2008 Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship

Welsh wonder impresses on successful Seat debut. Geoff Mayes Reports

 Carmarthen racing driver Rhys Lloyd dominated both rounds of last Sunday’s LMA Euro Saloons at Snetterton Race Track to take a pair of class wins and the lap record on his debut in his new GWD motors backed Seat Leon Cupra.

 22 year old Rhys, in only his second year of circuit racing, qualified down in eighth position overall and third in class for the opening race. But a brilliant start saw the young businessman cut through the pack like a hot knife through butter and he was pleasantly surprised to end the opening lap in second position overall, and ahead of some mighty powerful machinery! Rhys was happy to hold station and towards the end of the race enjoyed a battle with a Noble GTR until his tyres began to fade away. Even so the young Welshman was over the moon with third overall and a dominant class win… and then found to his amazement that he had smashed the previous lap record by over half a second as well!

 The second race saw Rhys line up third on the grid and once again the rallying convert enjoyed a brilliant start and immediately moved into second position. After pulling out a comfortable gap to the chasing pack his advantage was removed when the safety car came out to slow the field whilst a stricken car was recovered. When racing resumed Rhys struggled to hold back the Noble and was also passed by a rapid Elise right at the end of the race… but despite this he still took both the class win and the fastest lap of the race.

 Wow, what a weekend. Interest in the car has been amazing, and I am amazed at my pace. When we qualified third in class I thought that was the position we would aim for in the race… not third overall! The second race was a little tougher because the safety car came out for a few laps, but two class wins, 2 fastest laps and a new lap record in my first race meeting in the new car is not a bad days work!

 Rhys is now the overall joint leader in the LMA Euro Saloon Championship. The next meeting unfortunately clashes with the opening rounds of the WRDA Welsh Sports and Saloons championship which takes place on the 19^th of April at Pembrey Race Circuit, which is the main focus of Rhys campaign for 2008.

Thanks to Geoff for the article and photo