The Team In Action on the Midlands

Stages: 19 – Starters: 89 – Finishers: 50

After the disappointing result at Caerwent, Mark II Motorsport headed off to the 3rd round of the BTRDA National Asphalt Championship knowing that a big points haul would be essential to keep its championship hopes alive.

The teams’ trusty Escort Cosworths transmission had been repaired by Dennis Osborne and Dean of Geo preparations, so the team arrived in Hinckley quietly confident especially as they had bagged second overall in the 2008 event.

“We have the usual suspects to beat for championship points as well as some other pretty swift competition for overall honours” said team driver Mark Welch. In fact, despite anticipating giving the event a miss for financial reasons, 2008 Champion and championship leader Christopher Jones in the Subaru powered Focus DID turn up and would prove the big threat along with Gary Le Coadou and Paul Hollingham in the ex works Celica GT4 who were running at car 1.

Other competition would come from Mark Holmes and Tony Lindsay in a mighty Metro 6r4, Chris Davis and Brandon Parker in a superfast Darrian T90, Chris Wood and Stephen Ritchie in an Opel Astra kit car and 2007 Champion Adrian Spencer/Mark Hewitt in Subaru Impreza.

The 2 day event started from the centre of Nuneaton on Friday evening and the action came thick and fast with 2 stages around the slippery Bramcote Barracks as the hors d’oeuvre. Jones took the lead from Le Coadou with Mark II 8 seconds adrift in 6th whilst Spencer was a mystery non starter.

Bramcote was closely followed by the incredibly tricky Argents Mead stage around the Hinckley Council Office compound. The teams then went to Mallory Park race track for another brace of stages. Le Coadou and Hollingham’s rally ended here as the Celica’s carbon fibre propshaft disintegrated as the car left the line.

Mark II flirted with disaster here too as co driver Wynn takes up the story. “The pace notes we were using did not reflect the first stage merge on the exit of Mallory’s pit lane. In fact we were confronted with a wall of tyres and it took valuable seconds to work out exactly which direction the stage took”. After much grinding of gears and a 3 point turn, the team were on their way again but 14 seconds were lost.

So after 5 stages, it was Jones leading from Holmes in the Metro, Stuart Deeley and Alistair Dodd 3rd in a highly modified Lotus Europa and Mark II 4th, 31 seconds behind the leader. The final stage of the day was another run through Argents Mead which was taken with some caution as a lot could be sacrificed in the 30 odd seconds it takes to complete!!

Wynn pronounced himself happy with progress pointing out that at the same stage last year, the team was 6th and with the “real” rally starting Saturday, there was still all to play for.

Unlike the torrential rain of last year (which suits the Cosworth), the weather on Saturday dawned damp with the promise of light showers and sunshine. These conditions are always a headache as the correct tyre choice for the conditions is crucial. The first two stages of the day were through Merevale Country Park, 1.3 miles of slippery, narrow bumpy roads with trees, cattle grids and plenty of adverse camber to catch out the unwary.

It was business as usual for Jones who was fastest on the first run although a heavy shower slowed him the second time through. Welch and Wynn moved up to third but where looking over their shoulders at the super quick Astra kit car driven by Woods who was only 10 seconds behind.

SS9 saw the first of 3 trips to the Motor Industry Research Association test track (MIRA) and a 14 mile high speed blast. The damp conditions caught out many crews including Holmes and Lindsey whose 6R4 looked a little battle weary at the flying finish. Jones was again quickest from Wood then Welch.

This pattern continued on the next run through Bramcote but then the Metro hit problems and dropped 1.5 minutes elevating Mark II into 2nd place. More excitement ensued as SS12 got underway at Mallory Park, Jones hitting trouble breaking something in the Focus STI’s transmission.  Retirement was immediate putting Mark II into the lead!

Welch and Wynn could not relax however – Wood and Ritchie were hot on their heels and left Mallory Park 6 seconds adrift of the Cosworth.

SS14 was back to MIRA for a massive 17 mile high speed chase across a variety of tricky surfaces. The conditions were now warm and dry which were a distinct advantage to the light weight kit car and not so good for the heavy 4 wheel drive Escort. Despite this, the Welch Wynn combo limited the damage to 4 seconds but this still meant Mark II’s lead was down to an unbearable 2 seconds………………….

SS15 and 16 were reverse runs of Merevale. Welch knew that although the stages were short, they were the last 2 where the Cosworth would have any advantage over the Astra. “I told Andy we would have to give it death if we stood any chance of winning the rally“, said Welch.

Give it death they did – fastest on both runs and 8 seconds taken back giving Mark II a scant 10 seconds to defend over the last 3 stages and 20 miles of the event.

Back in service, the teams back up crew of Bruce and Dan were biting their nails, aware of the unfolding drama but powerless to do anything about it.

As the Cosworth came in for its final 40 minute service, Welch spotted that the rear suspension had started to work loose, so much so that the rear wheel was moving around 10mm back and forth. “That explains the weird handling we’ve had since the last Bramcote Stage” said a relieved Welch.

As Bruce set about doing things up, Mark and Andy focused on the task in hand; hold the Astra on the final 2 Mallory stages and then damage limitation on the very last MIRA stage. No problem!!!

Incredibly, pushing the Escort Cosworth to the limit, Mark II dropped 1 second on SS17 to Wood and then equalled the kit cars times on SS18 AND 19 to take victory by just 9 seconds – phew!!

A delighted Mark Welch and Andy Wynn took the winners podium in Hinckley Town Centre after a thrilling rally, soaking the crowd and assembled press in Hinckley’s finest fizz.

“What a great event” said Wynn, “ we have maximum championship points so we are back in contention plus, after co driving for this guy on and off for the last 12 years I can finally say, Welch Wynn’s - fantastic”.

The next round of the Championship is the Mewla Rally on August Bank Holiday weekend over the daunting Epynt Ranges in mid Wales. Watch this space.

Mark Welch dedicated this win in memory of Tom Pryce, the F1 driver who lost his life at Kyalami in March 1977 and who would have celebrated his 60th Birthday on 11th June 2009

Mark II Motorsport Would Like To Thank Their Sponsors :-

Posted 25th June 2009