WELSH / RD5 / WOODPECKER STAGES

WORDS BY ANDY COOK | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY COOK & ANDREW SCOTT

The Pirelli Welsh National Rally Championship headed north to Newtown, for round five of its 2024 season. The revised Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally would see a complete move to stages wholly in Wales this year and would off up the crews 45 miles over eight stages.

Arriving in Newtown, James Giddings was holding a ten-point lead over Rudi Lancaster in the overall standings having finished second to Russ Thompson on the Nicky Grist Stages last time out. Matthew Hirst would trade in his Ford Fiesta R5 for a Skoda Fabia R5 and would be looking to put his new chariot through its paces to see how it measured up against the competition.

4WD

STAGES 1-4

Thick fog would coat the stages for much of the day, and by the end of the first stage through Ceri Forest, things were looking positive for Hirst and his new Skoda. He and co-driver Declan Dear would set the benchmark time by stopping the clocks two seconds quicker than a returning Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen in the Ford Fiesta R5. The Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX of Russ Thompson & Stephen Link were the best of the rest but were some 27 seconds off the pace.

Photo: Matthew Hirst & Declan Dear | By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media)

However, Hirst’s lead would be short-lived, in the very next test through the Northern side of Hafren Forest, he would make what he referred to as a “Rookie Error”. Hirst explains

“Hard not to beat myself up after making a rookie error into a tightening left-hander very early into stage 2 Hafren. A case of carrying far too much speed in and got stuck into a ditch which was boggy.

Luckily for both me and Declan a group of spectators came armed with a tow rope and after some heave-ho’s we were pulled back onto the road. Okay we lost six minutes but ultimately we needed the seat time later in the day to adjust to the new car.”

Hirst & Dear would tumble down the leaderboard, leaving the rest to battle it out for the win and here is where Gardener & Bowen would take over. The pair who admittedly haven’t much seat time this season would pick up the stage win in SS2 Hafren North, beating Thompson & Link by 6 seconds, who themselves would also move up a place into P2.

Photo: Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen | By Andrew Scott

Gardener would follow that up in the next Hafren test, this time getting the better of a recovering Hirst who would then end his loop by taking the short Xlerate Sweet Lamb stage win. Gardener & Bowen would hold a decent margin of some forty-one seconds over Thompson & Link at halftime. James Giddings & Aled Davies would round out the leading three in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO but were a further forty-six seconds off Thompson & Link.

Photos: Russ Thompson & Stephen Line – By Andrew Scott | James Giddings & Aled Davies – By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media)

STAGES 5-8

Hirst & Dear would continue to familiarize themselves with the Skoda, returning to the top of the timing sheets along with Gardener & Bowen in the second pass of Ceri, having both stopped the clocks on identical times. Unfortunately, like Hirst & Dear did in the morning, Gardener and Bowen would come a cropper on the very next test in Hafren North, spinning their Ford Fiesta R5 they struggled to get it back on the road, going OTL (Over The Limit). This mistake would see them lose the lead of the rally, handing over the reigns to Russ Thompson & Steven Link with just two stages to go.

Photos: Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen – By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media) | Russ Thompson & Stephen Link – By Andrew Scott

Although Hirst & Dear would sign off their Woodpecker with the final two stage wins, it was nothing more than a competitive test, given the pair some very valuable seat time in the Skoda Fabia R5 car. Although the pace was clearly there already, the pair would perhaps leave the Woodpecker wondering what if?

Photo: Matthew Hirst & Declan Dear | By Andrew Scott

Russ Thompson & Stephen Link would take the win in their Mitsubishi EVO IX for their second time this season. Securing the top step on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship podium, having kept his foot in whilst the competition faltered, Thompson would record five, second fastest stage times and three third fastest, crossing the finish line with a final margin of well over two minutes.

Photoz: Russ Thompson & Stephen Link – By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media) | James Giddings & Aled Davies – By Andrew Scott

Bringing their Mitsubishi EVO home in second was Championship leader James Giddings alongside Aled Davies, the pair proving that consistent finishes brings the results. Rounding out the Welsh 4WD podium were Colin Griffiths & Marcus Morgan in their Subaru Impreza STi N9, the pair would finish fourth overall behind Tom Llewellin in the MKII Ford Escort.

2WD

In the Hockley Motorsport Two-Wheel Drive Championship, Geoff Phelps would arrive in Newtown leading the standings. Last time out on the Nicky Grist Stages, new kid on the block Mike Brown Jnr would impress on his first Welsh outing in the BMW M3 Compact, taking the spoils ahead of Lewis Hooper in the Ford Fiesta R2.

Callum Griffiths alongside William Lewis was the quickest off the mark in their Ford Fiesta ST, setting the opening stage time through Ceri Forest three seconds quicker than Iwan Roberts Jnr & Daniel Jones in the MK3 Ford Escort and then taking another four in Hafren North.

Photo: Callum Griffiths & William Lewis | Iwan Roberts Jnr & Daniel Jones | By Andrew Scott

The early pace by Griffiths & Lewis would, however, insight a fight with Roberts & Jones who came back at them in the third stage of the morning through Hafren South, clawing back four seconds here. Roberts & Jones would then go even better in the final test of the morning loop (Xlerate Sweet Lamb) winning the stage by nine seconds to end the morning loop with a lead of just one second. After the morning activities, Nicky Grist winners Mike & Nikola Brown would hold third, a further 10 seconds back in the BMW M3 Compact.

Photos: Iwan Roberts Jnr & Daniel Jones | Mike & Nikola Brown | By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media)

Over the course of the afternoon loop, Iwan Roberts & Daniel Jones would continue to lead the Welsh 2WD field, however, Mike Brown would up the pace a bit. Brown would catch and pass Griffiths having picked up two stage wins in Ceri Forest and Sweet Lamb to end the day second on the Welsh 2WD podium.

The final margin for Roberts & Jones would stand at forty-two seconds, delivering a convincing win for the pair and their second victory of the year. As far as the Championship standings go, Geoff Phelps who finished ninth continues to lead the way, with Rob Dennis closing down the gap and trailing by seven points, Lewis Hooper rounds out the top three.

Photos: Iwan Roberts Jnr & Daniel Jones | By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media)

HISTORICS

In the Historic field, Tom Llewellin who would be making his first appearance in the Championship this year would come away with a full house of stage wins in his MKII Escort RS1800. With Sion Williams alongside for the ride, the pair would cross the finish line with a whopping 44 seconds lead over series regular, Rudi Lancaster & Guy Weaver as well as finishing third overall out of all the Welsh registered crews. After a particularly slow start on the opening stage, Jonathan Brace & Paul Spooner would pick up the pace from then on, ending their day by rounding out the top three historic crews in their MK1 Escort RS1600.

Photos: Tom Llewellin & Sion Williams – By Andrew Scott | Jonathan Brace & Paul Spooner | Rudi Lancaster & Guy Weaver | By Andy Cook (Xlerate.Media)

Rudi Lancaster continues to lead the W9 standings and has a decent gap of 16 points over Lyn Davies. Gary Smith (P4 finish) leads Andrew Stokes (P5 finish) in W8 and Peter Hinton (P9 finish) leads Graham Thatcher (P11 finish) in Class W7.

RESULTS

POS	FINAL LEADERBOARD	TIME
1	#7 R.THOMPSON / S.LINK	48:59
2	#9 J.GIDDINGS / A.DAVIES	51:12
3	#215 T.LLEWELLIN / S.WILLIAMS	52:19
4	#16 C.GRIFFITHS / M.MORGAN	52:58
5	#18 S.ROGERS / J.HOW	53:04

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING

Giddings would also maintain his lead in the overall standing, be it dropping slightly to just a fifteen-point lead over Rudi Lancaster. Thompson’s Woody win would see him swapping places with Hirst in the standings, moving into P3.

POS	OVERALL DRIVERS TABLE	POINTS
1	JAMES GIDDINGS	103
2	RUDI LANCASTER	88
3	RUSS THOMPSON	85
4	MATTHEW HIRST	84
5	DAVID TOMLIN	76

POS	2WD DRIVERS TABLE	POINTS
1	GEOFF PHELPS	89
2	ROB DENNIS	82
3	LEWIS HOOPER	73
4	MARTIN WALTERS	70
5	ASHLEY FRANCIS-ADAMS	65

NEXT TIME

The Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship heads to North Wales, where the Cambrian Rally (October 26) will host round six on stages such as Alwen, Brenig, Clocaenog and Elsi.