Ahlin Wins Pirelli International Rally
Sweden's Fredrik Ahlin took his second consecutive BRC win, cementing his place at the top of the championship.
It was a busy one for rallying last weekend. As well as the WRC in Argentina, the British Rally Championship contenders were in action on the Pirelli International Rally. The Pirelli is one of the signature events of the championship and takes place in the infamous Kielder Forest, where the roads are fast, rough and surrounded by unforgiving ditches.
Scandinavians have historically gone well in the BRC; the skills they learn from an early age in their home countries seem to equip them well for tackling the challenges of the UK's premier rally championship. After a troubled 2016 season, Fredrik Ahlin, alongside Norwegian co-driver Torstein Eriksen, has got off to a flying start in 2017. He won the opening round, the Border Counties Rally, in March and has cemented his place at the top of the championship standings with another victory in Cumbria.
Tom Cave was the early leader in the Hyundai i20 R5 before he was sidelined by suspension failure.
Ahlin, who was behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia R5, had inherited the lead of the rally on the third stage after Tom Cave, who was driving the Hyundai i20 R5 for the first time on the Pirelli, retired from the lead with suspension failure. This was a big disappointment for the Welshman, who looked well in contention for the win, but Ahlin was ready to pounce as Cave struggled, spending the rest of Saturday extending his lead over another Welsh driver, Osian Pryce, who was in a Fiesta R5.
Going into the second day of the rally, Ahlin held a 21 second lead over Pryce, but the Fiesta pilot had played his tyre joker (allowing him to use two extra tyres over the usual allocation of 10) which gave him a distinct advantage. With two stages to go, Ahlin's lead was down to 4.6 seconds, but the Swede fought back, stretching it back to over 15 seconds before the final stage, eventually going on to win by almost 40. A convincing win indeed.
Osian Pryce finished a strong second in a Fiesta R5.
The final spot on the podium went to Ireland's Marty McCormack in another Fabia R5, who managed to beat fellow Skoda pilot and 2011 champion, David Bogie. It had been a tough event for Bogie, who had suffered brake problems on Saturday, before a spectacular fightback saw him almost clinch third. The poor Scot just doesn't seem to have the luck to match his pace currently.
Ahlin's victory gives him a 22 point lead in the championship over Pryce. While that may sound substantial, the Welshman is yet to play his joker, so Ahlin's place at the top isn't quite as secure as it appears. Tom Cave remains in third, despite his retirement and the Hyundai driver will be keen to put things right next time out. It's safe to say that the fight for BRC glory is still wide open.
After a successful return in 2016, the BRC seems to be building firmly for the future, attracting decent entries and drivers from all over Europe. I still think there is a long way to go before it is able to enjoy the kind of glory it has seen in the past, but things appear to be going in the right direction.
The next round is another one steeped in history - the RSAC Scottish Rally, which takes place in Dumfries and Galloway on May 19-20. Things then take a continental turn as the crews travel to Belgium for the Ypres Rally in June.
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