Dramatic spin fails to halt Damian

3:40pm Friday 22nd August 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A RELIEVED Damian Cole finished the weekend's Get Connected! Neath Stages Rally in third place despite his Hyundai World Rally Car spinning off the course at high-speed on the fifth of six stages.

Somehow the car avoided major damage and the shaken pre-race favourite, and his co-driver Ian Allsop, were able to continue on their way.

The race was won by Michael O’Brien and Paul Spooner in a WRC Ford Focus with James Belton and Eurig Evans second in a Subaru Impreza WRC in this popular new rally, now into its second year.

Sponsored by Get Connected!, the mobile phone retailer, 70 competitors took part in this rain-affected event that takes in some of the great Welsh rally stages.

Cole’s Hyundai Accent WRC had won two of the first four stages despite being forced to run on worn tyres due to a supply problem. As the rain continued to bucket down and the conditions worsened, any chances of a victory were blown on stage five as the car spun twice.

“The first time we spun we were up to sixth gear and flying,” explained Cole. “I just closed my eyes and waited for the bangs, but there were none, so we were able to get ourselves up the bank and back into the action. Then we span and finished-up facing the wrong way and on the racing line.

“We knew the next competitor was closing in on us at high-speed so it was a massive relief when we righted ourselves and got going just in the nick of time. Thankfully we move on to the Woodpecker all in one piece!”

A good finish in The Woodpecker Stages Rally, which takes place around Ludlow on August 30, could see Cole win the Welsh Rally Championship and move into the lead in the BTRDA Rally Series, where he currently lies in second place.