Pembroke Haven and District (PHD) Autograss Club had one of their most successful ever Men's National Autograss Championships recently when eight local drivers competed in the finals hosted by the neighbouring West Wales League at St. Florence.
Phil Rogers from Johnston became the club's first national champion for five years when he swept to victory in the Class 9 final, driving his PRL Plant (Tenby) sponsored Millington powered special. It was one title that had eluded Phil since he started racing as a 14-year-old junior in the late 1980s and has gone on to become one of the sport's top competitors, also being the current British Autograss Series champion in his class.
He again leads the British Series this year and is determined to claim the top two titles in autograss racing for 2002, but with team-mate Steve Lindsay, the last PHD national champion back in 1997, currently lying second in the British Series and missing qualification for the Nationals with engine problems, also determined to claim another major title, autograss fans are in for a treat as the two drivers from the PRL Plant team battle it out with the country's top drivers.
Five drivers from the PHD club made it to their prestigious class finals at the national championships, with the veteran Paul Pearce (Pembroke Dock), National Class 6 champion way back in 1979, driving his Class 1 Mini 1000cc superbly all weekend to claim a fine fifth place in Sunday's final.
In Class 7, two local drivers, Richard Lindsay (Tenby) and Norman Mason (Narberth), battled their way to the eight-car final in their Peugeot 205s, before unluckily having to retire after body damage received in separate incidents.
Richard, who leads the British Series in this class, uses two Honda Blackbird 1000cc motor bike engines, while Norman, in his first season in Class 7, relies on the Yamaha equivalent in the ex-Noel James machine.
In Class 8, Steven Rogers (Milford Haven), brother of Phil, came close to making it a great family double when he brought his motor bike-powered special home to a fine fifth place in the final after looking so impressive in the qualifying heats against the country's top cars.
Besides the five finalists, the club was well represented by Mark Uka (Pembroke), who spectacularly rolled his competitive Class 1 Mini in Saturday's first heat, and more bad luck with engine problems dogged Class 10 hopefuls David Parry (Templeton) in the ex-Bruce Cambell Honda V6 and Narberth garage proprietor Bentley Vaughan in his Renault V6-powered special.