Event 1296 Story

Date: 2025-11-29

Jones Dominates Autotest with Commanding Ford Escort Performance

David Iwan Jones delivered a masterclass in precision driving to claim a comprehensive victory at yesterday’s Autotest, finishing nearly 46 seconds ahead of his closest rival after six challenging tests.

Jones, behind the wheel of his Ford Escort, set the tone from the outset with a blistering opening test time of 99.9 seconds – the only competitor to break the 100-second barrier. This early advantage proved decisive as he maintained his lead throughout the day, eventually finishing with a total time of 1024.5 seconds.

Gareth Jones, piloting a Mk 2 Escort, secured second place overall with 1070.4 seconds, while Glyn Williams completed the podium in his Peugeot with 1106.7 seconds, also claiming the front-wheel drive class victory.

“I knew I needed to be quick out of the blocks,” David Iwan Jones told us afterwards. “The conditions were tricky, but the Escort felt perfectly balanced through every test.”

The battle for second place provided much of the day’s drama, with Gareth Jones and Ieuan Robertson in his Ford Fiesta exchanging fast times throughout the middle tests. Robertson briefly moved ahead after the fifth test but couldn’t maintain his pace in the final challenge, ultimately finishing fourth overall.

In the front-wheel drive category, the contest between Glyn Williams and Ieuan Robertson proved particularly enthralling. Robertson actually led the class after the fourth and fifth tests, but Williams produced a stunning final run to overturn a 10-second deficit and claim the class win by just over 10 seconds.

The rear-wheel drive class was dominated by the Ford Escorts of David Iwan Jones and Gareth Jones, who finished first and second respectively. Darren Evans in his MG TF rounded out the podium positions in this category with a time of 1129.1 seconds, despite pressure from Geraint Parkes in another Ford Escort.

Among the notable performances was Jake Hilditch, who showed impressive speed in his Toyota Corolla during the early tests before gradually slipping down the order to finish eighth overall. Brian Jones also demonstrated consistent driving in his Nissan Micra to secure ninth place.

The event, which attracted 17 competitors across various vehicle classes, featured a challenging mix of technical sections and faster elements that tested both driver skill and vehicle handling. The dry conditions favoured the more powerful rear-wheel drive machines, with four of the top five overall finishers coming from this category.

As competitors reflected on a day of close competition, it was clear that David Iwan Jones’ meticulous approach and smooth driving style had made the difference. His performance sets a high benchmark for rivals to aim at in future events, with his Ford Escort once again proving to be the perfect tool for Autotest competition.