by Geoff MayesFIA Production Car World Rally Championship regular, Stuart Jones set the standard on the Plains Rally last weekend before a damaged steering arm put him out half a mile from the end of the final stage.
Jones, who was contesting his local event in his usual Silverstone-shod Mitsubishi Evo 9 and who in contrast to normal was partnered by George Gwynn, was on it from the off - 7 seconds quicker than anyone else on SS1.
He then set another top three time on SS2, beaten only by Jon Ingram in a Subaru World Rally Car and Andy Burton, a former winner, in his unique Peugeot Cosworth. The difference in horsepower between these two cars and Jones' Group N Evo was evident on the long straights and the young Welshman was happy to drop only minimal time to them on SS3.
By now though the 22-year-old had opened up a 30 second lead over his nearest class rival and was looking strong.
Following the mid-day service, Jones took another stage win, level on times with Ingram.
Furthermore with Stuart dropping less than a second a mile to Ingram on the other stages, he was still in the thick of the fight heading into the final stage of the rally, Gatheiniog 2.
However it all went horribly wrong when he cut a corner, hit an exposed rock and damaged the steering arm. With limited steering now available he slid wide on the next corner, the car dug into the soft soil and he rolled over. With the car then stuck in a ditch there was no way to get out and it was all over.
“I am so gutted,” said Jones. “Last year I made a minor mistake and I drove this whole event with that in the back of my mind. I was happy with my pace as we were driving at a comfortable speed all day long.
“I took a cut on the corner before in the morning and it was fine but obviously a rock or something had been exposed since then. Rallying can be such a cruel mistress at times!”
Gwynn, who normally co-drives for Nick Kenny in the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, was also bitterly disappointed: “Rallying is such a tough sport at times. Stuart was fantastic today. Everything clicked between us and we were having a good run,” he added.
“We were not pushing that hard through that last stage either. The conditions were really tricky but it is still so unfortunate it ended the way it did.”
Jones now has a two-month break before his PWRC campaign resumes in Ireland. Gwynn meanwhile will now re-join Kenny for the International Rally Yorkshire in two weeks time, the fifth round in the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship.
