THE Plains RalIy, Bala marked a memorable milestone for 18-year-old Henri Cynwyl of Newcastle Emlyn as he made his debut on gravel in the highly competitive Mini Rally Challenge, writes Anwen Francis.

Adding to the occasion, Henri was behind the wheel of the ex-championship-winning car previously campaigned by Tom Hynd, giving the young driver an excellent platform on which to showcase his talent.

Sitting alongside Henri was his father, Dilwyn John, whose extensive experience in the co-driver's seat proved invaluable throughout the demanding event.

Despite facing mechanical issues on Stages 3 and 4, the father-and-son pairing demonstrated determination and composure to overcome the setbacks and continue their learning experience on the loose surface.

As the day progressed, Henri's confidence grew with every stage. The crew's stage times steadily improved throughout the rally, highlighting his rapid adaptation to gravel rallying and ability to learn quickly under competitive conditions.

Their efforts were rewarded with an impressive sixth-place finish, a highly respectable result on a first gravel outing against more experienced competitors.

The performance was made even more notable considering Henri's limited gravel experience.

Having developed his car control skills through Teifi Valley Motor Club autotests since the age of 14, he was able to transfer much of that experience to the challenging Welsh forest stages.

Additional tuition on gravel stages from James Williams of W1 Motorsport Group also helped prepare him for the step up into rally competition on loose surfaces.

Reflecting on his debut, Henri was delighted with both the experience and the result.

"It was great and I enjoyed every minute of it. Taking part in Teifi Valley Motor Club's autotests most definitely helped along with tuition on gravel stages in the company of James Williams from W1 Motorsport Group. I’d also like to thank Mark Williams, my Team Manager for all of the support and encouragement," said Henri.

The successful gravel debut provides another encouraging chapter in the young driver's development, with the pace, consistency and maturity shown throughout the day suggesting plenty more potential to come.

Henri now switches back to tarmac this weekend as he continues his busy season at the Park Garage Rally in Anglesey, aiming to build on the confidence gained from an impressive first appearance on gravel.

Looking ahead, Henri is already eagerly anticipating the next round of the Mini Rally Challenge in Greystoke Forest, Cumbria.

Having gained valuable experience and confidence from his gravel event, he is excited to return to the loose surface and continue his development against the championship's talented field.

With a strong first result under his belt and plenty of lessons learned from the Plains Rali, Henri will be aiming to build on his promising start when the championship heads north.