SEVERE sump damage on the penultimate stage ended Hereford driver Dan Evans’ Butlins Somerset Stages Rally with a podium finish within his grasp.
Evans and his Ludlow co-driver Chris Ridge had climbed to fourth place in the Minehead-based event, just a second behind third, when they were unable to avoid a large rock in the road.
The car sustained severe damage to the sump and forced the pair’s retirement.
The pair had made a good start in only their second really and were fifth after the first stage, a position they improved on the next stage after losing 15 seconds when they caught a slower competitor with one and-a-half miles remaining.
The afternoon had begun well with their climb to fourth place before the disappointing end but the pair can take plenty of confidence going into their next outing, the Welshpool-based Plains Rally, on May 18.
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