NEWCASTLE Emlyn rally driver James Williams endured a tough third round of the Probite British Rally Championship last weekend as the 26-year-old cruelly retired from the Jim Clark Rally with power steering failure, denying him and co-driver Ross Whittock a podium position in Scotland.

The Orange Amps rally driver was fresh from a win in the Protyre National Asphalt Championship a fortnight earlier – wining the Manx Rally by a comfortable four-minute margin. Fast-track to two weeks later, and the Hyundai driver was looking to extend his lead in the National Asphalt series whilst searching for his first podium of the year in the British Rally Championship.

Williams had been on the Jim Clark Rally podium before – with second back in 2022 and was eager to repeat the result. Starting car seven, in his striking Orange Amps liveried Hyundai i20 Rally2, Williams along with co-driver Ross Whittock wanted to be quick out the blocks.

The first test was the spectacular Langton Mill stage – a favourite for rally fans with hordes of spectators lining the route. The pair were second fastest in the British Rally Championship category – however later that evening disaster struck the pair as they picked up a puncture – meaning they had to stop and change the flailing rubber. This unscheduled stop dropped them down the order. However several top six overall stage times dragged them back up to seventh in the BRC with a full day waited as they went in search of the lost time.

Things went from bad to worse for Williams and Whittock as the cars power steering had cried enough and failed on the crew after the opening test of the morning. The car was undriveable and they had to park up the car on the sidelines. Their hopes of a strong result over.

The Jim Clark Rally is one of the toughest on the calendar - as several of Williams’ key rivals also failed to score too, and with the large list of retirements the Welshman must’ve been wondering, what might have been.

“It’s never easy retiring from an event, I’s pretty soul destroying.” said a disappointed Williams. “We thought we could pick up a good result here. Our pace would have been ok and I think a second or third place in the British Championship and podium on the National Tarmac series might have been on the cards – but that’s if, buts and maybe’s now.

“We have a long break ahead of us which is good as we can have some down time and re-prep the car ready to go again in August.

“The only consolation to the weekend is that a few others retired – which has made the championship quite tight on the points – which is going to make the title fight great to watch for the fans in the second half of the year.

“I do want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported me on the event – it was great to have the backing – I am just sorry we didn’t get to go out on the second day – but we are back in Scotland for the next round, where I hope to make some amends to the early bath on the Jim Clark!”

The next round of the Probite British Rally Championship is the Grampian Forest Rally on the 9-10 August with the championship switching to the gravel tracks not far from Aberdeen.

James would like to thank his team of loyal partners: Orange Amps, Fast Forward Logistics, Hyundai Power Products, Rally Cover, Pirelli, Performance 1st Coaching, Composites Cymru, West Wales Lubricants, Palletline, Craftric Technology, Speedline Corse, Castle Designs, Charlies Stores, ND Civils, Progressive Safety Equipment, Huw Morris Plant Hire , Hide Away Wales, West Coast Finance, Ceir Castle Motors and Vital Equipment.