A Preview of the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages (30th August)
The fourth round of the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series and the third event in the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance, is the ever-popular Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages which will see contenders for both series converging on Newtown on 30th August.
Twelve months ago, Elliot Payne / Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2) took maximum Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star® Rally Championship points on their way to the driver’s record-breaking third consecutive title. With three solid results to date, including a win on the Border Counties in May, the pair arrive in mid Wales as Series leaders once more but will be well aware that there is work to do if their domination is to continue.
The featured image above is Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear (Skoda Fabia R5) – Top BTRDA Gold Star crew on the Malcolm Wilson & Nicky Grist Stages
The 2024 ‘Woody’ also marked the debut of a Skoda Fabia R5 in the hands of Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear which – barring a few hiccups – has given the crew fresh impetus and results to match! They have already accrued two maximums and, despite a problematic run on the Border Counties, Hirst is currently 3rd, just one point behind Alexander Vassallo (Fiesta Rally2). Runners-up following the first two rounds, Daniel Sigurðarson / Asta Sigurðadóttir (Fabia R5) were absent from the Nicky Grist Stages line-up but return for the Woodpecker in an attempt to improve on their 3rd place points score last year.
Pat Naylor / Ian Lawrence are leading the traditional battle of the Lancer EVOs which has been joined – very successfully! – by James Giddings / Aled Davies, while 2024 overall Gold Star runners-up and B13 Champions the previous year, Russ Thompson / Steve Link, are enduring a torrid time with consecutive retirements from the last two events.
David Henderson’s seemingly vice-like grip on both the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Silver Star® Championship and the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup loosened somewhat 
when his Escort Mk2 was forced to retire from the Nicky Grist Stages. This allowed Lewis Hooper / Rhys Edwards (Fiesta R2) to assume control of Silver Star – and further their ambition to successfully defend their 2024 BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup win – while Steve ‘Korky’ Ward and John Millington (Escort Mk2) move into the ascendancy in Historic Cup terms. Maximum points scorer in both categories last time out, Osian Pryce (Escort Mk2) returns, prompting a requirement for everyone to remain very firmly on their toes!
<<< Lewis Hooper / Rhys Edwards (Fiesta R2) – Leaders of BTRDA Silver Star & Rallye R2 Cup
As stated above, Lewis Hooper / Rhys Edwards remain in charge of the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup but Tom Constantine / Tony Walker (Adam) won’t leave them alone! Although retiring last time out, Riley Chester (Fiesta) still has plenty of time to upset the applecart – and a good run on the Woodpecker would serve notice of his intentions!…
Having won the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship for the past two years, it’s not rocket science to guess what Nigel & Kaz Jenkins’ (Nova) grand plan is! However, their
efforts thus far are being usurped by those of Dylan Fowler-Bishop / Dan Evans whose Micra has brought home the bacon on all three occasions to-date. OK – a retirement on the Border Counties didn’t help the husband-and-wife’s cause, but the records show that the Micra was ahead of them before their off.
.Dylan Fowler-Bishop / Dan Evans (Micra) – BTRDA Bronze Star Championship Leaders >>>
Ed James / Kevin Lane (Micra Kit Car) are 2nd while Dale Glover / David Smalley (Alfasud Ti) could considerably improve on their current 4th place in the table. Having scored ‘nil points’ on the Nicky Grist – the driver through not finishing and the co-driver from not starting! – Rob Evett / Richard Wise (Nova) will be out to reignite their push for BTRDA Rally Start Class RS-B which had proved successful up to that point. Meanwhile, spare a thought for Giles Armitage & Josh Rhodes – in pursuit of points in BTRDA Rally Start Class RS-A, their Peugeot 205 has, thus far, registered two DNFs and a DNS!
Meanwhile, the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance, takes to the stages once more on the Woodpecker. David Henderson (Escort Mk2) has had top spot all to himself for four months but now has to apply himself to the task of keeping the would-be ‘pretenders to the crown’ at bay.
<<<< David Henderson (Escort Mk2) – MSUK English Rally Championship Leader
Nearest of these is defending champion Elliot Payne (Fiesta Rally2) who is in joint 2nd place with Dylan Fowler-Bishop (Micra) but, with just 25 points (a maximum) separating the Top Twenty drivers, Henderson will need x-ray vision to keep tabs on them all !…
SPECTATORS: Full details can be found at www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk
All photos © Kevin Money / Malcolm Almond
Further information on the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series : www.btrdarally.com
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English Rally Championship sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance : www.englishrally.co.uk