Bentham-based rally driver David Wright had a disappointing start to his 2010 rally season when he suffered an early retirement on the Team GMF Wyedean Forest rally in his Giles Philips Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo 9.Wright and co-driver Michael Wilkinson started the event, which took place in and around the Forest of Dean, with high hopes of a top result to get Wright’s BTRDA rally championship defence off to a good start.
The opening stage of the event, Mailscot, saw Wright take 8th place despite bending his steering after hitting a rock.
“We made a steady start on the first stage and it was going well but sadly we arrived at a corner to find a large rock on the track right on the line we were committed to taking,” said Wright.
“There was no time to alter our line and we hit the rock with the right hand wheel. Unfortunately the impact bent the steering which cost us some time.”
The rally moved to the popular Serridge forest for stage two and it was here that Wright’s event ended.
“We were on the pace in Serridge but part way through the car leaked oil onto the turbo which forced us out.”
“It was a disappointing end as it looked like we could get a good result but that’s the way rallying goes sometimes. Hopefully we can make up for it on the next event. I’d like to thank Kumho Tyres, Proflex, Drenth and Grove Hill Garage for their support.”
Wright will return to the stages in early March for round two of the BTRDA championship, the Malcolm Wilson rally in Cumbria.
Image courtesy Chris Huish
