Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion Report
British Rally Championship Round Six Preview: Armstrong Galloway Hills Rally – Castle Douglas, Scotland
Tom Cave and co-driver Dale Bowen took time out of their British Rally Championship Campaign on Sunday (8th September) to take part in a brand new and groundbreaking event: the Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion. Having overcome brake issues in the morning’s four stages, driving their PCRS prepared Hyundai i20 R5, the Welsh pair fought back to challenge for the lead in the afternoon and crossed the line in second place.
With the inaugural running of the first closed road stage rally in Wales based in Aberystwyth, just down the coast from his home town of Aberdovey, it was an event Tom couldn’t miss. Seeded at number one and therefore running as the first competitor on the road, he made history by being the first driver to ever compete in a stage rally on a closed public highway in Wales.
An issue with his car’s front brakes in the first of the day’s eight stages in the Cambrian Mountains meant that Tom was on the back-foot from the start and dropped time to fellow Welshman Osian Pryce in a similar car. With the PCRS team fixing the brakes in the lunchtime service halt at Aberystwyth University, Tom set out to make up for lost time in afternoon’s loop, which were a re-run of the four stages used in the morning.
Following a determined drive over the technically demanding roads, Tom and Dale were able to reduce the gap to 7.7 seconds by the time they returned to the finish outside the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.
“Even though we had a few issues in the morning and it was a shame we could not gain the lead in the afternoon, I really enjoyed the event and driving a great car on such great stages. The organisation of the rally was fantastic and everyone involved should be congratulated for a job well done. I’m already looking forward to next year!”
Tom now focuses on the final round of the British Rally Championship, the Armstrong Galloway Hills Rally, which takes place on Saturday (14th September). Based in south west Scotland, the event features a competitive distance of 75 miles on gravel forest roads in the region.
After sharing the championship lead with his main rival Matt Edwards, a DNF on the Ulster Rally means that Tom has a fight on his hands to claim the title this weekend and will need to target a win to have the best chance of lifting the spoils:
“I’m looking forward to competing on a gravel surface again and with Matt in a stronger position to take the title, we have to target a win this weekend. Because he’s currently on 93 points and I’m on 68 with a potential 31 up for grabs, Matt has to finish seventh or higher to secure the title. It sounds like a long shot, but as it’s been proved time-after-time in this sport, nothing is ever certain – and if there’s a window of opportunity then rest assured, I’ll be going for it.”
Tom’s 2019 campaign is supported by: Trailhead Fine Foods and its Get Jerky snack brand, Cambrian Training, Michelin Motorsport, Ponsse UK, Go Fetch Ltd, Intervino, Atech Racing, Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing and Shukers Hyundai, Aberystwyth.
(Photo: RallySport Media)
