Bryn Jones and co-driver Max Freeman completed the fourth round of the Peugeot Rally Cup Portugal with a strong sixth-place finish in the category at Rallye Casinos do Algarve, while also securing third in the Junior Portuguese Rally Championship.
The pair brought their PT Racing-prepared Peugeot 208 Rally4 home in 22nd overall after a challenging weekend on the gravel roads of the Algarve.
Returning to gravel for the first time since April, Jones admitted it took some time to rediscover his rhythm on the loose surface, having spent much of the season competing on tarmac since May.
“It was an enjoyable but tough weekend. I tried to get the most out of the car throughout the event,” said Jones.
“It took me a bit to get used to driving on gravel again. We did two runs of shakedown and then Stage One, and I was progressively getting better with every kilometre.
“By Stage Two, I was back into the swing of it. The feeling was becoming really good.”
The event provided a number of challenges, with dust affecting the crew on Stage Three and increasingly rough conditions making the afternoon stages particularly demanding.
“Unfortunately, on Stage Three, we caught some dust and lost a bit of time. Luckily, we were able to get that time back from the organisers.
“The stages were getting quite rough in the afternoon loop, so we really needed to concentrate on avoiding damaging the car or getting a puncture. We’re extremely grateful that we had such a strong car.”
The result sees Jones and Freeman continue to build valuable experience in their first season competing together in the Peugeot Rally Cup Portugal, with the final round of the championship now on the horizon.
The championship will return to the tarmac for the final round, Rallye Vidreiro Centro de Portugal, which takes place on 20–21 November.
Jones will be looking to finish the season strongly as he returns to tarmac for the final round of the Peugeot Rally Cup Portugal.
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