Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge – Round 5 Preview ~ Swansea Bay Rally – 19th July 2008

Battle for Mitsubishi Championship hots up.

One point separates four drivers.

Nine Evo Challenge teams go head-to-head on classic Welsh stages.

With only one point separating the top four drivers in the championship standings: Daniel Barry, David Bogie, Richard Cathcart and Nik Elsmore, the fifth round of this year’s Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, the Swansea Bay Rally on 19th July, is destined to produce an exciting battle for supremacy.

With cars in the Evolution Challenge strictly controlled to comply with Group N regulations, all are similar in performance and with so many drivers of equal pace registered for this year’s series, 2008 has so far produced the closest competition yet. In fact, with four rounds already run and three to go, only five points separates the top six!

The Swansea Bay Rally also hosts round five of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship and sees a total entry of 36 cars, nine of which are Evolution Challenge competitors, a figure which represents 25% of the National field.

Starting and finishing from the rapidly developing area of SA1, the event features six timed special stages comprising 64 competitive miles in forests that are visited by the WRC teams during the Wales Rally GB: Margam, Rhondda, Resolven and Walters Arena.

Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - Round Five, Entries in start number order

7 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Kevin Rae (Hawick) J
8 Richard Cathcart (Enniskillen)/Martin Brady (Navan)
9 Daniel Barry (Enniskerry)/Mark Bowens (Cork) J
10 Nik Elsmore (Coleford)/Paul Wakeley (Llanelli)
11 Neil McCance (Comber)/Graham Hopewell (Worcester)
12 Keith Cronin (Cork)/Greg Shinnors (Limerick) J
20 Miles Johnston (York)/Ian Bevan (Holywell)
21 Jonathan Sparks (Glastonbury)/Chris Davies (Abergavenny)
22 Thomas Naughton (Bury)/Horace Saville (Bury)

J = Junior driver

Championship Positions after round four

1 Daniel Barry 28
2 Richard Cathcart 28
3 David Bogie 27
4 Nik Elsmore 27
5 Keith Cronin 24
6 Neil McCance 23
7 Miles Johnston 13
8 Jonathan Sparks 12
9 Seb Ling 8
10 Jonny Greer 7