Damian Cole became King of Epynt rally champion in 2018, thanks to victories on the Dixies Challenge and Harry Flatters Rally and second place finishes on the Tour of Epynt and the Mewla National Rally.
He also got his challenge for the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship title off to a great start with second on a damp and greasy Tour of Epynt, despite ripping the handbrake out of the floor of his Get Connected Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
It didn’t go to plan after that. The car’s handling was so bad on the Manx National Rally that Damian was forced to stop before the inevitable big accident happened. A severe misfire then forced him out of the Rally van Wervik and he didn’t go to the Down Rally.
Damian finished second on the Mewla National Rally, despite losing an awful lot of time on the opening loop of three stages when he began the event with too harder suspension on his Fiesta WRC.
For the final round of the series, Damian wheeled out his Focus WRC05 for the first time in three years. Everything was going well, until the rear end broke loose on a fifth gear uphill left hander after a crest, which sent the car spinning off the road. There was virtually no damage, but the grass was so wet that he couldn’t get back on the road and was forced to retire on the spot.
It was a strange year, with just two victories and an unusual amount of mechanical problems.
However, there was a lot of fun to be had on the Barbara Carter Road Rally, where he finished third overall in his Escort Mk2.