results@rallyroots.com

rally results service

Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest

The Malky Rally 2003

Sponsored by Brace's Bakery

Blackwood & District Motor Club

25th/26th October 2003

---

---

Daniel Jones followed up his Cilwendeg win with victory on the Malky, however the matter had to be decided on a tie break after Jones, and navigator Patrick Walsh, finished on the same time as Glyn Price/Steve Herbert.

The event's regulations said that the 'furthest cleanest' principle would be used to break a tie, but the organisers decided to separate the crews by the engine capacity that had been declared on the entry form, thus Jones/Walsh (Ford Escort) beat Price/Herbert (Ford Escort) by 2cc. The results would have been the same if the 'official' method had been used.

The rally opened with a 'super special' through the caravan park where the event was based. Section 2 used the rough 'British' track to the east of the Merthyr Valley, before the route moved north into the Black Mountains, passing the Pontsticill, Pentwyn and Talybont Resevoirs. Section 4 used the lanes between Llangors and Hay-on-Wye, before Petrol was taken at Brecon. Unfortunately the second section, where all crews dropped time, had to be cancelled after a police officer instructed the marshal at the start control not to issue any more times after around 40 cars had passed through.

The second half opened by Trecastle and skirted Glasfynydd Forestry. The route then moved back towards the south, with Section 6 ending near Ystradfellte. Section 7 was a short blast from Penderyn to Llwyn-onn Resevoir. A long non-comp took crews to the last section, which ran from Tredegar back to the rally's base at Pen-y-Fan.

In many instances code boards proved difficult to locate; they were not proceeded by a control board and many were hard to spot, even if crews were looking closley for them.

The Malky had acquired a reputation for producing local winners, however several of the fancied runners fell foul of the hard-to-see route checks and collected fails as a result. Those affected included 2002 winner Mark Robinson, Toby Adam, Gary Jones and Alyson Acreman.

This meant that the first time pairing of Jones/Walsh arrived at Petrol leading from Chris Bowen/Daniel Maclachlan. The latter crew fell back in the second half and finished in fifth. In contrast Glyn Price/Steve Hertbert cleaned the whole of the route after Petrol, to arrive at the Finish on the same time as the winners.

The Malky was the penultimate round of the Welsh Championship. At the start three crews were still in the running for the title; Gary Jones/Andy Oakes picked up a fail and finished well down the order, this ended their championship hopes. Series leaders, Gerwyn Jones/Ceri Davies finished in 12th place, this was enough for Jones to clinch the Drivers' title, however the fact that John Davies/Neil Bevan finished in third, meant that Bevan could still deny Davies the series win on the final round, the Greenleaves.

A notable results came from Craig Judd, who was competing on his very first rally. Judd was being navigated by Paul Tod, who was a leading driver in the Peugeot 205 Challenge and having his first night event on the maps. The pair started at Number 57, but came home in eighth place and easily winning the Novice Class.

---

TOP TEN RESULTS

	Pos	Driver	Navigator	Car	Penalty
	1	Daniel 'Lwni' Jones	Patrick Walsh	Ford Escort	1m 42s
	2	Glyn Price	Steve Herbert	Ford Escort	1m 42s
	3	John Davies	Neil Bevan	Vauxhall Nova	8m 59s
	4	Ceri Richards	Aled Jones	Ford Escort	11m 25s
	5	Chris Bowen	Daniel Maclachlan	Ford Escort	11m 41s
	6	Chris Evans	Nigel Nelson	Toyota Corolla	18m 58s
	7	Andy Sheppard	Justin Brookes	Vauxhall Astra	20m 08s
	8	Craig Judd	Paul Tod	Peugeot 205 GTi	20m 25s
	9	Dave Wilmer	Mark Powell	Ford Escort	24m 16s
	10	Clive Bayliss	Chris Love	Opel Manta	29m 59s

---

Copyright © 2021 rallyroots.com