Sunday 10 February 2013

Brilliant drive nets Wright second on Wyedean rally


Bentham’s David Wright put his disappointing 2012 rally season behind him on the Wyedean Forest rally last weekend when he stormed to second place overall in his  Kumho Tyres, Proflex, Drenth, York Brewery, Millers Oils, Owen Developments and Grove Hill Garage-backed GPM Mitsubishi Evo 9. The event was the first in this season’s BTRDA rally championship which Wright intends to contest.

Wright’s rally got off to a frustrating start when he was forced to run in the class for much more powerful world rally cars rather than the B13 class he usually runs in but he used this frustration to good effect as he led the event after the opening four stages.
“The hassle about the class we were in was not an ideal way to start the rally but it made us even more determined to show what we can do,” said Wright. “We set a good time on the opening stage and then started to push harder.  Keeping a good rhythm going in the tricky slippery conditions was the key to a good time and after being fastest in Serridge and Chepstow Park we held a slender lead at service which I was really happy with.”
Wright dropped to third following stage 5, Mailscot, after clipping a rock and bending the front wheel which resulted in a puncture. Despite this handicap he was only 10 seconds slower than the fastest stage time.
The puncture was changed at the end of the stage and Wright drove out of his skin on stage 6 to try and regain the lead. Unfortunately he beat the stage bogey time by 9 seconds so did not move up the order despite being quickest.
A charge through the final Speech House stage saw him overhaul the world rally car of Hugh Hunter to take second place but his time was not quite enough for the win.
“We were so close to taking a victory, those few seconds lost on stage 5 and 6 made all the difference. I’m still extremely happy with second place though, we’ve shown we have the pace to beat the world rally cars and it bodes well for a good season. I can’t wait for the next event!”
Wright’s next event will be round two of the BTRDA championship, the Malcolm Wilson rally, which takes place in Cumbria on 2nd March.

Image courtesy Simon Clarke