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
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