The August Bank holiday weekend saw Builth Wells once again play host to the popular Old Forge Garage Mewla Special Stage Rally.

Over a hundred crews, including Betws co-driver Claire Williams, descended on the small town to contest 80 competitive miles spread over 11 special stages on the smooth asphalt roads of the Epynt military training ranges.

Following on from their exploits on the Irish asphalt during the ALMC Stages Rally in July, Williams once again sought to team up with regular tarmac pilot, David Earthy in his Citroen C2 R2Max, to contest Round Five of the REIS MSA National Asphalt Championship.

Williams, who’s preferred surface is on gravel, has relished in her recent unexpected return to regularly competing on tarmac having bagged two podium places this year alone.

Her initial plans for 2015 which largely consisted of gravel rallies with the view to competing for honours in the Kick Energy BTRDA National Gravel Championship have been plagued by chronic engine problems.

Nevertheless, Williams and Earthy, who triumphed with a sound class win on this very rally in 2014, were looking to continue the pace they showed in Ireland and secure another class victory on this year’s event.

With ever changing weather forecasts teasing the crews with the possibility of rain, tyre choices were to play a significant part throughout the day and potentially make the notoriously slippery stages even more interesting.

The pair opted for a last minute change to dry slick tyres on route to the first loop of stages and their decision would prove correct as they came out of the blocks running, producing a solid, clean and neat drive, despite a slight impact with a bank midway through Stage Three.

Unfortunately, by the afternoon, the tyre choice which served them well throughout all the morning would no longer stand them in good stead of producing competitive stage times.

With lingering rain showers dampening the road surface, their ability to find grip on the greasy surface with their dry weather tyres would prove in vain, costing them around half a minute to their rivals.

Determined to claw back the lost time, Earthy and Williams opted for safety and eventually were able to get over to the more suitable intermediate wet tyre during the final service.

Immediately their confidence was restored and they were able to attack the remaining two stages and more importantly, cross the finish line intact, rounding up another successful rally with a very neat and controlled signature performance and securing their second class victory of 2015 and 32nd position overall from 120 starters.

“I know from experience that Epynt is notorious for its ever changing weather conditions,” said Williams,

“It is also very unforgiving if you get it wrong so being on the correct tyre is crucial to just even stay on the road, let alone to push on.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t quick enough to react to the changing weather and didn’t change to a wet tyre until it was too late and we realised just how much time we’d bled in one stage alone.”