Preview of Round 2 : Border Counties Rally (10th May)
A quality entry of 90 cars – a 30% increase on 2024! – will take the start of the Border Counties Rally and, following the problems encountered in the Welsh forests since the start of the year, the event will bring to a close an enforced period of inaction for Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series contenders.
Elliot Payne / Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2) were victorious in the Borders last year, arriving back at the Jedburgh finish half-a-minute ahead of Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear. However, due to the latter crew’s maximum points score on the Malcolm Wilson Rally in March, it is their Fabia Rally2 that tops the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star® Rally Championship points table at this early stage of the season.

        The featured image above is the Skoda Fabia of Mathew Hirst & Decal Dear on their way to winning the 2025 Malcolm Wilson Rally.

Payne / Walsh are in joint second place with Russ Thompson / Steve Link (Lancer EVO9), while Daniel Sigurðarson and Asta Sigurðadóttir (in the white Fabia RS), who had a trouble-free run in the Lake District, (photo on right >>>) are far too close for comfort to all of them! The Fiesta Rally2’s of both Alexander Vassallo and Liam Clark / Carl Williamson can also be expected to keep the leaders honest during the day!

David Henderson (Escort Mk2) leads both the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Silver Star® Championship and the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup following the Malcolm Wilson Rally and it goes without saying (but we will anyway!) that he’ll relish the opportunity to consolidate his advantage in each category. 2024 BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup Champions Lewis Hooper and Rhys Edwards (Fiesta) began the defence of their title in the best possible way with maximum points and 2nd place, behind Henderson, in Silver Star.

<<<<<< David Henderson (Escort Mk2) – BTRDA Silver Star & Historic Cup Leader

Defending ‘two-wheel drive’ champions Andy Davison & Tom Murphy (Sunbeam VXR) will be making their first foray into this year’s Series at the weekend and, having recovered from their inversion on the Malcolm Wilson Rally, 2022 winners Rob Wright / Mark Fisher (Escort Mk2) also need a good result to set their campaign on its way. Baz Jordan / Arwel Jenkins (Mitsubishi Galant) won their class (HD) from the Subaru Legacy of Steve Ward / Mike Crawford and are line-astern behind Henderson in the Historic Cup. Meanwhile, Steve ‘Korky’ Ward / John Millington (Escort Mk2) are also in close contention in Class HB.

Although, as mentioned above, Hooper / Edwards currently hold sway in the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup, at this stage of the season, the presence of Tom Constantine / Tony Walker (Opel Adam) and the Fiestas of Riley Chester and Ashleigh Morris / Matt Baddeley will serve to keep them on their toes!

In a very close-run finish to the opening round of the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship, Dylan Fowler-Bishop / Dan Evans (Micra) stopped the clocks two seconds quicker than Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova) and, thus, arrive in the Borders as Series leaders. You can take it as read that the double-defending champions, who won their class with ease on the event last year, will be out to reassert their dominance….

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

Having opened their accounts in Cumbria, Dale Glover / David Smalley (Alfasud TI) and Ed James / Kevin Lane (Micra Kit Car) will be hoping to move their campaigns forward while, after non-finishes on Round 1, Chris Bush / Robert Bryn Jones (Corsa) and Giles Armitage / Josh Rhodes (Peugeot 205) need to start theirs! Rob Evett leads BTRDA Rally Start but needs to ensure his Nova gets to the rally finish in order to maintain that status!

The Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship has several joint leaders – i.e. all those who scored maximum points in their particular classes on the Malcolm Wilson Rally. Now the process of whittling that number down begins in earnest! Matthew Hirst (Fabia Rally2), Dylan Fowler-Bishop (Micra), David Henderson (Escort Mk2) and Russ Thompson (Lancer EVO9) will each be looking over their shoulders as there are another four drivers – including 2024 Champion Elliot Payne (Fiesta Rally2) – tied a mere two points behind them! A second maximum will go a long way to ensuring that one (or more!) of the current top seeds maintains their elevated status but, at this early stage of the season, there is almost unlimited scope for changes to the leaderboard!

<<<<<<<< 2024 English Rally Champion Elliot Payne going about his business on the Malcolm Wilson Rally

The Border Counties Rally takes in five special stages and the first car leaves the Jedburgh start at 8.00am on Saturday 10th May. Prospective spectators should consult www.bordercountiesrally.co.uk/spectators/
All photos © Kevin Money and Malcolm Almond

Further information on the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series: www.btrdarally.com & Reis Motorsport Insurance English Rally Championship: www.englishrally.co.uk
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Preview of Round 1 : Malcolm Wilson Rally (8th March).
Having won the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star® Rally Championship for a record breaking third consecutive time last year, Elliot Payne, accompanied once again by co-driver Patrick Walsh, has entered the first round of the 2025 Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series, the Malcolm Wilson Rally, as he sets his sights on a possible further extension of his dominance! Payne/Walsh won the 2024 event, which is also the opening encounter in the Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship – which Payne also won! – and, consequently, they’ll start their campaign with number 1 on the doors of their Fiesta Rally2.

The feature image above is Elliot Payne who won his third BTRDA Gold Star Championship and the English Rally Championship in 2024. 

However, in an entry that runs to 123 cars, there are also a number of crews who, as past BTRDA Rally Series event winners, have already proved their worth at this level, while several others have been knocking on the door in recent times. In the former category we have Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear whose move to a Fabia Rally2 mid-season last year brought with it a dramatic change of fortune while, having won the Cambrian Rally outright at the end of the 2023 season, Russ Thompson / Steve Link (Lancer EVO9) are still proving to be a potent force at the sharp end of BTRDA Series events! Although it’s been a while since he last contested a full BTRDA season, 2008 Gold Star Champion Hugh Hunter (Fiesta Rally2) is also a past Malcolm Wilson Rally winner (2012).

Liam Clark (Fiesta Rally2) spent last year acclimatising himself to his car and the events in the BTRDA Series, eventually finishing 5th overall. Now partnered by Carl Williamson, who won the 2016 Malcolm Wilson Rally with Charlie Payne (Elliot’s dad!) on their way to claiming the Gold Star title for themselves, great things are expected! Daniel Sigurðarson / Asta Sigurðadóttir (Fabia RS) ended 2024 just one point behind Clark while Vivian Hamill (Fiesta Rally2) took 2nd place points on each of the three events he finished. Possible ‘dark horses’ on the event could be double Protyre Asphalt Rally Champions Callum Black / Jack Morton (Fiesta Rally2). They won the BTRDA Bronze Star category on last year’s rally in a Suzuki Swift but, last time Callum had a serious tilt at the full Championship in 2021, he finished 3rd, just five points behind the overall winner…

                                                                                                                           Callum Black /Jack Morton (Fiesta Rally2) back in 2022 >>>>

As far as the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Silver Star® Championship is concerned, although the 2024 winners, Andy Davison / Tom Murphy, are not defending their title, the category is in safe hands!  Runners-up last year, Lewis Hooper / Rhys Edwards (Fiesta R2), will not only be hoping to go one better this time but also to retain the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup trophy for a second year in succession. Early season leader, and BTRDA Historic Cup winner, Steve ‘Korky’ Ward (Escort Mk2) returns, with the vastly experienced John Millington in the co-driver’s seat, as does Ben Jemison (Chevette HSR). 2022 Silver Star Champions Rob Wright / Mark Fisher (Escort MkII) are back for another crack at the title, while the similar 2.0 litre version of David Henderson / Will Atkins certainly cannot be ignored!

The BTRDA is delighted to welcome long-time supporter Barry Jordan back into the fold by putting his name to the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup and, taking advantage of the new MSUK rules concerning the category, the man himself returns, along with Arwel Jenkins, in a Mitsubishi Galant. Joining them are Steve Ward (no, not that one!)/ Mike Crawford in a Subaru Legacy, while the two-wheel drive contingent includes the ‘other’ Steve Ward, Jemison, Henderson/Atkins and Ernie & Patricia Lee (BMW 325i).

For the past couple of seasons, the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Rally Championship has been the preserve of Nigel & Kaz Jenkins in their rapid green Nova. They’ve not had things all their own way but, in the end, perseverance has won the day. The husband-and-wife team is back and, with Elliot Payne having accumulated a hat-trick of Gold Star victories and Matthew Robinson making Silver Star all his own between 2012-2014, you wouldn’t bet against the Jenkins joining them! However, there are a considerable number of hurdles to jump before they’ll know if it’s mission accomplished!

<<<  Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova) – Defending Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Champions

For a start, as is usually the case in the Bronze Star, the opposition is formidable. Ashley Francis-Adams / Mark Ammonds (Micra), who were a thorn in the Jenkins’ side for much of 2024, are also back, as are Dylan Fowler-Bishop / Dan Evans (Micra) who didn’t contest too many events last year but took two maximums from those on which they were present. 2021 Bronze Star Champion Steve Black is out in the Suzuki Swift in which Callum won the category on last year’s Malcolm Wilson Rally and Dave Brick returns in his Nova which is a sight to behold when being driven to the max!

All BTRDA-registered drivers and co-drivers are automatically eligible to score points in the Reis Motorsport Insurance MSUK English Rally Championship which also sets sail on the Malcolm Wilson Rally. In line with the revised class structure introduced by Motorsport UK, there are some alterations to the class-based Series. However, suffice it to say that most of the 2024 winners have indicated their intention to return. Such was the intensity of the competition that we had to wait until the final round, in December, before Elliot Payne (Fiesta Rally2) was confirmed as champion by one point from Matthew Hirst (Fabia Rally2), with Nigel Jenkins (Nova) just three points adrift in 3rd place. Bring it on!…

The first car leaves M-Sport’s premises at the start of the Malcolm Wilson Rally at 7.00am on 8th March and, eight special stages later, is due at the Penrith finish around 2.45pm.
Full details of the Malcolm Wilson Rally : www.malcolmwilson.co.uk
All photos © Kevin Money Malcolm Almond
Further information on the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series : www.btrdarally.com & Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship : www.englishrally.co.uk
– ENDS –
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Preview of the Grizedale Stages Rally (7th December)
The Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship reaches its conclusion on 7th December with the running of the Coppermines Lakes Cottages Grizedale Stages Rally. Hoping the heavy snow experienced last year will stay away, the organisers have, once again, come up with a very compact route which takes in six stages, totalling 43 miles, linked by just 29 road miles!

Current ERC leader Elliot Payne has put his Fiesta Rally2 up for sale and, in order to ensure the car remains in pristine condition, won’t be taking the start. So, his position at the top of the table will be under threat on two fronts, both of which have already claimed Championships and categories in the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series this year.

The featured image is Nigel & Kaz Jenkins – Vauxhall Nova – on the recent Wyedean Rally

Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star Championship winners for the second year in a row, Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova) are currently 3rd in the English Championship points table. A troubled run on the Woodpecker Stages in September brought forth a correspondingly low score such that an improvement of five points (a maximum score in the Lakes would net six) would see them overhaul Payne for the title.

<<<   Lewis Hooper/Rhys Edwards – Ford Fiesta R2

Then there are Lewis Hooper & Rhys Edwards who have already laid claim to the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup in their Fiesta. HavIng retired from the opening round of the English Championship, the Malcolm Wilson Rally, and then missed the Wyedean Stages, they are in the Top Ten overall with only four scores. Hence, unlike their rivals, they can count whatever they earn in Grizedale – their tally already includes two 2nd places and a third could well see them emerge as English Champions.

Joining the Jenkins in the quest for Class E2 points will be the 2nd & 3rd drivers, Ashley Francis-Adams and Dylan Fowler-Bishop, who have combined forces for the last event of the season in the former’s Micra (right).  >>>

The class has already been won but it’ll be interesting to see how they fare on this occasion.

<<<  Liam Clark has had a successful first full season in a Fiesta Rally2 and, although not in line for a podium finish in the English Championship and with all the usual caveats, could considerably improve on his current 7th place in the table.

Class E3 (up to 1600cc) is led by Michael Jenkins / Jordan Joines (Fiesta) with Hooper/ Edwards uncomfortably close in 2nd. This will be a fight to the finish with, as previously mentioned, the latter crew having a score in hand…

Michael Jenkins/Jordan Joines (Fiesta) – Class E3  >>> Leaders

Only contesting a limited number of English Rally Championship events this year, Will Graham will also be present at the wheel of the Escort RS1600 that took his dad, Ernie, to the 2023 ERC title. Ernie, himself, has also had a quiet season but takes the start of the Grizedale Stages in his Lancer EVOX.

SPECTATORS: The first car leaves the start at Skelwith Fold at 9.30am on Saturday 7th December and full details will be available via the website :
https://www.grizedalestages.co.uk/index.php/spectators
All photos © Kevin Money / Malcolm Almond

Further information on the Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship: www.englishrally.co.uk

Preview of the Wyedean Stages Rally MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!…
Matthew Hirst and co-driver Declan Dear have won the Wyedean Stages Rally on the last three occasions it has run – 2019 / 2022 / 2023. It’s not unreasonable, therefore, to expect the crew to have their sights set on a fourth consecutive victory… Their change from a Fiesta to a Fabia Rally2 back in September has brought with it a fresh turn of speed and they arrive at the start in Cinderford basking in the glory of their win on the recent Llandudno-based Cambrian Rally.
                                                                                                     Featured Image is Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear (Fabia Rally2) – Cambrian Rally Winners

This year’s Wyedean Stages – the penultimate round of the 2024 Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship – offers 41 miles contained in seven special stages and has attracted a quality ‘full-house’ entry of 90 cars. Thus, success cannot be guaranteed – no matter what your past record!
Following the Trackrod Forest Rally, which Hirst also won, Elliot Payne’s lead in the series has narrowed to just four points and, with the Harrogate driver absent from the Wyedean line-up, the opportunity to regain the position that Matthew held throughout the summer will be of prime importance to him!

<<<   Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Vauxhall Nova) – Class E2 Leaders

Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova), who live in the Forest of Dean, are in the English Championship Top Ten overall and lead their class, in spite of retiring from the Kielder Forest Rally in June. A good run on home soil would almost certainly secure the class for the husband-and-wife crew and also boost their 1400cc car’s standing in the full table. However, Ashley Francis-Adams (Micra), who has been pestering them all season, and has actually beaten them on a couple of occasions, is also present, leading to increased pressure on all concerned!
Also competing in Class E2 but only starting his campaign mid-season, the first name to grace this year’s list of Wyedean entries was that of Luke Watts (MG ZR) – Kaz Jenkins’ son and another ‘local’ from Coleford. On the 2023 event, he finished 2nd in his class, ahead of the Jenkins who retired their Nova with engine failure. Although not in line for any Championship honours, having only contested one round so far, Jonathan Brace / Paul Spooner’s immaculate MkI Escort RS1600 could pose a threat to them all on the day.

Michael Jenkins (Fiesta), with co-driver Jordan Joines, leads Class E3 but will, nevertheless, have to fend off the challenge of Sam Mason / James Seymour (Fiesta R2) who retired from the opening round of the English Rally Championship and then missed the second. However, if the level of scoring attained on the next three events is maintained on the Wyedean and then again on the Grizedale Stages, who knows where they may end up…

Meanwhile, Steve Ward / Phil Sandham (Escort Mk2) are one of several crews to maintain a 100% finishing record on events in the English Championship so far this season. Another good run could quite easily elevate them in to the Top Three overall before close of play at the beginning of December. However, as might reasonably be expected, E4 – the class for, among others, Mk2 Escorts – is one of the most popular and joining Ward/Sandham on the Wyedean in similar cars are Rob Dennis / Andy Boswell and Geoff Phelps / Colin Jenkins.
                                                                                       .Steve Ward / Phil Sandham (Escort MkI2) – Class E4 Leaders >>> 

SPECTATORS : The first car leaves the start in Cinderford at 8.00am on Saturday 16th November 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 Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship: www.englishrally.co.uk