For the second year running, Welsh driver Tom Cave has finished runner-up in the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy after chasing down the title until the very last loop of stages today at Rally de España.

However, his chances of victory took a knock on the second test on Sunday morning as he dropped over eight minutes after sliding off the road in his charge to top the time-sheets.

The Aberdovey driver and Oswestry co-driver Craig Parry came to the championship climax in Spain locked in a four-way battle for the title and its huge prize drive of a fully-funded season in next year’s FIA World Rally Championship. And, with double points on offer at the finale, the pair had a strong chance to push for victory.

They arrived chasing championship leader Marius Aasen from Norway but were hampered just three stages into the event on Friday after getting caught behind fellow championship contender Max Vatanen while in the lead.

Stuck in the ailing driver’s dust, 23-year-old Cave lost over 40 seconds and dropped from first to fifth place. He charged back, setting five fastest times during the day, to move up to second in the championship race at the end of Friday’s gravel section. The only mixed-surface event of the season then switched to asphalt for the remaining two days and Cave set about his race for the top.

But a slight loss of power thwarted his challenge during the morning loop of four stages in the hills around Tarragona. He went on to set three quickest times and finish the day 27.8 seconds behind the leader.

Undeterred, Cave continued his charge today but slid off the road on stage 19 and dropped over eight minutes as spectators rushed to help him back on. The challenge was effectively over and Cave cruised home to finish behind Aasen. The heart-braking result saw him finish runner-up in the series for the second successive season.