Spectator information

Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship - Press release: 10 November 2023

Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear set to be crowned Pirelli Welsh Rally champions on the Wyedean
 
Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear are set to become Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally champions for a record third equalling time as they take an unassailable lead into the final round of the all-gravel series, the Wyedean Stages Rally (Saturday 18 November).
 
The defending champions have led the series since the beginning of the season, winning the opening four rounds in their Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5. 
 
But having been unable to start the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages and then retiring on the most recent Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally meant that their once handsome lead had been eroded to just 10 points.
 
It looked like the Wyedean would be a straight head-to-head fight between Hirst/Dear and Russ Thompson/Stephen Link for the title – until pre-event engine problems with their Dunnow Plant Mitsubishi Evo 9 forced the 2019 Pirelli Welsh runners-up to withdraw from the event.
 
This leaves Hirst/Dear on course to secure their third Pirelli Welsh title in four years and aiming to add to their Wyedean victories of 2019 and ’22.

Simon Rogers currently holds second place, and whilst the two scores to drop rule means that he can’t win the title outright, the runners-up spot would be the highest finishing position for the rapid Radlett driver. Co-driven by James How, the Wyedean hasn’t always been a lucky rally for the MacWhirter Motorsport-prepared Mitsubishi Evo 6 driver, as his last finish on the event was in 2017.
 
Martyn Andrews is four points behind in third, having scored highly on all six previous rounds in his Opie Oils Subaru Impreza STi N12. Such has been the Welwyn Garden City pilot’s performance this year that he won the Welsh Challenge title some time ago, while Steve Greenhill has also secured the Welsh Challenge co-drivers’ crown and leads the overall co-driver’s standings.

Wug Utting arrives at the final round in fifth and could still finish third in the series. Co-driven by Bob Stokoe, he’s had a fantastic season in his Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Subaru Impreza N12b – and having travelled from his home in Gatwick (the Surrey village, not the airport) to every round this year, the Wyedean is his ‘local’ Pirelli Welsh event.
 
Bob Morgan will be aiming to finish the season off on a high in his Winner Garage Škoda Fabia R5. He and co-driver Ade Williams took home third placed points on the Woodpecker, and they’ll be aiming for another Pirelli Welsh podium finish on this their local event.
 
Nik Elsmore is a two-time winner of the rally and whilst he doesn’t compete as much as he used to (this will be this third Pirelli Welsh start this year) he is still a force to be reckoned with. Co-driven by Pauline Nash, expect some fast times from the local driver in his CDS Taxis & Private Hire Mitsubishi Evo 9.
 
Another rapid Mitsubishi driver to watch is Rob Wilson. He might be in an older Evo 7, but that didn’t stop the Ledbury driver taking the Pirelli Welsh win on the Woodpecker and two other podium results this year. The 2022 Welsh Junior, Welsh Challenge and class W13 champion will be co-driven this time by Martin Haggett. 
 
Steve Hollis/Tim Currie had a great run last time out on the Cambrian Rally, although a broken exhaust manifold on the final stage cost them half a dozen places. You can’t miss the sight and sound of their unique V6 Jaguar-engined Volkswagen Golf V R32, which will be aiming for its best result of the season.
 
Colin Minton has been flying in the second half of the season – so much so that his co-driver Bonnie Papper became Welsh Junior co-driver champion two rallies ago. The Swindon driver will be looking for his second top 10 finish of the season, as he contests the event in his Ignition Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.
 
The new driver/co-driver partnership of Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan is working extremely well, and the pair will be aiming for another good result in their Subaru Impreza STi. Also hoping to end the 2023 season well will be Geoff Cottrill/Nathan Crewe (Mitsubishi Evo 9), Rob and Ashley Aslett (Rigfone Electric Contractors Subaru Impreza) and Richard Ceen/Alun Hayward in their MSL Motorsport-prepared Coedwigaeth Pencelyn-backed Ford Fiesta R5.
 
It's an incredibly close battle in the OnThePaceNote-supported Welsh Junior Championship, with the top six drivers separated by just 23 points and all still in contention for the title.
 
With two class wins to his name, Callum Griffiths (co-driven by William Lewis) heads the standings in his Presteigne Tyre Services-supported Fiesta ST and only needs to finish first or second to guarantee the title. 
 
Sam Mason (co-driven by James Seymour) is second, just eight points behind, in his SM Autocare Ford Fiesta – and is tied on points with Callum’s brother Liam (who is co-driven by Daniel James in another Fiesta ST). Mason has won one and finished second twice on the last three rallies, while Griffiths is looking for his first win having finished second twice.
 
Gethin Price (co-driven this time by Steven Brown) in his RKP Haulage Nissan Micra, Dylan Fowler Bishop (co-driven by Dan Evans) in his Restruct Nissan Micra and Luke Watts (co-driven by Matt Rogers) in his NJ Auto Repairs MG ZR are in fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively – and having already dropped two scores, they can count every point they collect on the Wyedean.
 
Sam Mason also has a great chance to steal the class W4 title. He’s currently second, but with leader Tony Simpson (NGK/Seacon UK Ford Fiesta) unable to contest the event, the Bewdley youngster is in prime position to clinch the trophy.
 
Iwan Roberts/Daniel Jones (Roberts of Ffestiniog Ford Escort G3) and Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Ford Escort Mk2) go into a head-to-head battle for the Hockly Motorsport-supported 2WD category title. Two of the most spectacular drivers in the series have each won the class three times this year – and whilst Roberts Jnr leads by 17 points, he can only improve his score by six points, while Kershaw (who is an impressive sixth in the overall driver standings, one point ahead of Roberts) can add 25 to his current total.
 
Aiming to catch both out and steal a last-minute maximum 2WD class score are Geoff Phelps/Colin Jenkins (Hartpury Farms Escort Mk2) and Ricky Crone/Ifan Devine (MS Textiles Ford Escort Mk2).
 
Andrew and Jaime-Lee Fox arrive at the Wyedean as the new class W12 champions, with second on the Cambrian (added to three wins and a third) giving the Xwatch Safety Solutions BMW 325 crew the title. They’ve had a great year-long battle with Dan Chester/Paul Barbet, who just miss out on the title despite a class victory last time out in their Dan’s Action Vehicles BMW E30. Mike Brown/Nikola Brown (BMW Compact M3) and David Jones/Glyn Price (Tanners Arms/GJ Price Transport BMW E30) are also ones to watch.
 
The class W10 title has been decided in favour of Martin Walters/Marie Fletcher (Digger Parts Direct Honda), but that won’t stop the likes of Alan Desbois (co-driven this time by Clive ‘Selwyn’ Jones in his Peugeot 306 RWD), Michael Jenkins (co-driven this time by Jordan Joines in his Ignition Motorsport Ford Fiesta) and two-time class winner Lucy Wigley/Emma Cooper (Redware Citroën C2) aiming for a top step of the podium end of season finish.
 
The close battle for the Hockly Motorsport-supported class W2 title has gone down to the wire. Dylan Fowler Bishop is five points ahead of Gethin Price at the top of the leaderboard, but a class win in his JFB Motorsport-prepared T2 Fabrication Nissan Micra could see third place Ashley Francis-Adams (co-driven by Tudor Jenkins) leapfrog both of them. 
 
Likewise, Nigel and Kaz Jenkins may be down in fourth, but they’ve won class W2 three times this year, including last time out on the Cambrian, and another victory could see the rapid NJ Auto Repairs Vauxhall Nova crew steal the trophy. 
 
James Dunkley (co-driven this time by Simon Cox) will also be out for class success in his Vauxhall Corsa, having shown a great turn of speed on the Rallynuts Stages.
 
Several of the Restruct Welsh Historic class titles have been won, although there will be some intriguing battles on the Wyedean. 
 
David Llewellin won the event in 1985 and ’90 and this time his son Tom will be in action in a Weir Rallying Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2. Co-driven by Sion Williams, don’t be surprised to see the former Welsh Junior champion challenge for a top 10 Pirelli Welsh overall position.
 
Also returning in another Dave Jenkins Motorsport-built car are Jonathan Brace/Paul Spooner in their fantastic Brace’s Bakery Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1. They couldn’t contest all the rounds this year but won three of the four events they have started.
 
Charles Hopkinson/Alan Jones also return in their Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2, while Graham Thatcher – won finished runner-up in the Road Rally class last year – debuts a Triumph TR7 V8, with class winning co-driver Tim Samuel alongside.
 
The result of the Wyedean will determine the top three finishers in each Historic class and who will be put forward for the David Stokes Historic Challenge award for drivers and the Guy Weaver award for co-drivers. 
 
The Witham Group special awards will be handed out on the Wyedean, with the lucky winners in the 2WD, 4WD and Historic categories each receiving a £50 voucher.
 
Organised by Dean Motor Club, the 45th running of the Wyedean will contain seven special stages totalling 41 miles in the picturesque Forest of Dean. There will be three stages in the morning, a midday service halt at Coleford, followed by a re-run of the three stages, a return for a final service and finally a run through a single stage before the finish. The first car will leave the start at Folly Farm in Coleford at 08:00 and return there for the finish at 17:00. Rally headquarters will be at the nearby Forest Hills Golf Club.
 
Spectator information is available at: wyedeanstages.co.uk.
 
The Wyedean Rally will be live streamed on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship’s and Special Stage TV’s Facebook pages during the event, featuring action from all the registered competitors.

Further details on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship can be found online at: wnrc.wamc.org.uk.