Rally Archive
Night Owl Rally
Sponsored by Tomos Lewis Body Repairs
Aberystwyth & District Motor Club
25th/26th April 2026
Winners: Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams (Ford Escort)
Photograph: © Cyril Williams Photography
Organiser: Aberystwyth & District Motor Club
Date: 25th/26th April 2026
Clerk of the Course: Reian Jones
Route: 95 Miles (Maps 135)
Base: Aberystwyth
Starters: 88
Eighty-eight cars took the start of the Night Owl Rally from the grounds of the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. The contenders faced 95 miles of tight lanes and tracks all within a 20 mile radius of the rally's base.
The event used mainly short but challenging sections, most with only four minutes between competitive time controls.
The opening sector was four miles long, with a TC at the mid-point. It started near Llettyllwyd, just off the Aberystwyth to Machynlleth main road and finished at Dole. There was a loop through Penycefn farm. Lewis Morgan/Marc Hughes (Ford Escort) were quickest here, nine seconds ahead of Einion Williams/Rhodri Evans (Ford Escort), who were one second ahead of Arwel Hughes Jones/Dylan John Williams (Ford Escort); Rich 'Ty Capel' Williams/Dion Lewis (Ford Escort) were another second further back.
Border 100 winners George Williams/Cadog Davies were debuting a new Escort, and, at the Start, were awarded the Best Presented Car Award, however engine maladies stopped the car withing the first couple of miles of competitive motoring. Also out early on was the Subaru Impreza of Andy Davies/Owen Rowcliffe, which ran out of tyres after two punctures.
The route crossed the main road through Llandre for the second section, which zig-zagged its way from Clarach to Dolybont. Again everyone dropped time here. Once more, Morgan/Hughes were fastest and extended their lead over Williams/Evans to 12 seconds. Williams/Lewis passed Hughes Jones/Williams for third.
Williams/Evans were quickest on Section Three, a four minuter to the north of Dolybont; this put them six seconds behind Lewis/Hughes.
There was a change of first place on the next section that ran from Taliesin to Talybont; Williams/Evans were six seconds faster than Lewis/Hughes and moved into a two second lead, while Hughes Jones/Williams re-passed Williams/Lewis for third.
Though demanding these four opening sectors could be seen as a warm up for the most challenging section of the night, this was around the forests of Pendam. There were seven timing points, most only having four minutes between them. It was to have a dramatic effect on the lead battle.
The first victims were the leaders; they picked up two punctures over the section and lost a total of over six minutes between the two incidents. Now with no more spares, Williams/Evans withdrew.
Morgan/Hughes were fastest to the first dropper on Pendam and were now 43 seconds ahead of Williams/Lewis, who had got back in front of Hughes Jones/Williams. However, the pace was affecting the lead navigator, he began to feel unwell and this caused the crew to miss a slot. With the time lost, they also withdrew.
Richard Jerman/Alan James (Ford Escort) were as high as fifth after the third section, but on Pendam the steering rack broke off the cross member and they were added to the retirees list.
Having survived Pendam, Williams/Lewis arrived at Petrol, which was taken at Penrhyncoch, with a lead of 31 seconds over Hughes Jones/Williams. After struggling early on with fading brakes, Gethin Dafis/Dafydd-Sion Lloyd were now in third, but over a minute off the lead.
Osian Jones/Llyr Davies were in fourth, putting in another giant killing performance in their 1300cc Nissan Micra; they were also leading the Expert Class. The Semi-Experts were led at Petrol by Steven Williams/Dewi Davies (Mazda MX5), who led Lucas Adams/Osian Hands (Vauxhall Chevette) by 23 seconds. The latter crew were to take the category award at the finish after Williams/Davies lost three minutes on the Devil's Bridge section in the second half.
At the front the dramas in the battle for first place were not over. The first section of the second half was a loop in the lanes directly north of Capel Bangor. Hughes Jones/Williams cleaned it, but Williams/Lewis didn't get further than a mile before a rear brake calliper broke on their Escort and they went no further. This left the reigning Welsh Champions with a lead of exactly a minute ahead of Dafis/Lloyd.
After the juggling of top places in the first half, the first four positions remained unchanged throughout the second half. There were sections around Goginan and Ystumtuen, before the route headed back to the Aberystwyth finish via Mynydd Bach and Llanfihangel.
Hughes Jones/Williams had decided prior to the start that they would take a steady approach, avoiding punctures and mechanical breakages; it was a policy that paid off as they survived unscathed as their rivals suffered. This allowed them to come home with a victory margin of almost a minute and a half at the Finish. This, on Round Four of the series, was their third Welsh Championship win in a row.
Dafis/Lloyd took the runner up spot, a minute ahead of Jones/Davies, who put in another impressive showing in their Micra. The 2019 Welsh Champions Mark Lennox/Ian Beamond (Ford Escort) were only five seconds off the final podium spot as they finished in fourth.
Having failed to make it to the first control on the previous weekend's Rali Bro Preseli, Alexander Boag/Gwawr Evans (Citroen Saxo) moved up from sixth in class at Petrol to take the top Novice Award at the finish, ending on the same total penalties as Polly/Clare Hookham (Peugeot 206 GTi).
Despite only four of the top ten starters making the Finish, there were fifty finishers on what had been a tough event.
RESULTS
- Overall Positions
- Award Winners
- Class Positions
- Time Penalty Details
- Fail Penalties
- Overall Positions at Petrol
- Non-Finishers
- List of Starters