Protyre News

But unlike David Llewellin, Tom likes Epynt!

David, a double British rally champion, has good reason to dislike the mid-Wales military range. He’s never particularly liked the place, even before his famous Metro 6R4 crash which saw him roll spectacularly out of the lead of the 1986 Welsh International Rally.

But Dai was back on the ranges for the Nigel Ferguson Fabricators Tour of Epynt and this time he was loving it – not least because he has now handed over the Llewellin rally driving duties to his son.
 
And wow, what a debut Tom made over the fast and deceptive rollercoaster roads.
 
Co-driven by Jack Bowen and writing his own pace notes for the first time, Tom won the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Historic and Junior classes and finished first in the event’s 2-litre class.
 
A sticking throttle on the final stage didn’t faze him as he brought the Weir Rallying Ford Escort RS1800 home 18th overall and without a scratch on the immaculate paintwork.
 
Dave Jenkins, who built the Escort, walked off with the Dynamic Fluids best-presented car award and was happy that the Mk2 looked as good after the rally as it did at the start.
 
“I was very pleased with Tom’s pace because I know Epynt can bite,” said David.
 
“It was his first time up on Epynt and the first time making pace notes for himself, so it’s been a great learning curve for him.
 
“The Escort Mk2 belongs to the Weir family and they’ve very kindly lent it to Tom to do the Protyre Asphalt Championship in this year. Dave Jenkins, as you can see, does a great job turning it out. Tom’s a very lucky boy to get the chance to drive it.”
 
Tom is making up for 18 months of lost seat time thanks to the Covid 19 restrictions, and is embarking on his biggest rally programme yet – contesting the Protyre Asphalt Championship in the Escort Mk2 and the BTRDA Rally Series in a Mitsubishi Mirage.
 
“I’ve got three sons and from the beginning I could see that Tom was the driver,” adds David.
 
“We’re enjoying what we are doing now. I think he’s got the talent to go further. I’ve seen it in him from a young age and this is part of him getting the experience to go further forward.”
 
“My first visit to Epynt was certainly an eye-opener,” said Tom.
 
“Jack did an amazing job on the notes, it was a big learning experience for us both, writing our own notes together for the first time.
 
“It was a good run. We really enjoyed it and to win both the Historic and Junior class was a great start to the Protyre Asphalt series.”