A WISHBONE brought Ludlow driver Keaton Williams anything but luck in Wales last weekend as it spoiled what looked set to be an excellent British Rally Championship debut.

Making their bow in the championship at the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, co-driver Williams and lead driver Josh McErlean had made a dream start.

Despite a few niggling issues on the morning loop in their Woodlands-backed Hyundai i20 R5, the duo were in third place at the rally’s halfway stage.

Even though times were close around them, young Irish starlet McErlean and Williams were confident they could hold on to third spot in the afternoon loop of three stages.

However, on the last corner of the penultimate stage they broke a front wishbone – an integral part of the car’s suspension – and had to retire on the spot, bringing to an end a promising debut event.

“It’s gutting to have retired so close to the end, but we have so many positives to take away from the rally,” said Williams.

“We were on the pace, and look forward to future events now,” added the 25-year-old, whose next BRC event takes place in Clonakilty in the Republic of Ireland on March 14-15.

Altogether, 100 cars took part in the Cambrian rally, which was the opening round of not only the British Rally Championship but also the BTRDA and Pirelli Welsh National Rally Championships.

Its seven stages took in the tight twisty North Wales forests of Elsi, Crafnant, Gwydir and the notorious Penmachno forest, plus the twisty tarmac road around the Great Orme in Llandudno.

After March’s event in the Irish republic, the championship heads to Clacton-on-Sea in England in April, Ypres in Belgium in June, Newry in Northern Ireland in August before climaxing at Castle Douglas in Scotland in September.