Tom Williams ended his FIA Junior World Rally Championship campaign by setting top three stage times on Wales Rally GB and finishing his home round of the series on a high, despite rolling his Fiesta R2T in Dyfi forest.
The 20-year old Oxfordshire driver’s target was to get to within one second a kilometre of the fastest and most experienced JWRC drivers by the end of this, his second year in the series – and this is exactly what Tom achieved, despite not feeling happy with the set-up of his EcoBoost-powered Ford for much of the long gravel event.
Co-driven by Phil Hall (the 31-year old Nottingham-based RAF Reservist making his 25th WRC start) Tom started well, completing a clean run through the wet and slippery opening stage at Oulton Park on Thursday night, before increasing his pace when the event moved into the Welsh forests of Elsi, Penmachno, Dyfnant and Aberhirnan on Friday.
Having moved up to fifth after SS2 (Elsi 1), a third fastest stage time through Penmachno 1 put him up to fourth. Making adjustments to the Fiesta R2 at mid-day service in Llandudno, Tom swapped to softer suspension in the hopes that it would improve the handling and traction – and more fourth fastest stage times followed, as he completed Friday’s long day just outside the JWRC podium position.
More set-up adjustments followed before the long and tough Super Saturday got underway. Unfortunately, whilst closing in on that podium place, Tom’s car slid wide on a fast right hand corner in Dyfi (SS11) and rolled. More unlucky was the fact that when the car came back onto its wheels, the steering was on full opposite lock and the direction of the front wheels pulled the car to the left and off the road. Although the Fiesta had sustained only minor damage, it was stuck fast against the trees and his day’s rallying was over.
The M-Sport team repaired the Fiesta to allow Tom to restart the final day on Sunday under Rally 2 rules and with a lot more set-up alterations done the car felt a lot better. With renewed confidence and the aim of ending Wales Rally GB on a high, Tom set third fastest time through Alwen 1 and second fastest time through Brenig 1.
Despite a power steering problem on the penultimate stage, Tom was able to finish the event strongly, although his result of eighth in JWRC and 40th overall did not represent his true pace.
Tom said: “With a new set-up change to the car overnight, this morning we were able to finish the rally with a lot more confidence. The feeling and the confidence in the car were back again and we were able to finish strongly after what was at times a frustrating and difficult weekend.
“We were very happy to get some good times under our belts as well today and our only problem on the closing stages was halfway through the penultimate stage, over a jump, the power steering cut out, so we had to finish the stage with very heavy steering. Thankfully we were able to re-set it before the final stage and set a competitive time. I was very happy with my times today and I think it shows how we could have performed overall with greater confidence in the set-up of the car on the first two days.
“All-in-all it was an event with a bit of everything for myself and Phil but we are really happy with the strong finish.”