth Price | Toyota Corolla | 5m 07s | |
| 6 | Mei Jones | Gwawr Hughes | Vauxhall Astra | 5m 09s | |
| 7 | Phil Turner | Iwan Jones | Ford Escort | 5m 10s | |
| 8 | Merfyn Hughes | Brynmor Pierce | Subaru Impreza | 5m 43s | |
| 9 | Steve Southall | Chris Webber | Subaru Impreza | 5m 43s | |
| 10 | Elfyn Richards | Alan Jôs | Volkswagen Golf GTi | 6m 00s | |
| 11 | Dave Fuller | Carwyn Evans | Peugeot 205 | 6m 03s | |
| 12 | Dave Jones | Paul Jones | Subaru Impreza | 6m 58s | |
| 13 | Steven John Williams | Meic Evans | Peugeot 205 GTi | 9m 45s | |
| 14 | Stephen Kerr | Stewart Merry | Ford Escort RS | 10m 17s | |
| 15 | Mark Whitford | David Barnes | Ford Escort RS | 10m 28s | |
| 16 | Arwel Thomas | Ceri Hughes | Vauxhall Nova | 10m 34s | |
| 17 | Dean George | Rob Thomson | Peugeot 106 Rallye | 10m 48s | |
| 18 | Dewi Roberts | Andrew Baines | Peugeot 205 GTi | 11m 07s | |
| 19 | Gruffydd Parry | Gareth Jones | Vauxhall Nova | 12m 01s | |
| 20 | Steve Guest | Rob Guest | Volkswagen Golf | 12m 40s | |
| 21 | John Jones | Stephen Davies | Renault 11 Turbo | 13m 20s | |
| 22 | Derwyn Evans | Dave Evison | Vauxhall Astra | 14m 37s | |
| 23 | Lee Monks | Dave Thomas | Peugeot 205 XS | 15m 00s | |
| 24 | John Broadhurst | Gareth Williams | Peugeot 106 XS | 15m 30s | |
| 25 | Jonty Bloxham | Nick Bloxham | Peugeot 106 XSi | 15m 31s | |
| 26 | Jonathan Bossen | Steve Prince | Subaru Impreza | 18m 32s | |
| 27 | Ben Owen | Richard Jerman | Suzuki Swift | 19m 07s | |
| 28 | Adrian Hopwood | Daniel Knight | Peugeot 205 GTi | 20m 10s | |
| 29 | Trefor Roberts | Nigel Stephenson | Peugeot 205 GTi | 20m 56s | |
| 30 | Tom Edwards | Lee Evans | Ford Escort RS | 21m 17s | |
| 31 | Iestyn Williams | Angharad M Davies | Peugeot 205 GTi | 21m 17s | |
| 32 | Roger Powley | Leigh Powley | Toyota Corolla | 21m 30s | |
| 33 | Simon Roberts | Tony Gush | Peugeot 205 GTi | 26m 46s | |
| 34 | Darren Draper | Robert Jones | Peugeot 205 GTi | 27m 02s | |
| 35 | Alaster S Hunter | Richard Jones | Peugeot 205 | 27m 20s | |
| 36 | Bob Ward | Karl Ellis | Ford Escort | 31m 50s | |
| 37 | Gerallt Williams | Dafydd Elis | Ford Escort Mexico | 35m 20s | |
| 38 | Stephen Parsons | Allan Gilhooley | Peugeot 205 | 48m 17s | |
| 39 | Robin Jones | Gerallt Davies | Ford Escort RS | 49m 04s | |
| 40 | Mark Carter | Kristopher Pirie | MG Maestro | 1F 29m 46s | |
| 41 | Murray Owen | Richard Jackson | Ford Escort | 2F 15m 19s | |
| 42 | Paul Bebe | Stuart Thomas | Volkswagen Polo | 2F 27m 44s | |
| 43 | Huw M Davies | Shaun Bee | Peugeot 205 GTi | 3F 15m 07s | |
| 44 | Iwan Williams | Eryl Roberts | Seat Ibiza | 3F 66m 32s | |
| 45 | David Atkin | Bryn Griffith | Subaru Legacy | 6F 33m 23s | |
| 46 | Neil Roberts | Dale Furniss | Peugeot 205 | 10F 8m 24s |