LAMPETER and District Motor Club’s Andy Davies and co-driver Max Freeman have moved back to the top of the overall standings in the 2017 Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, after they achieved fourth place on the Ludlow-based Eventsigns Woodpecker Rally.

Early season Championship leader Davies had crashed out of the previous round, the Nicky Grist Stages, and admitted he was having a few problems on this event.

He got back into his stride in the Subaru Impreza, however, and fourth place on this event proved to be enough to move him and co-driver Freeman back to the top of the overall standings, and to clinch the Group N title for less modified cars.

“It was a day of mixed feelings,” said Davies. “I struggled heavily with a lack of confidence after our recent misfortune, and a slightly wrong fast suspension set up didn’t help matters, and it meant that we were a fair bit off our usual pace.

“But we quickly accepted it, left the BTRDA boys to it, adjusted our options for the afternoon and we finished the rally.

“That said, we went to the rally with the main focus of finishing and strengthening our Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship position and we’ve succeeded in that aim.

“We sealed the deal to become the 2017 Group N Welsh Championship winners and we have also kept the dream of winning the overall championship alive.”

A third maximum points score in as many rounds for Ford Fiesta crew Callum Black and Elliott Edmondson means the destination of the 2017 Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship will not be decided until the final round in November.

Black and Edmondson took the lead among the Championship contenders on the opening stage of the Ludlow Eventsigns Woodpecker Rally, but surrendered it on stage four when the engine on their R5 specification car cut out for 30 seconds.

That enabled Ruthin driver Hugh Hunter and co-driver Rob Fagg to move ahead in their Fiesta World Rally Car. Their advantage was short-lived, however, as Black and Edmonsdon recorded a time five seconds quicker than anyone else on the following stage to regain the lead.

They then went on to consolidate their position on the sixth and final stage.

Taunton duo Martyn and Dawn England had taken second on the two previous rounds, but clutch problems on their R5+ Fiesta sidelined them before stage three on this occasion, leaving Hugh Hunter and Rob Fagg to take runners-up spot.

Third place on this event meanwhile went to Peter R Stephenson and Ian Windress in their Ford Focus World Rally Car.

With Black and Edmondson moving into second place in the overall title race, pre-event leaders Wug Utting and Bob Stokoe slip to third after taking sixth place points in their Impreza, behind the Mitsubishi Evo of Simon Rogers and Wyn Davies.

While the Surrey based duo of Utting and Stokoe can no longer claim the Group N title, they will go into the final round heading the standings in their class.

An impressive drive by Dave and Toby Brick saw them finish top two wheel drive crew in their 1400cc Vauxhall Nova, just six seconds ahead of the Talbot Sunbeam of Chris Powell and Jim Lewis.Rob Dennis and Andrew Boswell took third position in their Mark II Escort. Fifth place was enough, however, for Colin Griffiths to retain the lead in the two wheel drive category, in his BMW Compact.

Despite being forced out of the rally on stage four with a broken driveshaft on his Ford Fiesta, Rhydian Price tops the junior standings for drivers aged under 23 and so wins a free entry on Wales Rally GB, provided by the organisers of the British round of the World Championship, IMS, as part of their Road to Wales initiative.

The final round of the 2017 Championship is the Winner Garage Skoda Wyedean Stages Rally on 11 November.