A RALLY co-driver from near Newtown joined former world champion Petter Solberg in claiming class victory at the Clare Forestry Rally in Ireland last weekend.

John Tomley from Bettws Cedewain gave notes as Solberg claimed victory in the Defender Rally Series race, finishing over a minute ahead of his competitors.

Tomley said: “I was given the chance to compete with Petter since I do a lot of co-driving with Bowler Motors and help them bring new people into the sport with a great training programme.”

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2003 WRC champion Solberg only conducted a short test in the four-wheel-drive SUV before the competition and ended 24th place overall in the rally standings.

The overall victory in the Clare Forestry Rally went to Ireland’s Ryan Caldwell in a Škoda Fabia R5, with Solberg finishing just under five minutes behind the winner.

Solberg said: “I want to say a big thanks to John, to Castrol EDGE and the whole Bowler Motorsport team for making this happen.

County Times:

“I wasn’t so sure what to expect from this car and this championship, but that was so much fun. The car was nice to drive, really interesting. You know me, I would always like a little bit more testing before an event, but when this one started I was feeling happy with the car straight away.

The race consisted of five special stages, held in rainy and muddy conditions.

Solberg suffered a puncture on the opening stage but managed to avoid further issues throughout the event.

He added: “The stages were quite challenging and slippery in places with the rain and the weather coming in – but I have really enjoyed this event.”