Newcastle Emlyn driver James Williams scored his first event victory with a dominant display in perfect sunbaked conditions on the two-day Manx National Rally. 

With co-driver Ross Whittock, the Hyundai i20 Rally 2 crew led from start to finish to run out clear winners. 

Defending champions Callum Black/Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were the expected frontrunners but clipped a rock on the opening Pooil Vaaish test near Castletown on Friday lunchtime, puncturing immediately.  

They then hit further trouble on the final stage of the daytime loop, SS4 Little London, a run up a bank and spin costing them a further minute and a half on the approach to Sartfield. 

As Williams took hold at the front, Mark Kelly/Will Atkins (Škoda Fabia R5) moved up to second. 

Behind, Hugh Hunter/Rob Fagg reported their Fiesta to be ‘flat’ over the opening stage but completed the loop in fourth behind Neil Roskell/Dai Roberts who changed the turbo restrictor in service in a bid to find more power on their similar Ford. 

Steve Wood and Kenny Hull guided their Citroen C3 Rally 2 to a fine second place in the Manx National Rally over the weekend (Photo: Mark Corlett)
Steve Wood and Kenny Hull guided their Citroen C3 Rally 2 to a fine second place in the Manx National Rally over the weekend (Photo: Mark Corlett) (Mark Corlett)

Black signalled intent as the Friday evening leg began, fastest over the Keristal/Old Castletown Road test before the planned double run of Balladoole (SS6/7) was cancelled after only a handful of cars because of a non-event medical emergency. 

The longest stage of the event was next, 15.43-mile Ellerslie, and the leaderboard changes were dramatic as Kelly stopped at Eairy with a broken brake calliper, Roskell crashed at the Back of the Moon, Black was halted at Lhoobs and Wayne Sisson (Mitsubishi Evo X) went off the road at Archallagan. 

Hunter/Fagg moved up to second but spun early on the final stage of the night at Little London farm, damaging the light pod and dropping them to fifth as Steve Wood/Kenny Hull (Citroen C3 Rally 2) and Simon Bowen/Craig Simkiss (Fiesta S2000) moved ahead, with Williams already clear at the front despite brake issues. 

Black was credited with his SS8 time loss back overnight to start Saturday in second, 1m18s off the lead, and set fastest time on each of the opening two tests before a broken hose clip ended his event. 

Changes to the rear suspension helped Hunter move back up to third over the morning loop, now closing in on Wood in second. 

As Williams and Whittock returned to the Grandstand on Saturday afternoon with an emphatic winning margin of 4m04.5s, Wood was able to do just enough to hold off Hunter by 9.2s, with Bowen fourth. 

Hugh Hunter and local co-driver Rob Fagg completed the podium in third place in their Ford Fiesta Rally 2 (Photo: Mark Corlett)
Hugh Hunter and local co-driver Rob Fagg completed the podium in third place in their Ford Fiesta Rally 2 (Photo: Mark Corlett) (Mark Corlett)

The leading two-wheel drive crew were fifth, Darren Atkinson/Matthew Daniels (Ford Escort MkII). 

- More in this Thursday’s Manx Independent.

CHRIS BOYDE