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