OSIAN Pryce has taken an early lead in the 2018 Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship after taking maximum points on the opening round, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, in a Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage R5.Co-driven by Dale Furniss, it was the Machynlleth-born driver’s first rally for six months and his first in a right-hand drive car. A late entry saw the Mirage R5 seeded at number 115, but running third on the road.A delay at the start of the opening stage meant that Pryce had to wait for it to start, and began SS1 with a car with cold brakes and transmission – which contributed to him spinning at the first junction.Unfortunately, it occurred on a very narrow section in Penmachno forest, and between 20-25 seconds were lost as he turned the car around.Pryce set second fastest time on SS2, before really flying in the afternoon after the Spencer Sport team had fine-tuned the car’s set-up at the Surf Snowdonia midday service halt.It was a fantastic performance from then on, with a big push on the seventh and final stage to take the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship round win.“It was great to get back behind the wheel with Dale, alongside after six months,” said Pryce. “A difficult day that got better as it went on after we changed the car to perform in the conditions."It was a great route, and I enjoyed the challenge of the stages. Thanks to everyone that made it happen in such a short time frame."Maximum co-driver’s points, meanwhile, went to Max Freeman as he claimed his first outright win on a stage rally. The 2016 champion junior co-driver and 2017 champion Group N co-driver teamed up with Derbyshire driver Ollie Mellors in his Proton Iriz as a last-minute entry, and it was their first rally together.

Although there was no repeat of the snow and ice that caused the abandonment of last year’s event, competitors reported the special stages in the north Wales forests were extremely slippery.

One of the first competitors to fall victim to the conditions was Simon Rogers, who rolled his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI heavily on the first stage in Penmachno Forest.

Rogers was taking to hospital for precautionary checks, but was able to attend the finish of the event on Llandudno seafront, where he praised the rescue team.

Matt Edwards took the lead on the first stage, ahead of fellow Championship contender Hugh Hunter, with Mellors third. North Wales driver Edwards effectively went out of the event on the next stage, however, when he hit a tree stump.

Although he returned to the rally later in the event in his Ford Fiesta, setting further fastest stage times, two maximum stage times left him out of contention for overall honours. Mellors and Freeman took the lead on stage two, and they would retain it all the way to the finish.

Mellors, of Matlock Car Club, and Freeman, of Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire CC, finished the course six seconds ahead of Paul Bird and Jack Morton in their Ford Focus WRC 07. Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson were third overall in their Ford Fiesta WRC.

Meanwhile Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss began their move up the leaderboard in their Mitsubishi Mirage, enabling Pryce to take maximum driver’s points in the Welsh Forest Rally Championship, with Furniss second in the co-drivers.

Second place driver’s points in the Championship went to Julian Reynolds in his R5 specification Ford Fiesta, with Hugh Hunter third in his WRC Fiesta.

Former champions Luke Francis and John H Roberts meanwhile had to retire their Ford Fiesta World Rally Car after they had ripped a wheel off on stage five.

Also out on the same stage, with mechanical problems on their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, were Group N leaders Tom Naughton and Will Rogers. That promoted ex-Group N champions Paul Davy and Roger Allen in their Impreza.

They finished ahead of Dan Moss and Sam Allen in their Evo IX, in second place, with Zak Hughes and Tom Wood taking third position in the Ford Fiesta ST.

The two-wheel drive category provided an inter-family battle, with John Rowlands and Glen Latham taking the honours in their Ford Escort, after Ieuan Rowlands and Emyr Hall suffered a late puncture on their Hillman Avenger.

Round two of the Welsh Championship is the Newtown-based Grooms Garage Mid Wales Stages on Sunday, 4 March.