Saturday 3rd June
We kicked of June with a double header at Pembrey, the first day being run on the original track and the second on the new layout.
Weather proved to be challenging and changeable, with the morning session being one of torrential rain with the afternoon full of sunshine ! Unfortunately due to weather conditions, a full entry list and a few mechanical issues on track, some 34 drivers did not get a second time run, due to track time curfew. This meant that only T1 would count towards the Championship results as not all contenders has the opportunity to do two timed runs on Saturday.
Unlike other sprint events, we did not kick off with the SP Class, but with Class 3B, Modified Production Cars 1400cc up to 2000cc. In a class of four we had three Championship Contenders battle it out for podium placement, namely Paul Meadows, Lloyd Bettinson and Martyn Ferris. The first time run saw Martyn take the lead, followed by Paul and then Lloyd, but not content with third place Lloyd managed to improve on his last run of the day by over 6 seconds, resulting in second place at the end of a challenging day, only 1.81 seconds behind Martyn. After two timed runs Martyn achieved a time of 131.66, Lloyd 133.47 followed by Paul on 136.47.
Next followed the Modified Production Cars over 2000cc with only one Championship Contenders battling out amongst 5 cars. Paul Townsend in his Seat Leon Cupra experienced mechanical issues and had to withdraw from his second timed run. Fortunately Paul managed to set a first timed run of 147.96 setting a new target time for 2018 for the Championship class, and completing his first Sprint at Pembrey.
Our first Lady Championship contender to take the track was Charlotte Phelps in her family Westfield Megabusa, in a class of Mod Prod Kit, Replica and space-framed cars up to 1800cc. Charlotte and her fellow class competitors (including her bother Adam) had to contend with some wet weather trying to dry their race suits out between runs. Charlotte’s best time of the day, was her first timed run of 121.37.
Following on from Charlotte was our second Lady Championship contender of the day, namely Alison Lock in the Rally Car Class. Similar to Charlotte, Alison’s best timed run of the day was her first timed run, which was a very respectable time of 155.07 for her BMC Mini.
Once again it was a close call between our two Renault Clio drivers, namely Andrew Bisping and Rob Thomson, battling it out amongst four drivers in the Standard Production Class. It was the first time for both drivers, so both had to find their driving line and learn the track quickly in order to secure a podium finish. Rob produced a 1st timed run of 136.91, with Andrew close behind on 137.05, so all to play for on a dry 2nd timed run. Andrew was first to take the track, and manged to get down to 136.56 on his 2nd time out, but unfortunately for Andrew, Rob managed to find a further second of his time and finished the day on 135.82. So once again a 1st and 2nd in SP Class for the Welsh Sprint & Hillclimb Championship drivers.
Due to the change of running format of the weekend, Rebekah Edwards in her VW Lupo found herself not amongst the first of the drivers to take to the track (as is usually the case), but middle of the running schedule. Similar to Andrew and Rob, this was Rebekah’s first time at Pembrey, which meant that she not only had to contend with weather but had to learning a new track under challenging circumstances. Fortunately for Rebekah she managed to get a second time run in dry conditions and took 1st in Class with a time of 144.01. Well done Dora !
In the Standard & Road Mod Cars 1400cc up to 2000cc saw Sam Bacon experience some mechanical issues but with the help of fellow contenders, friends and family members managed to get the car fixed in time to get out in T2 resulting in a time of 165.88, also in the class was Wynne Morgan in his Williams Renault Clio who did a competitive time of 131.36. Fortunately for both Sam and Wynne their class was the last set of drivers to take to the track before the day was suspended.
Unfortunately for the Standard & Road Mod Cars over 2000cc they were not given the opportunity to do their second timed run, So Gordon Hick, Brian Jones, Eifion Jones and Sioned Jones had to contend with only having the one timed run posted on the day’s results.
Brian Jones in his Porsche Cayman GT4 got a timed run of 124.93 (resulting in 3rd in class), and I’m sure had Brian been able to get a second run, would have got closer if not surpassed his target time of 123.66 which was set in 2016. Gordon in his Seat Leon Cupra set a competitive time of 138.82, followed by Eifion with a time of 140.52, and close behind was Sioned in their Audi Quattro S3 with a timed run of 147.50.
Sunday 4th June
Similar to Saturday, we started the day with Rain, and plenty of it, but this time on the new track layout.
The new track continues straight on from the apex of Dibeni (the paddock crossing), for about 100 metres before taking a sharp left followed by a sharp right, re-joining the old track at the Esses. This resulted in changing the line at Dibeni 2 and the Esses.
We once again, we saw the Mod Prod Cars 1400cc up to 2000cc take to the track firstly, with our intrepid three amigos battling out for podium placement once again. Martyn took the lead in T1 with a timed run of 148.83 in the wet, followed by Paul Meadows with a time of 150.58 and then Lloyd Bettinson with a 153.13. Similar to Saturday, the second Timed run was to be on a dry track and saw times improve for all three drivers. Martyn finished the day on 143.31 in his Renault 5 Turbo, closely followed by Lloyd in his Peugoet 106 achieving a time of 144.75 and Paul in his Peugoet 106 with a 146.82.
The next Championship contender to take to the track was Charlotte Phelps in the Mod Prod Kit and Space-framed cars up to 1800cc. Having done her first timed run in the wet, improved by just under 13 seconds on a dry track, achieving a timed run of 132.77, and coming fourth in class.
Using her vast Rally experience, Alison Lock put her Mini to test on the new section with some late braking in the wet and got down to a timed run of 165.90 in the dry on her second time out on track.
And so the learning continued the second day for our new Pembrey Clio drivers in the SP Class. Similar to Saturday there was not much to separate the two, Andrew achieved a time of 147.34, but once again was pipped to the post by Rob who produced a time of 146.73 and so the battle continues.
Rebekah on a high from yesterday’s 1st in Class was looking good after P1 & P2, leading her class by over 2 seconds, but was unable to replicate the day when it came to T1 and T2, but put in a great time of 157.26 for her VW Lupo.
Next to run was Standard & Road Mod Cars 1400cc up to 2000cc, with Mike Hall in his Renault Clio Cup having only just joined the Championship and getting his MSA licence within the last week, proved that no sprint or hill climb experience was going to hold him back, improving with each and every run, finish the day some 12.89 seconds quicker that his first time on track in the wet. Sam Bacon’s mechanical issues from the day before continued to be challenge in the morning, but managed get a timed run on T2. Wynne Morgan got 2nd in Class with a timed run of 141.94, with Mike Hall achieving a final timed run of 153.59 (which is a great result for his first ever sprint, look out Epynt), followed by Sam in his Peugoet 106 with timed run of 163.04.
In the Standard & Road Mod Cars over 2000cc, saw two Championship contenders take podium, Brian Jones took 1st in Class in his Porsche Cayman GT4 with a timed run of 137.89, followed by Gordon Hick achieving a timed run of 147.81 in his Seat Leon taking 2nd in Class (after having a quick cat nap between runs). Eifion achieved a time run of 156.10 followed closely by his daughter Sioned in their Audi Quattro A3 on a 157.82.
