The Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion will go down in history as the first ever closed road stage rally to be held in Wales.
A compelling 44 stage mile route – which was dividend into four closed road stages (repeated) in the Cambrian mountains region – tested the skill of the top crews who turned up on mass in state-of-the-aret four- and two-wheel drive machinery.
It was a fantastic high-speed rally festival, with event sponsor Damian Cole just missing out on a podium finish by 21.1 seconds, as he and co-driver Max Freeman came home first in class and fourth overall in their Get Connected/Energizer-backed Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
“This has been one the toughest and consequently most enjoyable rallies I have ever driven – and you really know you’ve done a rally after these stages,” said Damian.
“It’s been great to be involved with this event and work with such a motivated organising team, who have put in so much work to get this rally off the ground.”
The Aberystwyth University-based event – which was organised by the combined expertise from a team gathered from four separate Welsh motor clubs, namely Newtown and District, Aberystwyth and District, Lampeter and District and Teifi Valley – was won by Osian Pryce/Dale Furniss in a Hyundai i20 R5, beating Tom Cave/Dale Bowen in a similar car, while Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke were third in a Scott Williams Motorsport-built Ford Escort Mk2