James Williams tops the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship standings at the Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally overnight halt after a tremendous opening leg in his Orange Amplification Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
Co-driven by Dai Roberts, the Newcastle Emlyn driver held a 15.8sec lead after the opening 23.25 mile loop of four stages and extended that to 29.5secs when the stages were repeated as darkness and rain fell.
Callum Black is second, despite a suspected rear diff release issue which saw his Pallas Connections Fiesta Rally2 slip into front-wheel drive only at junctions. It had cost him and co-driver Jack Morton a lot of time, but the two-time Protyre Asphalt champion hopes to get the car fixed ready for tomorrow.
Sam Touzel/Max Freeman are on great form and are third Protyre Asphalt crew tonight after pushing their Smart Scaffolding Fiesta Rally2 to the limit on the ultra-fast closed road stages.
David Wright/Jane Nicol are fourth, despite going off on SS1, demolishing a bale chicane on SS6 and finishing the leg with a lot of damage to their GPM/DamperTek/Grove Hill Garage Fiesta R5.
Neil Roskell/Rob Fagg survived a big moment on the grass on SS3 and then had to do the night’s final stage in the rain on Michelin slicks – and their brave efforts were rewarded with fifth-place Protyre Asphalt overnight position in their ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Cal McCarthy/Eric Calnan were a late entry and carried number 141 on the door of their Citroën C3 Rally2. The Irish crew ran a lot further up the field than that of course and are sixth BTRDA championship contenders overnight.
Roger Duckworth/Alun Cook (Technia Fiesta R5), Stephen Simpson/Harry Walshaw (Tudor Glass Fiesta Rally2) and Damian Cole/Rhodri Evans are close behind and in a good battle – the latter surviving an off on SS3 and narrowly missing a telegraph pole in their Get Connected Citroën C3 Rally2.
Protyre Asphalt leader Jason Pritchard put his Pirelli-shod North Road Garage/Guttercrest Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 into a ditch on the first right hander on SS1. With a bent rear arm, the wheel alignment out and a broken rear wing, he and co-driver Phil Clarke had to complete the opening loop of stages with the car wanted to swap ends. He then lost more time with a spin and stall on SS6.
Brad Cole/Jamie Vaughan had an engine sensor issue in their Trick Motorsport prepared and East Budleigh Garage run Hydroline Solutions Fiesta Rally2, which put the car into limp mode and required resetting mid-stage. At 30 second intervals and getting dark, the crew felt that it was too dangerous to continue and pulled out.
Roger and Tommi Henderson also retired their DKMS We Delete Blood Cancer Fiesta Rally2 after hitting a deer in SS3, while Mark Kelly/Will Atkins stopped on the night’s final stage in their Kelmore Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
Huw James/Lewis Sim led the 2WD battle after three stages and held an 18sec class lead. Unfortunately, they retired their A&D Tyres Ford Escort Mk2 on the evening loop.
Gordon Montana Morrison/Michael Hendry are therefore the top 2WD Protyre Asphalt crew tonight, despite spinning their Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2 on SS2 and finishing with no working windscreen wipers.
Leg 2 (Saturday 24 May) begins at 09:45 and contains a 27.2 mile loop of four stages, followed by a midday service halt in Duns, a repeat run of the four stages and the finish ceremony in Duns Square from 14:40 onwards.
Free-to-view coverage will continue from the Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally on Saturday, with SS8 (10:28) and SS12 (13:12) streamed live on the Special Stage Facebook and YouTube pages.
Jim Clark Rally – Provisional Protyre Asphalt top 6 after SS6
1. James Williams/Dai Roberts (Hyundai I20 N Rally2)….37mins 27.6secs
2. Callum Black/Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….37mins 57.1secs
3. Sam Touzel/Max Freeman (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….38mins 39.6secs
4. David Wright/Jane Nicol (Ford Fiesta R5)….39mins 36.4secs
5. Neil Roskell/Rob Fagg (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….39mins 42.5secs
6. Cal McCarthy/Eric Calnan (Citroën C3 Rally2)….40mins 01.9secs
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