WELSH / RD3 / PLAINS RALLY
07/06/2023The Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship arrived in the south Snowdonian town of Bala for the third round of its 2023 season, the Plains Rally. This Knutsford and District Motorclub organised event featured some 42 miles of competitive action across 8 stages (4 of repeated) in the Alwen and Aberhirnant Forest Complexes.
Arriving in Bala with the first two wins already under his belt, Championship leader Matthew Hirst was to compete at the event without his regular Co-Driver, Declan Dear; who was instead off on a jolly with his better half. In stepped the very capable Mark Glennerster, however, Hirst would face some stiff competition this time out from a returning Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen, who was making an appearance for the first time in several months.
The event began with a short 2.77 miles blast through the southern side of Alwen Forest where the first sense of any potential battle for glory came already when Hirst and Gardener stopped the clocks on identical times on that opening test; with Bob Morgan some 11 seconds down on the pair in third.
Hirst pipped Gardener by a single second in the slightly longer test in SS2 Alwen North, to take the lead of the rally before heading south of Bala for what should have been another two tests. However, the longest stage, Aberhirnant was cancelled due to an accident, leaving just another short 3 miler across the road in Llangower.
Photo: Matthew Hirst & Mark Glennister | By Andrew Scott
Here is where Matthew Hirst could eke out a bit more of an advantage over second-place man, Perry Gardener. Taking the stage win by 8 seconds, Hirst was heading into the mid-day service with a 9-second lead; with Bob Morgan rounding out the top three Welsh Crews, well over a minute down on that fight for the lead of the rally.
Meanwhile, in the Welsh Two-Wheel Drive Championship, the morning saw the retirement of our reigning Champs, Boyd Kershaw & Keegan Rees. Although Kershaw got off to a reasonably good start in the opening test of the rally, joint fastest with Iwan Roberts Jnr; the Kewi would run into problems with his Ford MK2 Escort in the very next stage (Alwen North) and subsequence would retire then after with a broken prop shaft. This left Roberts alongside Co-Driver Daniel Jones to lead the Welsh 2WD crews in their Ford Escort G3; heading into the mid-day service halt back at Bala with a fourteen-second lead over Kevin Metcalfe & Ian Jones in the E30 BMW.
Photo: Iwan Roberts & Daniel Jones | By Andrew Scott
Over the morning’s loop, there was a dominant performance emerging in the Welsh Historic Classes. Richard Jordon began his day with the fastest time of the Welsh Historic crews in the opening stage, stopping the clocks 3 seconds quicker than Irishman, Michael McDaid.
Photo: Richard Jordan & James Gratton-Smith | By Andrew Scott
This trend continued on over the morning’s stages with Jordan, alongside Co-Driver James Gratton-Smith leading the way for the Welsh Historic crews on all three stages. Arriving back at service with a 19-second lead over McDaid, Jordan was delivering a strong performance in the Welsh field. Rudi Lancaster was rounding out the top three and was a further 20 seconds back on McDaid.
The afternoon’s action would swing both ways for the two leading Welsh 4WD crews, Hirst and Glennister headed back out into the second loop of stages with only one thing on their minds, and that was the win. The Welsh leader, Hirst pipped Gardener in the second pass of Alwen South but Gardener and Bowen also had an agenda, and that was to bring the fight to Hirst over the remainder of the stages.
Photo: Matthew Hirst & Mark Glennister | By Andrew Scott
In SS6 Alwen North 2, there was drama for rally leaders Hirst & Glennister, their Ford Fiesta Rally R5 was experiencing some power steering issues. Sensing an opportunity, Gardener and Bowen pounced, taking their first outright Welsh stage win and with it, taking the lead of the rally for the Welsh registered crews.
Photo: Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen | By Andrew Scott
Keen to push on and capitalise from Hirst’s misfortunes, Gardener pushed his Fiesta R5 in the penultimate stage of the rally (SS7 Aberhirnant), but maybe a little too much as he spun in the 8-mile test. Time was lost but he had managed to keep hold of the rally lead and was heading into the final test of the rally with 10 seconds in his back pocket over Hirst, who was fighting with his Fiesta following the power steering failure.
All Gardener & Bowen had to do was bring it home through the final 3 miles of Llangower and they would have snatched the win. However, the drama wasn’t over yet, less we forget that this is rallying and a lot can happen in just 3 miles.
The dashboard of Gardener’s Fiesta was reporting that the car was not a happy bunny, unbelievably for Gardener he had to stop, turn the engine off and restart the car. Luckily the reboot did the trick and he got going again, but the time loss occurred unfortunately meant that the win was gone and it handed it straight back to Hirst and Glennister.
Photo: Matthew Hirst & Mark Glennister | By Andrew Scott
After suffering from Power Steering failure in SS6, Matthew Hirst & Mark Glennister had battled on, manhandling the Ford Fiesta R5 car home around the remainder of the stages. Entering that final stage with a 10-second deficit almost certainly believing that the win was lost and it would just be a case of making it to the finish, can you imagine the surprise?
Photo: Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen | By Andrew Scott
Perry Gardener and Jack Bowen also made the chequered flag back in Bala and were 18 seconds shy of the victors Hirst & Glennister, wondering what could have been. Nevertheless, second to Hirst after all these months out of the seat was still a great result and an impressive performance for the pair.
Simon Rogers alongside James How rounded out the Welsh 4WD podium in their Mitsubishi Evo 6, also taking the W13 class honours after coming out on top over Peter Baylis/Paul Godden in the EVO9.
Photo: Sam Rogers & James How | By Andrew Scott
Rogers & How’s day wasn’t exactly a smooth one, following an altercation with a large rock in the fifth stage of the rally which resulted in a broken wheel; their efforts on the Plains now see them second overall in the Welsh standings behind Matthew Hirst & Declan Dear.
Iwan Roberts Jnr with Daniel Jones beside him calling the notes put in a stellar performance over the afternoon’s loop of stages in the Ford Escort G3 to secure the top Welsh 2WD honours. Posting the fastest stage times in three out of the four afternoon stages, they were rewarded with the top step on the Hockly Motorsport Welsh 2WD podium.
Photo: Iwan Roberts & Daniel Jones | By Andrew Scott
Behind them, the battle for the runners-up spot was fierce between the likes of David/Douglas Young, Tony Simpson/Ian Jones and Kevin Metcalfe/Ian Jones. David and Douglas Young would prevail, bringing their Ford MK2 Escort home in second, 13 seconds ahead of Tony Simpson & Ian Jones in their Ford Fiesta, following the retirement of the BMW E30, being driver by Kevin Metcalfe & Ian Jones in SS7.
Photo: David & Douglas Young | By Andrew Scott
Richard Jordan alongside James Gratton-Smith would score a perfect run out on the Plains Rally, with a full house of the fastest Welsh Historic stage times, the pair would romp home with a convincing win.
Photo: Richard Jordan & James Gratton-Smith | By Andrew Scott
Taking the top step on the podium back in Bala having brought their Ford MK2 Escort RS1800 home over a minute ahead of their closest competitors, Michael McDaid and Declan Casey. Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver would round out the Welsh Historic Podium in third and were 28 seconds behind McDaid.
Photo: Michael McDaid & Declan Casey | By Andrew Scott
NEXT TIME …
The Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship pauses for a short while, ahead of the fourth round in the series on July 8th. The Quinton Motor Club will welcome the Welsh National Championships return into action at their Nicky Girst Stages, where from Builth Wells, the classic gravel tests in and around those infamous stages in the Forestry and Military ranges will await the crews.
