ABBEY Meads rally driver Ian Barnes recovered from some early drama to finish the season with a strong performance at the Cambrian Rally at the weekend.

Barnes, competing in the Welsh Historic Rally Championship in his 1973 Ford Escort Mk One RS2000, finished 15th in the increasingly popular section for historic rally cars.

That saw him finish seventh overall in the championship with a haul of 77 points over the year.

The historic rally was part of the main Cambrian Stage Rally based in forests near Llandudno, North Wales and boasted a massive 166 car entry.

In the overall rally Barnes finished 87th, exceeding his seeding by 42 places, and this could have been even better had he not lost around a minute and a half on the opening stages with brake problems.

Within seconds of starting the first stage in Crafnant, Barnes lost all his brakes after hitting a deep hole which dislodged a pipe on the front brake calliper resulting in loss of all the pressure.

“My initial thoughts were that my rally was over before we had really started but survival mode kicked in and we decided to continue on in the stage just using the handbrake to scrub speed off,” said Barnes.

Once out of the stage the crew were able to see that the brake union had only come loose and could be tightened and new fluid put back in.

Barnes lost another 40 seconds on Stage 2 but could then have his car safely fixed by his waiting service crew.

With a repaired car Barnes and co-driver Rob Gilham were able to complete the remaining six stages in very competitive times to rescue his day.

“When you have a fixed budget that only stretches to funding half the possible rallies it is vital we finish,” said Barnes.

“This result means that we have scored points in all three rallies we have entered this season and whilst it is frustrating we cannot do all or even more rounds, I have finished seventh overall in the Welsh Historic Championship.

“Finishing is vital and that’s what we seem to be good at and at each rally I get faster through more experience and confidence.

“We can win this championship next year if we can find increased sponsorship.”

To follow the Swindon based driver or enquire about sponsorship packages visit www.majormotorsport.co.uk.