HUSBAND and wife duo Nigel and Karen Jenkins secured the BTRDA Bronze Star 1400 championship for the second successive year with another class win on the recent Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally in the NJ Autos,Profle-backed Vauxhall Nova, writes Paul Willetts.
Karen had secured the co-driver’s title on the previous round in Yorkshire but Nigel still had work to do coming into the Cambrian and they certainly did it in style by winning the category by just four seconds from championship rival Ashley Francis- Adams Nissan Micra.
The North Wales event was the final round of both the Probrite British Rally Championship and BTRDA series and penultimate round of the Pirelli Welsh National championship.
The beautiful seaside town of Llandudno welcomed 120 crews for the 58 miles of competition, the bulk of which was in the Clocaenog forestry complex.
They included former World rally champion Stig Blomqvist driving an historic Mini Cooper S with former Ross-on-Wye resident Paul Morris on the notes. Celebrating 40 years since his world title success, the Swede finished up winning class H1.
Classics such as Brenig, Alwen plus two runs of a 16-mile Clocaenog stage – back after many years out due to wind farms installations – were ahead with the tricky Elsi test opening proceedings.
For Jenkins it had been a difficult first half of the year and at the half way point of the series things looked bleak but three category wins out of the last four events turned it around and he was naturally delighted when he pulled into the finish on Llandudno promenade.
He said: “Obviously I'm really pleased to have won this again, it's been a tough year as after round four we were miles away from being here.
“We’ve had a great second half of the year but Ashley and Dylan have pushed us hard all year.
“I came here knowing a finish would secure me the drivers’ title but I can't just drive around to finish, so I treated it like a normal event and just eased up slightly on the dodgy stuff and took no risks.
A huge thanks to Karen who’s done a great job all year, also the service crew and not forgetting our sponsors.”
Joining them on the podium and making it a double family celebration was Karen’s son, Luke Watts, who had Mark Twiname alongside in the Ian Watts & Son MG ZR.
They took third in the 1400 class and 51st overall after a trouble-free run.
Taking fourth in the 1400 and 55th overall was Christchurch garage owner James Dunkley with North Walian Jack Morris on the notes in the JD Auto Services Vauxhall Corsa, getting some miles under his belt ahead of the forthcoming Wyedean Stages.
In the Mini Cooper Rally Challenge Jack Birch with Coleford’s Mike Jode alongside continued an excellent year in the competition with a fine third place in the Tarleton Tyres Mini Cooper.
The Challenge contenders only did the first loop of stages.
Unfortunately for Geoff Phelps and Colin Jenkins in the Hartpury Farms Escort RS1800 it was retirement after hitting a huge rock on stage two.
The overall event winners and the new Probrite British Rally Champions are Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani in the Castrol backed Toyota Yaris Rally 2.
Yet again the Cambrian had proved a fitting finale to many championships.
Attention now turns to the Forest of Dean and the Richard Cole Contracting Wyedean Stageson Saturday, November 16.
This year's event starts at Cinderford Rugby Club with the servicethe service area and finish at Ross Cattle Market and all the action taking place in the Forest.