rally results service
Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest
PK Memorial Rally 1997
Sponsored by Polyroof
Bala & District Motor Club
5th/6th July 1997
Clerk of the Course: Peter Jones
Route: 135 Miles
Maps: 116 124 & 125
Starters: 75
Winners: Graham Evans/Ian Mills (Toyota Corolla)
Graham Evans/Ian Mills took their Toyota Corolla to a win on a hard fought and demanding PK Memorial Rally. The rally was a round of the Welsh, West Midlands and North Western Road Rally Championships and as such received a full entry of 75 starters.
Competition opened with a 30 mile 'Le Jog' style regularity section, this used the roads in Coed-y-Brenin and the Dolgellau Maze. Crews were given a list of 21 controls, any one of which could be a time control, if unmanned there would be a passage board. There were severe penalties for stopping within sight of a manned control. This was followed by four plot 'n bash standard sections, one of which, in the area to the south of Clocaneog Forest, was almost 50 miles in length.
Top seed Paul Holmberg was attempting to make it five victories on the trot this year, however he was in trouble before the end of the first test when the alternator on his Escort failed. After replacing it on a neutral section he and navigator Lee Ellis eventually struggled home in 10th; a result which consolidated Holmberg's already enourmous lead in the North Western Championship.
Evans/Mills were over a minute off the lead, in seventh place, after the regularity section, but they, and second placed Chris Wilson/Roger Fildes (Vauxhall Astra), put in the best peformances through the plot and bash standard sections, each dropping a total of 3 minutes. Wilson/Fildes had been in tenth place after the opening regularity and ended up 37 seconds off the first place at the Finish.
The win moved the Toyota crew back to the head of the Welsh Standard Production Championship, as their main rivals, Peter Zjalic/Richard Preece, picked up a fail and could only manage 32nd overall. Kevin Ikin/Rob Jones were third, despite losing time with a puncture and having their Escort's engine drop on to three cylinders after a plug lead became detatched from the distributor cap.
Fifth overall was enough to strengthen Baron Glaze and Pete Davies' position in both the Welsh and West Midlands Championships. Welsh rivals Cyril Crook/Chris Ware went out of the event early on after the navigator became unwell. The only other major retirement of the night was the Chevette of Terrance Pressdee/Iain Tullie, they went off the road only four miles from the end.
Huw Evans/Patrick Walsh led by four seconds after the regularity section, but a couple of time consuming errors on the standard section saw them drop to eighth at the Finish.
The Semi-Expert class was won in impressive style by Jamie Burton/Dave Dewson who brought their Escort home in seventh overall. Meanwhile the novice award went to Llyr Williams/Gareth Hall and the Standard Production class was won by the Kent pairing of Colin Rodgers/Sue Speller in a Peugeot 306 S16.
OVERALL RESULTS
| Pos | Driver | Navigator | Car | Penalty | |
| 1 | Graham Evans | Ian Mills | Toyota Corolla | 7m 04s | |
| 2 | Chris Wilson | Roger Fildes | Vauxhall Astra | 7m 41s | |
| 3 | Kevin Ikin | Rob Jones | Ford Escort | 8m 19s | |
| 4 | Dennis Quinn | Andrew Thomson | Ford Escort | 8m 41s | |
| 5 | Baron Glaze | Peter Davies | Ford Escort | 9m 16s | |
| 6 | Pete Cotton | Dave Pitchford | Ford Escort | 10m 24s | |
| 7 | Jamie Burton | Dave Dewson | Ford Escort Mexico | 11m 57s | |
| 8 | Huw Evans | Patrick Walsh | Ford Escort | 12m 00s | |
| 9 | Alwyn Jones | Aled Pennant | Ford Escort | 13m 27s | |
| 10 | Paul Holmberg | Lee Ellis | Ford Escort | 14m 02s | |
| 11 | Gethin Lewis | Aled Jones | Ford Escort | 14m 53s | |
| 12 | Colin Rodger | Sue Speller | Peugeot 306 S16 | 15m 37s | |
| 13 | Huw Jones | Aneurin James | Ford Fiesta Diesel | 15m 55s | |
| 14 | Arwel Griffiths | Carwyn Evans | Peugeot 205 GTi | 16m 10s | |
| 15 | Dave Jones | Gareth Price | Talbot Sunbeam | 19m 04s | |
| 16 | Jayne Hill | Andrew Hughes | Vauxhall Nova GSi | 19m 52s | |
| 17 | Toby Adam | Steve Durbin | Ford Escort | 21m 50s | |
| 18 | Richard Roberts | Steven Roberts | Ford Escort | 27m 50s | |
| 19 | Gareth Jones | Iestyn ap Dafydd | Toyota Corolla | 28m 06s | |
| 20 | Jason Stone | Daniel Stone | Toyota Corolla | 29m 47s | |
| 21 | Roger Harris | Chris Winn | Vauxhall Astra GTE | 30m 45s | |
| 22 | Iwan Pritchard | Paul Owen | Ford Escort | 30m 58s | |
| 23 | Tony Watkin | Medwyn Evans | Mini 1275GT | 34m 15s | |
| 24 | Geraint Bowness | Arwel Jones | Peugeot 205 GTi | 35m 52s | |
| 25 | Kevin Roberts | Mike Daska | Ford EScort | 37m 29s | |
| 26 | Stephen Coombes | Paul Coombes | Vauxhall Cavalier SRi | 40m 55s | |
| 27 | Alan Thompson | Neil Boyd | Toyota Corolla | 41m 00s | |
| 28 | Llyr Williams | Gareth Hall | Vauxhall Nova | 41m 58s | |
| 29 | Brynmor Pierce | Owen Dodd | Opel Manta GTE | 1F 17m 05s | |
| 30 | John Jones | Chris Rowlands | Renault 11 Turbo | 1F 21m 17s | |
| 31 | Peter Zjalic | Richard Preece | Toyota Corolla | 1F 16m 25s | |
| 32 | Ian Jones | Alan Williams | Peugeot 205 GTi | 1F 20m 43s | |
| 33 | Iwan Williams | Gwion Pryderi | Ford Escort Mexico | 1F 24m 37s | |
| 34 | Gareth Owens | Marc Jones | Ford Escort | 1F 29m 00s | |
| 35 | Stephen John Hughes | Karl Sieben | Ford Capri | 2F 57m 02s |