FIVE local rally crews travelled to Llangollen last Saturday for The Bulldog Rally.

The rally was split into four sections - the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales which was the first round of this year's British Rally Championship, the Bulldog Historic Rally, the Bulldog Clubman Rally and the Bulldog Challenge Rally.

No one local entered the international event which was won by Keith Cronin and Greg Shinnors in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 followed by Mark Higgins and Bryan Thomas from Newtown in a Subaru Impreza N11, with another Welsh crew Stuart Jones and Andy Bull third in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9.

Three local crews entered the Historic Rally which was divided into three categories.

In category two Steve Perez and Paul Spooner entered in a Lancia Stratos. This car must be one of the most beautiful and awesome sounding entries in the championship.

Unfortunately it is not one of the most reliable and succumbed to a loss of oil pressure which forced retirement on the third of four stages.

No doubt Steve Perez will persevere with the car on future events and give today's spectators a taste of what rallying was like over thirty years ago.

In category three Stuart Clarke from Usk and Nigel Gardner from Tredegar brought their Ford Escort RS 1800 home in seventh place and also finished seventh in class.

Wayne Bonsor and Richard Aston from Blackrock near Abergavenny finished nineteenth overall and sixth in class in a Ford Escort Mk II RS 2000.

In the Club mans' event Chris and Jo Tooze from Usk finished ninth overall and fifth in class N4 in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9, but Damian Cole and Den Golding were out of luck when they retired their Hyundai Accent WRC with no brakes on the third of four stages.

Cole had better luck last Sunday when he won the Foresters Car Club Tour of Caerwent.

With Stuart Powell co-driving the Hyundai Accent WRC, the crew set five fastest times, one second and one third on the seven stages.

Cole and Powell won the event by ten seconds from Christopher Jones and Richard Williams in a Ford Focus 4x4 Sti.

Pictured are Stuart Clarke and Nigel Gardner in their Ford Escort RS 1800 on The Bulldog Historic Rally.