REPORT / GRIZEDALE STAGES 2025
12/01/2026WORDS BY ROB SAYER | PHOTOGRAPY BY ANDREW SCOTT, NIGEL PRATT & ROB SAYER
More than five weeks had passed since the engines fell silent in the forests surrounding Ambleside, yet the drama that occurred during the Coppermines Grizedale Stages Rally would still continue to resonate long after the final time control.
As the final round of the 2025 Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series, the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship and the Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship, the event would end up providing a pivotal conclusion to the season.
It delivered the action in spades, serving up a combination of torrential rain, mechanical heartbreak, and last minute title upsets.
In the run up to the December 6th event, all talk was dominated by the weather. Relentless rainfall throughout the week transformed the picturesque Lake District gravel tracks into treacherous tests of standing water and slick mud. For the 90 crews brave enough to take the start, the question wasn’t just who could be fastest, but who could keep their car on the road.
SCR
While the event marked the finalé of the English based series’, it was the marauding crews from the Scottish Rally Championship who set the overall pace. David Bogie and Kirsty Riddick, reunited within the cockpit of a VW Polo GTi R5, arrived with a singular, aggressive mindset: flat out.
PHOTO: DAVID BOGIE & KIRSTY RIDDICK | BY ANDREW SCOTT
Ignoring the slippery conditions Bogie and Riddick set the pace immediately. Matching the fastest time on Stage 1 and pulling clear of the pack in Stage 2. Their only scare came courtesy of a particularly deep puddle that reshaped the Polo’s front wing. Fortunately for them, the mechanicals held firm. By the time they crossed the finish ramp they had secured the overall victory by a commanding 22 seconds. A win that also confirmed Riddick as the SRC Co-Driver’s Champion.
PHOTO: OLLIE MELLORS & IAN WINDRESS | BY NIGEL PRATT
Ollie Mellors made the most of a rare appearance in his Proton Iriz R5, delivering a remarkable performance alongside co-driver Ian Windress. The duo claimed outright stage wins on SS3 and SS4, backed by four second-fastest times. Despite not contending for championship points, their pace was undeniable, earning them second position on the day.
PHOTO: ANGUS LAWRIE & JANE NICOL | BY ROB SAYER
It was a similar story for Angus Lawrie and Jane Nicol, who also ignored the championship standings to focus on the drive. Piloting their Mitsubishi Evo 9 with impressive consistency, racking up a string of top-four times in the process, they rounded out the podium in third place overall.
PHOTO: STEPHEN PETCH & MICHAEL WILKINSON | BY ANDREW SCOTT
Behind them, the battle for the remaining SRC podium spots was fierce. Former event winner Stephen Petch, alongside Michael Wilkinson in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, overcame an early rear puncture that cost them precious time. They capitalized on the misfortunes of others and clawed their way back up the standings to finish second in the SRC. Finally donning the podium hats that had eluded them all season.
PHOTO: JOCK ARMSTRONG & OWEN PATERSON | BY NIGEL PRATT
Perhaps the most visceral moment of the rally belonged to Jock Armstrong and Owen Paterson. In Stage 3 their Skoda Fabia R5 had a violent argument with a log pile after sliding off line. The impact left the car bent and battered, requiring frantic surgery by the support crew at service. Miraculously they returned to the fray, and kept the car pointing straight enough to salvage a gritty third place in the SRC standings.
BTRDA
GOLD STAR
In the headline BTRDA Gold Star Championship the title had already been wrapped up by Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear, who chose to sit out the finalé. This absence offered a golden opportunity for 2024 champions Elliot Payne and Patrick Walsh to end their reign on a high note and close the points gap.
However, the sport can be unforgiving. Signs of trouble emerged on Friday when the Payne/Walsh Ford Fiesta Rally2 began smoking, necessitating a hasty turbo replacement. However, optimism that the issue was resolved evaporated on the opening stage; the car lost power and was forced to retire. It was a melancholy end to a season where they had otherwise been displaying good pace.
The void left by the favourites was filled by Alex Vassallo. Despite suffering from illness and feeling decidedly under the weather, Vassallo produced a drive of maturity beyond his limited experience, this being his first full year in the BTRDA championship. He finished as the top scoring Gold Star driver, cementing third place in the overall championship.
PHOTO: ALEX VASSSLLO & CHRIS LEES | BY ROB SAYER
Meanwhile, Daniel Hiorns and Rob Fagg (Fiesta S2000T) saved their best for last. Breaking into the top ten to secure their highest points haul of the year.
PHOTO: DANIEL HIORNS & ROB FAGG | BY NIGEL PRATT
SILVER STAR
The slippery conditions created a unique anomaly in the Silver Star category. Usually the gravel tracks favor a mix of drivetrains but the Grizedale mud leveled the playing field significantly. In a rare turn of events the top six finishers in the Silver Star standings were all piloting front wheel drive machinery, leaving the rear wheel drive contingents struggling for traction.
PHOTO: LEWIS HOOPER & RHYS EDWARDS | BY ANDREW SCOTT
With champion David Henderson absent, reportedly catching up on sleep after a grueling Roger Albert Clark Rally, the stage was set for Lewis Hooper and Rhys Edwards. The pair were absolutely dominant in their Fiesta R2, mastering the low grip surface to take a comfortable win on the day.
PHOTO: TOM CONSTANTINE & ANDY WALKER | BY ROB SAYER
Behind Hooper, the racing was incredibly tight. Tom Constantine and Tony Walker (Opel Adam R2) shadowed the leaders all day to take second, while Riley Chester & Bonnie Papper (Fiesta R2) finished only one second behind Constantine after miles of competitive driving. It was an excellent reminder of how competitive the R2 class has become.
PHOTO: RILEY CHESTA & BONNIE PAPPER | BY ANDREW SCOTT
BRONZE STAR
If you wanted drama, the Fuchs Lubricants Bronze Star Championship provided a script worthy of an Oscar. The season arrived at its climax with a dead heat at the top of the table between Dylan Fowler-Bishop and the husband and wife duo, Nigel and Kaz Jenkins.
Fowler-Bishop was unable to attend the event, leaving the door wide open for their competition to step in. The equation for the Jenkins crew was simple: finish the rally and the title was theirs. For the vast majority of the day they did exactly that. Navigating their Nova through the worst the weather could throw at them.
PHOTO: NIGEL & KAZ JENKINS | BY NIGEL PRATT
Then came the final stage. In a heartbreak that will likely sting for years, the Jenkins’ Nova slid off the road and settled firmly into a ditch. They were unable to extract the car, resulting in a DNF. Due to the “best six scores” rule, the tiebbreak went in favor of the absent Fowler-Bishop, handing him the title.
PHOTO: LUKE WATTS & CHRISTOPHER RIDGE | BY ANDREW SCOTT
To twist the knife further, Kaz’s son Luke Watts was also competing at the event in an MG ZR. Not only did he avoid the ditches, but he alongside Co-Driver Chris Ridge also won the class on the day. Beating his stranded mother and stepfather. One can only imagine the silence in the car on the journey home.
ENGLISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
The drama extended to the Motorsport UK English Rally Championship too. Going into the event Matthew Hirst led the standings. However, the English Championship uses a class based scoring system designed to reward performance relative to machinery. Meaning raw power isn’t the only path to victory.
PHOTO: LEWIS HOOPER & RHYS EDWARDS | BY ROB SAYER
With Hirst absent, Lewis Hooper knew a maximum score could vault him to the top. His spectacular drive in the Fiesta R2 did exactly that. By securing maximum points in his class, Hooper leapfrogged both Hirst and David Henderson to snatch the 2025 English Rally Championship title at the very last moment. It was a testament to the format, proving that a well driven 1600cc car can conquer the R5 & Rally2 giants when it matters most.
2026 – THE ROAD AHEAD
As the mud is washed off the cars and the trophies are shelved, attention has already turned to next season. The BTRDA has announced an expanded eight round calendar for 2026, featuring the return of fan favorite events like the Kielder Forest Stages, the Plains Rally, and Rally North Wales.
Newly crowned Gold Star Champion Matthew Hirst has confirmed he will return to defend his number one plate. With new cars being built over the winter and rivalries simmering after such a dramatic conclusion to 2025, the stage is set for another classic year of British rallying, starting in March at the Malcolm Wilson Rally.
