THE latest community news from Bala

Rally

LAST weekend saw the third running of Bala and District Motor Club’s Quarry Explorer Rali Cwm Cynfal Targa Rally. The rally started and finished in Blaenau Ffestiniog with a halfway halt in Bala.

The event ran 14 tests including the well known WRC test in Mynydd Llechi, Blaenau Ffestiniog, The Ranges Motorsport Centre test in Trawsfynydd and several private farm tracks in the Trawsfynydd and Bala area.

As ever, the sole purpose of organising the event was to raise money for The North Wales Air Ambulance and once more a substantial sum of £1,000 was raised.

56 crews took to the start of the event, with crews having travelled from as far as Yorkshire to compete. After a day of close competition the event was won by Mold’s Howard Price partnered by Baz Green from Abergele in a Subaru Impreza, they were followed home by local crew Telor Pugh and Cattin Price who also took the expert class in their Seat Ibiza, third overall was taken by another local crew Rheinallt Davies and Will Taylor in a BMW Compact, who in turn also took the semi-expert class.

Rounding off the top three in the expert class were Denbigh’s Brynli Thomas and Daniel Lea in second and Iwan Bont Roberts and Steve Griffith in third. In the semi-expert class, second in class was taken by the Ll?n Peninsula crew of Gwynfor Jones and Dafydd Evans, with the local crew of Arwyn Williams / Dylan Williams taking third in class.

In the novice class the top podium step was taken by another local crew – Dyfan Williams and Keith Morris, second in class was taken by Llanrheadr’s Rob Bryn Jones and partner Lauren Hewitt, and rounding off the class in third position was another local crew – Gwynant Jones and Aaron Roberts.

The mixed crew award was taken by the husband and wife team of Stephen and Helen Kerr and the spirit of the rally award was won by another local crew – Dewi Jones and Ceri Hicks.

A spokesman for the club said: “We are extremely grateful to our sponsor – Michael Bewick of The Quarry Explorer, all land owners and the officials and marshals who helped us on the day. Without a combination of these it would not have been possible to raise a significant amount on money for such an important charity in our rural communities.”

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