Spencer ECA

It was a great start to the Spencer Sport team’s 2016 MSA British Rally Championship campaign on this weekend’s (5th & 6th) Mid Wales Stages, the opening round of the new-look BRC. Driving an R5 specification Mitsubishi, Osian Pryce and co-driver Dale Furniss became the first ever winners of the BRC National Rally Cup – finishing the event in an impressive fifth place overall – whilst Tom Cave and James Morgan kicked off their British Championship title challenge with an inspiring podium finish in the team’s R5 Fiesta.

The Spencer Sport team looked after a total of four cars this weekend: a Fiesta R5 for Tom Cave (Aberdovey)/James Morgan (Hirwan); two R5 specification Mitsubishi Mirages for Osian Pryce (Machynlleth)/Dale Furniss (Llanfyllin) and Jamie Jukes (Llandysul)/Dave Williams (Mold); plus Spencer Sport also provided support for a third Mitsubishi for Robert Blomberg/Lars Andersson from Sweden.

The event started and finished in Newtown and featured two stages in the dark on Saturday evening with a further four in daylight on Sunday. Whilst the Hafren and Myherin forests that were used for all of the rally’s six stages were familiar territory to many of the event’s 66 crews, the conditions were not, and the snow that fell leading up to the event had remained on the higher ground, together with icy patches that had formed on the gravel roads.

Cave and Morgan started how they finished, setting the third-fastest time on stage one, only to be slowed by a puncture on stage two – which meant they returned to Newtown for the overnight halt fifth overall. For the Mitsubishis, the team were delighted to see that – right from the start – the three cars were one, two and three in the National Rally Cup, with Pryce and Funiss setting a blistering pace and ended the evening on third place overall.

Jukes reported a throttle control issue – not of his own making – which meant his position of 15th overall was more than respectable, whereas Blomberg in 24th, said he had never experienced conditions like it and was used to either snow or gravel in his native Sweden and not an unpredictable mixture of both at the same time!

The snow and ice remained in place at the top of the mountains for the four Sunday stages, although crews reported it was a little easier to deal with this time as at least they could see it. However, that didn’t help Jukes and Williams, when they were caught out by the conditions on a downhill section in stage three, their Mitsubishi ending its rally in a ditch.

Pryce and Furniss also left the road on SS3 – albeit at a different location – but powered on to set the second-fastest overall time through the stage.  Whilst they held onto third place following SS4, as they consolidated their lead in the National Rally Cup they were overhauled by two crews chasing BRC positions and consequently, they ended the rally in a highly credible place fifth overall.

“I’m very pleased with the result”, said Pryce at the finish. “I haven’t enjoyed a rally as much as this for a long time and it was great to be on the pace of the front-runners throughout the event. I have to thank the Spencer Sport team for their faith in me and for letting me drive the Mitsubishi. I think we’ve proved it’s a really competitive car this weekend I hope to be back out in it again at some point soon.”

Ironically, one of the crews chasing BRC honours were Cave and Morgan, their new partnership and familiarity of the recently rebuilt Fiesta increasing by the mile. A concerted effort in the final two stages saw them elevated to third. Beaten only by two regular WRC drivers: Elfyn Evans and Fredrik Ahlin, the result providing a great start to theirs and Spencer Sport’s British Rally Championship title challenge.

“This is a fantastic start to the season”, said Cave. “After where we were a couple of weeks ago, to claim third place in the first event of the new BRC and with so many top competitors around us, is great. Things really started to gel between James and I, which added to our pace. The Fiesta ran faultlessly and I really must thank Spencer Sport and M-Sport for getting it fixed in such a short space of time.”

Robert Blomberg and Lars Andersson were delighted to get to the finish and claim second place in the National Rally Cup – making it a Mitsubishi R5 one-two.

Spencer Sport would like to thank its motorsport partners for their support: Spencer ECA, Michelin tyres, the Trefeddian Hotel, Oil 4 Wales, Reeds Construction & Engineering, Speedline Wheels, PIAA lights, Nicky Grist Motorsports and Rugbi Industrial Supplies. Special thanks goes to Dave Jenkins Motorsport and M-Sport for working tirelessly to help the team get the Fiesta ready for this weekend’s event.
ENDS