THE opening round of this years Protyre MSA Asphalt Championship, the Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt, took place over the military ranges near Llandovery on Sunday (11th March), when a very good quality entry of 93 cars lined up for the 74 competitive miles.

The opening loop consisted of two stages, these were repeated as stages three and four, before both tests were linked together to create three long tests in the afternoon.

Conditions were mixed with stages drying as the day wore on only for heavy rain to arrive for the final tests.

Reigning tarmac champion Damian Cole was joined by new co-driver Jamie Edwards in the Get Connected Ford Fiesta WRC, the Abergavenny business man stopped the clocks equal fastest on the first two stages, with event sponsor Melvyn Evans behind in his Subaru Impreza S12b WRC. But from then on it was Evans who hit the front on stage three and was never really challenged as he extended his eventual winning margin to 37 seconds, with Cole having to settle for second as the cars arrived back in a wet Llandovery.

Ross-on-Wye-based Paul Morris was back alongside Simon Tysoe in his historic spec Escort RS1600, in what was Tysoe’s first event for over 12 months. Using the event as a shakedown before embarking on European tarmac events and heading for the Silver Fern Rally in New Zealand at the end of the year, the duo made a steady start but sped up as the day wore on to finish 19th overall and second in class.

Another local boy Jamie Vaughan teamed up with Jersey based Steve Ellis in his Escort RS. This was only their third visit to the ranges but a trouble free run saw them to 25th overall and fifth in class.

Vaughan, who is in for a busy year, heads to Weston Park near Telford next weekend for Agbo Stages alongside Nick Beddoes in his 2.5 Escort.

Ross Motor Club duo Jason and Elspeth Watkins finished 43rd overall and second in class in their Peugeot 106 Rallye.