EXPERT DRIVE LANDS TROPHY
IN REVERED HAFRON FOREST
Mid Wales Stages, 15th June 2003
Despite searing heat and clouds of dust, Rich and Mat McLachlan successfully completed the first forest rally of the season, claiming the 3rd Expert trophy. The Newtown Mid Wales Stages provided plenty of thrills and spills for the 205 challenge competitors, and as usual the pace at the front was hot.
The event provided eight stages over 40 miles of tracks through the famous Hafron Forest, used many times on the Rally of Great Britain. With expectations running high for a number of teams Rich and Mat were determined to get a good result.
The rally itself did not get to a good start and a large queue had formed at the start of the first forest stage. There had been an accident involving three cars going off on the same corner that delayed the stage by 30 minutes while the wreckage was cleared. This did nothing to quell the nerves that all the competitors were feeling!
The dust was still settling from the previous car as the McLachlans set off. There was a caution on the second corner due an unexpectedly rough hairpin bend, and with the earlier crash on the stage Rich was being a bit cautious. At the end of the stage both Rich and Mat thought they could have been faster, however, they completed the stage within 5s of the leading Peugeot. Confidence boosted, the team were more comfortable on the second stage and were really flying by stages 3 & 4.
With the second half of the day repeating the stages driven that morning, everyone was determined to be faster than before. Rich and Mat set off confident that they could beat their previous times, but on rounding the 3rd bend, Rich and Mat were confronted with what any rally crew hopes they never see, the previous car off the road with the SOS board on display.
The car had crashed heavily into a tree and the driver was complaining of back pain. Spectators had gone to assist but all they could do was display the SOS board all rally cars carry to get help from the next competitor. Rich and Mat followed protocol and carried onto the next radio point (marked on the rally maps) to get medical assistance onto the stage. Within 5 minutes of the accident the stage had been stopped and the paramedics were on the scene.
With previous experience of the final 2 stages, Rich was expected to be much quicker than before and was disappointed to be only a few seconds faster, however many of the other teams were also slower on the second run, so we were happy to gain all the positions we could.
While the results were being decided, welcome news came though that the injured driver was only suffering from minor whiplash and was being discharged from hospital. The good news continued with the announcement of the final positions, and the team were delighted to receive their first trophy this year as 3rd expert. Mark Higgins (famous rally driver) presented the trophies in an exceptionally well-staged awards ceremony.
