2010 Kick Energy Fiesta SportTrophy UK (FST UK) champion Elfyn Evans (21), made it seven wins from sevens starts at the weekend on the Trackrod International Rally Yorkshire. For once, however, Evans and co-driver Andrew Edwards didn’t have everything all their own way after an over cautious opening stage where the pair lost another four minutes after sliding into a hay bale on SS2. But problems for early leader John MacCrone allowed Evans to fight back claim his hardest fought victory of the season.
John MacCrone (21) from the Isle of Mull and Stuart Loudon (22), won the opening stage, Langdale, on Friday night to hold a 7.5 second advantage at the start of Day 2. Evans was second despite being overly cautious in the wet, muddy conditions. John Boyd (23) and Craig Wallace (25) made a welcome return to the championship after opting to skip the two ‘away’ rounds but lost over three minutes on the opening test after a brake line rubbed through and they lost the rear brakes.
MacCrone took the win on the opening stage of Day 2, Housedale, 25 seconds ahead of fellow Scotsman Boyd (23) from West Linton. Evans lost over four minutes after sliding into a hay bale and damaging the car for the first time this year. Boyd then took his first stage win of the season on SS3, Givendale, leading MacCrone home by just over two seconds. Evans got his event back on track with third, a further six seconds behind MacCrone.
SS4, Staindale, saw Evans take his first stage win of the event and begin eating into MacCrone’s advantage. John Boyd put in an impressive drive to finish the stage just ten seconds behind Evans; Boyd was relishing being back in the Yorkshire stages where he scored his maiden Kick Energy FST UK success in 2009. MacCrone lost over a minute on SS4 after overshooting a junction due to a recurring problem with the gearbox.
Evans continued his fight back on SS5, Langdale, making amends for not pushing hard enough on Friday night, to win the stage with a time of 15 minutes 54 seconds to lead MacCrone home by almost 28 seconds. MacCrone’s gearbox problems could not be cured during service and the Scottish pair was forced to try and make it through the event with a damaged gearbox. Boyd scored the third fastest time, a further eleven seconds behind MacCrone. Evans’ third stage win in succession came on SS6, the second run through Housedale; MacCrone’s gearbox trouble continued to worsen and he lost another 24 seconds to Evans. MacCrone’s lead over Evans had been cut from over four minutes to a minute and a half in just three stages and with two more to go, Evans was in with a real shout of overhauling the Scottish Fiesta R2 pilot.
The penultimate stage, Givendale, saw MacCrone’s gearbox trouble worsen, with it getting stuck in second gear and forcing him to drive the remaining two stages in just one gear. This cost he and co-driver Loudon four minutes on SS7 alone, dropping them behind both Evans and Boyd after having led the event up to that point. After a poor start, Evans headed into the final stage with a comfortable advantage over Boyd and could afford to take it easy and ensure he made it to the finish. This did not stop Evans claiming his fifth stage win of the event and claiming the Castrol Hard Charger Award as a result for the sixth time in 2010. Boyd secured second placejust seven seconds behind the Welshman. MacCrone made it through the stage in second gear to finish in third place, but was left to rue what might have been had it not been for the mechanical problems. Third was enough to secure second place in the final championship standings for MacCrone after what has been a season plagued with bad luck.
Evans’ result of 13th overall was enough to also secure him the 2010 Dulux Trade British Junior Rally Championship crown after main rival Jarkko Nikara was forced out with a mechanical failure on SS7. Finn Mikko Pajunen won the R2 class on the event in his debut in the Ford Fiesta R2. Pajunen put in an impressive performance having only driven the car for the first time on the Thursday prior to the rally and was on the pace straight out of the box.
With the 2010 season now over, championship contenders can look forward to a well earned break before the 2011 season kicks off in February. Details of the 2011 series are yet to be finalised, but will once again run alongside the British Rally Championship and cater for both the Ford Fiesta R2 and the Group N Ford Fiesta ST.
– Credit: M-Sport.