Junior ERC
Heindrichs heartbreak leaves Schulz to top Junior ERC order
Timo Schulz claimed a crucial FIA Junior ERC victory on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, closing in on the young driver title after points rival Tom Heindrichs crashed out.
Arriving in Wales as a back-to-back event winner, Heindrichs headed into Sunday’s final leg 0.8sec behind his ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team stablemate Schulz after he was demoted on Saturday’s final stage.
But a crash on a right-hand turn after 8.4 kilometres of SS14 – the same corner where European champion Teemu Suninen spun – left Heindrichs on the sidelines and left Schulz leading local hero Ioan Lloyd by 31.6sec.
Ioan Lloyd put his local experience to good use, claiming a podium finish
© ERC
Although Lloyd, who was making a one-off FIA European Rally Championship return as part of the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team line-up, closed up to his German rival, Schulz prevailed by 13.9sec with Lloyd second and Kyle McBride claiming his maiden Junior ERC podium for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.
Schulz will now head to the Rally Six Cities North of Portugal season finale from 23 – 25 October knowing that finishing second will be enough for the title, regardless of how Heindrichs performs on the gravel-based event.
“With the half wet, half dry conditions it was difficult to do the right tyre choice, but we did a good second stage and I’m really sorry about Tom going off because it would have been a really cool fight between us,” said Schulz. “But we are happy, especially after yesterday morning when I felt really unwell. Portugal will be a tough rally in a Rally4 car but our goal is to go for the title there.”
Kyle McBride claimed his first podium of the season
© At World
After finishing second on his home event, Lloyd said: “It’s a dream come true to be on podium, it’s been a fantastic weekend and such a pleasure to drive on these roads. To drive a car supported by Vauxhall is what dreams are made of.”
McBride added: “A good weekend and our pace has been quite strong at times, a clean rally with no mistakes apart from Friday evening when we stalled and lost 15 seconds. But considering how difficult this rally is it’s been a good weekend for us. We learned lots and have lots of information going forward.”
Sebastian Dallapiccola scored a Junior ERC best finish of fourth with fellow Lancia-driving Italian Francesco Dei Ceci rounding out the top five followed by Claire Schönborn.
Relive all the action on Rally.TV and follow all the news, stage times and results via the Live Centre.
