As the morning progressed, calls on the Brit Assist team were lighter than in some years during the morning in the wake of scrutineering. After his record breaking appearance in 2024, utilising three different cars to compete the rally - albeit outside the points, Ricki Proffit’s 1965 Porsche was misbehaving after a long period of storage; the fuel system the prime suspect. Understandably, there was some good natured speculation as to whether he might be obliged to take the start in something else - eclipsing even his 2024 performance.  The issue was not resolved in time for him to take part in the Penderyn Prologue but when last seen the Porsche was set to remain in the rally.

As always the prologue started from Llandudno promenade, taking competitors out of the town, beneath the A55 and their first taste of a narrow North Wales B road, with a steep climb over the first of many hills.  After only eight miles on the road, the sample regularity section began, rapidly redefining the term 'narrow road' as the route turned south west, the first control coming after three miles.  After negotiating the triangle at the control, progress was occasionally complicated by unexpected spectators straying onto the road including chickens, hares and squirrels.  After a brief shower, sunshine returned and the route cut through some spectacularly green and rolling hills that are a surprise to visitors who associate the North Wales landscape with rocks and mountains.   

With six controls along the 21 mile route, the regularity section took cars southwards to Pentre Isaf then back north towards Abergele and the test at Gwrych.  The test took crews uphill to the castle and included a chance for them to hone their cone dodging and ‘stop astride’ skills before cars threaded their way through the ancient walls to rejoin the modern world and pass back through the road works they had already 

After another run along the A55 towards 'home' returning cars switched to the coast road at Colwyn Bay past Rhos and Penrhyn Bay - with more road works to remind them of the modern world before reaching the finish on the promenade.  In all, delayed arrivals and other factors meant 65 of the entries contested the prologue with two retirements.   

Provisional results for the 2025 Prologue indicate the winners were Mark Godfrey and Ryan Pickering in their Escort, their second award on the event this year. Perhaps it will see the Penderyn whisky won earlier in the day used to celebrate!  The Escort took the crown from Ken and Sarah Binstead in their Austin Healey 3000, with David Coxon and Peter Hawkins in another Healey a very close third.  Like the Imperial Concours, the Penderyn Prologue results sit outside the scope of the 'main event'. Tomorrow the battle begins in earnest.