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Watkins overcomes fuel feed frustrations

Posted on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 08:55PM by Geoff Mayes Media

20 year old Welshpool based James Watkins and co-driver Geoff Mayes recovered from fuel feed problems on the opening tests of last weekends Roskirk Stages to stage a spirited fight back, ending the 12 stage rally 39^th overall from over 65 starters!

Watkins and Mayes were fired up after a positive test session the week before but when the Makefast of Newtown and Rally Marketing of Welshpool supported Nissan Micra refused to rev cleanly on the opening stage the pair were forced to switch to survival mode and slowly limped around the stage and back to service. After the problem reoccurred on the second test Geoff Jones Motorsport descended on the car and replaced the entire fuel feed system. From then on the car ran sweetly and young Watkins was immediately on the pace, setting top six in class stage times, which, for a first time assault on this ultra competitive championship was exactly what Watkins had been aiming for!

Our rally basically ended on the opening stage. On such a short rally you can not afford to loose any time at all. But thanks to Geoff Jones Motorsport the Micra was soon running sweetly and at least we proved that we are competitive!

The next round of the F1000 Tarmac Championship is the Lee Holland Stages at Anglesey Race Circuit on the 25^th of April but before then James will have the Micra on display at Welshpool High School on 24 March as part of a rally awareness program by Go Motorsport.