Penpedairheol-based rally driver Aaron Jones and his team secured their fourth consecutive class win with an impressive showing in Haverfordwest.
The fourth stage of the 2016 Welsh Tarmac Rally Championship took place at Dale Airfield, Haverfordwest on Sunday May 22.
The Lawrence Landfill Dale Stages marked the halfway point in the championship, and changeable weather struck once again.
The first loop of stages ended up very wet after rain teemed down early on.
Several cars struggled with grip, due to the excesses of mud being thrown up onto the road with each passing competitor, which cost 20-year-old Aaron and his co-driver Owen Evans, 18 valuable time on the early stages.
Aaron said: “We were struggling to get the power down out of the tight corners in these conditions, and we were not helped by being held up by slower cars we were catching.
“This cost us dearly when they were spinning and losing control.”
Fortunately for the Caerphilly duo, the rain relented and gave way to a brighter afternoon, where their Honda Civic Type R flourished in the dryer conditions.
Aaron added: “The mud from the earlier stages created a grippy dry line for most corners.
“This really suited our small and agile car because we were able to pin point our way through the tight sections with ease.
“We had a last minute scare when we came across some tyres and debris in the middle of the road on the last loop of stages which damaged our front bumper and ripped the splitter off, but luckily our service crew saved the day and kept us going.”
Improving over the remaining stages, Aaron and Owen managed a 12th fastest overall time on the penultimate stage.
They finished the rally in 15th overall, thanks to the slower earlier stages, but clinched first place in the Class 2 standings for the fourth consecutive race.
Aaron said: “As ever, I’d like to thank our sponsors PowerMaxed and Pitstop Garage Pengam for continued support of the team this season.”
The next stage of the 2016 Welsh Tarmac Rally Championship takes racers to Caerwent, just outside Caldicot.