A Preview of the Wyedean Stages Rally (8th November)
The Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance, moves to the Forest of Dean on 8th November for the penultimate round of this year’s series, the Wyedean Stages Rally. Not only have Matthew Hirst and co-driver Declan Dear (Fabia R5) won the event on the last four occasions it has run but they arrive at the start in Cinderford with the express intention of extending their dominance, having also just been declared 2025 Protyre Autocare BTRDA Gold Star Champions, following victory on the Cambrian Rally in North Wales for the second consecutive time!

The featured image (above) is Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear (Fabia R5) on their way to victory on the 2024 Wyedean Stages

A good result on the Wyedean Stages could significantly impact James Giddings / Aled Davies’ position in the English Rally Championship table. Their Lancer EVO9 came away from the opening round of the season, the Malcolm Wilson Rally, with 2nd in class and then beat all-comers on the Woodpecker Stages. However, a retirement on the recent non-Championship Cambrian Rally will, no doubt, have brought them back down to earth with a resounding thud!

                                                                                                                          James Giddings/Aled Davies (Lancer EVO9) >>>>>

Forest of Dean residents – and regular Wyedean entrants – Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova – below on the 2024 Wyedean) have had mixed fortunes on their ‘home’ event in recent years. They took their 1400cc machine to an amazing 7th overall in 2022 but then suffered a blown engine twelve months later! This time, they are lying just outside the Top Ten in the English Championship points table but, with local knowledge on their side, a good run would be ‘just what the doctor ordered’!

<<<<  Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova) on the 2024 Wyedean

Colin Minton / Jordan Joines (Fiesta R5) will be hoping to get the better of Hirst/Dear on this occasion while the Escort Mk2 will be represented by the likes of Steve Ward / John Millington and Geoff Phelps / Colin Jenkins. Still with Fords, the Fiestas of Ashleigh Morris / Martin Haggett and Riley Chester have both entered while another Dean ‘local’, Luke Watts, will be relying on his MG ZR to come up trumps!

                                                                        Luke Watts (MG ZR) tackling Speech House on the 2024 Wyedean Stages Rally >>>>>

SPECTATORS : The first car leaves Cinderford Rugby Club at 8.00am on Saturday 8th November for the first of seven special stages and full details will be available via the website : https://www.wyedeanstages.co.uk/spectators
All photos © Kevin Money / Malcolm Almond
Further information on the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance : www.englishrally.co.uk

Preview of Round 5 : Trackrod Forest Stages (27th September).
The Trackrod Forest Stages takes both the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series & the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance, on to the North York Moors on 27th September. Following the long dry spell and the much-publicised fires, some of the extensive peat bogs are still burning underground and it’ll take some time before they are finally extinguished. Local firefighters, farmers and volunteers have mounted a Herculean effort to contain the fires and Event Clerk of the Course Rod Parkin said : ‘Everyone involved in the rally appreciates the huge effort being made to deal with this disaster. Understandably, permission to use Langdale has been withdrawn which is a decision we wholly support.’

So, with an amended route to look forward to, the Top Three starters on this year’s Trackrod are, coincidentally, the Top Three finishers – and Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star Championship points scorers – from twelve months ago!  Consequently, as the current series moves into a critical phase, Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear’s Fabia R5 (in typical pose last year…  see featured image above),  Elliot Payne / Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2) & Daniel Sigurðarson & Asta Sigurðadóttir (Skoda RS) will be out to stamp their authority on the event once more.

Current standings, as we approach Round 5, have Payne & Walsh and Hirst & Dear with two maximum scores apiece, with the former in the lead courtesy of their other results. The Icelanders, meanwhile, were in runners-up spot following the Border Counties but a no-show on the Nicky Grist Stages and a non-finish on the Woodpecker leave them with a lot of work to do – there’s still time but no room for error!
Liam Clark (Fiesta Rally2) posted his best result of the season to-date on the Woodpecker but, similar to Daniel and Asta, already has two no-scores and must do well on the three remaining events. In spite of a ‘challenging’ run on the Woody, Alex Vassallo (Fiesta Rally2) remains in 3rd place in the points while co-driver Chris Lees, who missed the opening round of the Series, is still comfortably in the Top Ten.

The Protyre Autocare BTRDA Silver Star® Championship is in a similar situation to Gold Star in that just two drivers have monopolised the winners’ enclosure so far – David Henderson’s Escort Mk2 reigned supreme on the first two events while Osian Pryce’s similar car came up trumps on the next two. However, while the Welshman is not set for an appearance in Yorkshire, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Henderson can pick up where he left off! Lewis Hooper / Rhys Edwards (Fiesta R2 – see photo right >>>>>) lead the table – indeed, Edwards already has four maximums to his credit and, without wishing to tempt fate, another high score could put the 2025 Silver Star Co-drivers’ title out of reach….

Unsurprisingly, Hooper and Edwards also dominate the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup but, in both categories, Tom Constantine / Tony Walker (Opel Adam R2) are their nearest rivals. Steve Ward / John Millington (Escort Mk2) are in touching distance of a podium spot in Silver Star while also leading the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup from Henderson. A good run over the Moors could also do wonders for Barry Jordan, himself, and Arwel Jenkins (Mitsubishi Galant) who finished ahead of Ward / Millington on the Woodpecker.

<<<< Steve Ward (Escort Mk2) – Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup Leader

As ever, the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship is proving to be an enthralling competition. Winners for the past couple of years, Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova), have had to give best to the Micra of Dylan Fowler-Bishop / Dan Evans on each of the first three rounds but the tables were finally turned on the Woodpecker when the husband-and-wife took their first ‘win’ of the season.
So, Fowler-Bishop / Evans lead from Ed James / Kevin Lane (Micra Kit Car) who have been keeping out of harm’s way and ensuring they’ve finished each event, with the Jenkins 3rd. Nevertheless, with three events to go and a possible 30 points available on each, the end result is about as far from a foregone conclusion as it’s possible to be. Splendid stuff!

                                   Dylan Fowler-Bishop / Dan Evans (Micra) – Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship Leaders  >>>>

With three rounds down, the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance, moves into the second half of its season in Yorkshire. David Henderson had top spot all to himself following the Border Counties Rally but then defending champion Elliot Payne hit back with a maximum score on the Woodpecker Stages to equal his tally. So, not only is there a spot of sorting-out to do there but the next three places – Lewis Hooper, Dylan Fowler-Bishop and Matthew Hirst – have just five points between them, indicating a great deal of shuffling throughout the table!

David Henderson (Escort Mk2)               &                 Elliot Payne (Fiesta Rally2)

Joint English Rally Championship Leaders

SPECTATORS : Tickets for the spectator stages in Cropton and Dalby are only available on-line at https://www.rallyyorkshire.co.uk/spectator-information/
All photos © Kevin Money & Malcolm Almond.
Further information on the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series : www.btrdarally.com & English Rally Championship sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance : www.englishrally.co.uk

-ENDS-

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
&
English Rally Championship sponsored by Kingfisher Insurance : www.englishrally.co.uk