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HIRST SEALS PIRELLI WELSH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

Matthew Hirst has become Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally champion for the sixth time after taking the Interclub victory on Saturday's Lewis and Hunter Cambrian Rally (October 24).

Hirst and co-driver Declan Dear swept to a maximum score on the Cambrian Rally, which was the sixth of seven rounds in this year's Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship and Hirst can no longer be beaten to the drivers' title.

This result marks Hirst's fifth Welsh championship victory in a row and his sixth title in total after another fine performance in his Skoda Fabia Rally2. However, co-driver Declan Dear is not yet confirmed as champion co-driver.

After missing the opening event of the season, Rally North Wales, Dear needs one more strong result and the pair will now contest the championship's final round, the Wyedean Stages on November 14 in a bid to confirm Dear as champion co-driver.

Hirst paid tribute to all of the marshals and officials who made the Cambrian possible as storms swept across North Wales. "The rally ran in incredibly challenging conditions and I take my hat off to everybody who stood out and marshalled on the event," said Hirst.

Apart from a 30-second penalty incurred at a virtual chicane, Hurst and Dear had a trouble-free run across some demanding forest stages to secure their success. 

"We had the sort of day you dream of for the Cambrian, with no punctures or any problems. There's so many things on this event that can catch you out," he added.

THOMPSON TOPS PIRELLI WELSH RALLY CONTENDERS ON WOODPECKER

Russ Thompson and Stephen and Link were the big winners when the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship continued after its summer break on Saturday's Britpart Woodpecker Stages.

Thompson and Link guided their GPM/PD Extinguishers-Ford Fiesta Proto to an impressive seventh overall in a top quality entry to be the first Welsh Championship contenders home and scoop maximum points in Class nine for the non-R5/Rally2 four-wheel-drive cars.

Expected pacesetters Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear (Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport/Speedline Corse UK/Pirelli Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) were in trouble from the start when their power steering failed on the opening stage. They struggled through the morning and dropped a lot of time, but with the problem resolved were right back on the pace through the afternoon stages to claw their way back up to ninth overall and second in the PWRC pack. Hirst and Dear also topped Class 10 for the R5 and Rally2 cars.

Behind Hirst in the class came Irish crew James Wilson and Paul Mulholland (Road Tankers Armagh/Rigual/Emco Wheaton/Pirelli-Skoda Fabia Rally2) who dropped a chunk of time when they slid off on the penultimate stage. However, they still managed to complete the overall PWRC podium and take second in class ahead of Dan O'Brien/Michael Gilbey (M O'Brien Group-Ford Fiesta Rally2), Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Winner Garage Skoda Cinderford-Skoda Fabia R5) and Colin Minton/Izzie Holman (Ignition Motorsport Rally Team-Ford Fiesta R5).

Thompson and Link took a resounding victory in Class nine with a tremendous performance on a day when rain in the afternoon made conditions incredibly slippery over the fast Radnor stages. Pleased to finish second in class were Patrick Naylor/Tom Bishop (Fuchs/GPM/MRF/Bremax-Mitsubishi Evo 9), back out after a short absence and using this particular Mitsubishi for the first time in four years. 

Peter Baylis/Paul Godden (Artificial Lawn Company-Mitsubishi Lancer E9), Arwel Parry/Catrin Price (Moduron Arwel Parry Motors/GPrice Photographs), Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe (Utting Estates/Geoff Jones (Wales) Motorsport-Subaru Impreza) and Rob Aslett/Ashley Aslett (Retro Race and Rally) were all next up, but Chris Gash/Dylan Williams were non-finishers in their Subaru Impreza.

The Class 8 battle for the over 2000cc 2WD cars was between Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Rally Team-Ford Escort Mk2) and Mike Brown Jnr/Nikola Brown (LB Passive Fire Ltd/Mymidwife.uk BMW Compact) and it was Kershaw who emerged after a fighting afternoon performance in tough conditions to take maximum points.

However, Brown was relieved to even get through the rally after suffering a fuel pump failure at the very start of the day. By the afternoon, it was all coming together better for the BMW driver, but the gap to Kershaw was just too much. Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox (Severnside Defibs and Training/Fitzgerald Plant Services-BMW 325) chased the battling duo but Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan (Cefnsuran Farm Self Catering Holidays-BMW 135) retired in the first stage of the afternoon loop.

Class 7 for the 1600 to 2000cc cars was decimated by driveshaft failures for both Max Utting/Huw Mathias and Liam Griffiths/Dafydd Evans (Presteigne Tyre Services/KS Morgan/Monnow Marquees). But there are no such dramas for Callum Griffiths/William Lewis (Presteigne Tyre Services/Square Meadow Ltd-Ford Fiesta ST), who took a clear class victory over Geoff Phelps/Colin Jenkins (Cherry Rock Ltd/Dave Jenkins Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk2), Tom Todd/Dan Morefield (Historic Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk1) and Simon Millington/Sam Kelter (Ford Escort Mk2).

For another victory in Class 6, for the up to 1600cc cars, Michael Jenkins/Jordan Joines (Ignition Motorsport-Ford Fiesta R2) had to battle major gearbox woes but managed to nurse the car home with a margin over Andrew Husselbee/Alex Lewis (Peugeot 306), Christopher Skinner/Mark Williams (Peugeot 205 GTi) and Jeffrey Jones/Graham Isaac (Peugeot 106GTi).

In Class 2 for R2 and Rally4 cars Dylan Fowler-Bishop/Dan Evans (Restruct Ltd/Total Spray Solutions/JFB Motorsport/Jordan Road Surfacing-Ford Fiesta Rally4) set a cracking pace first time out in their new car, while not far back and learning all about his new car was Damian Cole with Dan Petrie (Get Connected-Peugeot 208 Rally4). Class 1, for road rally cars, was dominated by the hard-charging Colin Evans/John Evans (Towy Waste-BMW 318ti).

In Class 0 for the 1400cc cars it was Luke Watts who took maximum points, with his mum Kaz Jenkins making a guest appearance in the co-driver's seat (Ian Watts & Son Funeral Directors/Watts Memorials Limited/NJ Auto Repairs-MG ZR). Co-driver Jack Bowen took points for second in the class alongside Perry Gardner in their Vauxhall Nova as Geraint Williams/Ifan Rowlands (GW Services/Gwynedd Skip and Plant/Carafanau Hamdden/Ceir Seiont/Cacenau Tyn Twll Cakes-Vauxhall Nova) and Joel Lewis/Jamie Mills (Bucknell Auto Services-Peugeot 106 XSi) chased hard.

Son and father Ben and Steven Smith (Amigos Tequila Flavoured Beer-Porsche 911RS) dominated Class H3 for the Category 2 historic cars but regretted not opting for fresh tyres at service and considered themselves very lucky to emerge from a high-speed spin in Radnor during the afternoon without any damage. Jeremy Wells/Martin Saunders (Wells Masonry Solutions Ltd-Ford Escort) were next up.

Andy Davies/Owain Davies (GAP Solutions Ltd) continued their fine run of form to take maximum points in Class H4 for Category 3 cars over 1600cc with an impressive performance that took them well clear of more Ford Escort Mk2s for Andy Burnell/Andy Boswell (Barnstaple Autocare Solution), Mike Simpson/Ian Jones, John Greves/Russell Thompson (Greves Transport), Charles Hopkinson/Alan Jones and Lyn Davies/Aled Richards (57 Tyres). Meanwhile, co-driver Yvonne Morgan scored good points alongside Rob Latham.

The reworked Woodpecker Stages proved a very popular event with a compact route and slick organisation, which had the whole rally completed by around 4pm. Thanks from all the competitors go to the organising team from 60 and Worcestershire Motor Club and all the marshals who stood out in worsening conditions through the afternoon.

The Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship is supported by Pirelli, Ashmores Press Brake Tooling, Restruct, Moduron Arwel Parry Motors, 57 Tyres and LH Motorsport.

M-SPORT RALLY ITALIA AWARD FOR WELSH CHAMPIONSHIP JUNIORS

Russell Thompson and Dylan Griffiths have been announced as the two young competitors from this year's Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship to have been awarded the opportunity of a lifetime to join the M-Sport WRC team for Rally Italia in October.

In a continuation of the unique partnership between M-Sport and the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, two under 25 competitors in the championship are getting the chance to travel to Rally Italia and work with the M-Sport team as part of the weather crew for the event.

The two co-drivers are elated at receiving such an award. Thompson is co-driver to Jon Greves in a Ford Escort Mk2 while Griffiths is co-driver to Brynli Thomas in a Peugeot 206.

This unique prize will include accommodation and transport in Italy where they will then work as part of the M-Sport team across the rally as Irish aces Jon Armstrong and Josh McErlean spearhead the M-Sport challenge in Ford Puma Rally1 cars.

The Welsh championship award winners will get the chance to meet the drivers, co-drivers and key team members and gain an unrivalled insight into how a team at the top of the sport operates.

Thompson, aged 19 from Wetherby in West Yorkshire, has been rallying since 2022 and has also gained extensive experience alongside Jacob Neal in the Mini Rally Challenge.

Griffiths, aged 20 from Holywell in North Wales, has been involved in rallying since he was a youngster with Rhyl and District Motor Club. He competed on his first road rally as soon as he turned 12 and soon became one of the most sought-after road rally co-drivers in the area. He moved to stage rallying for this season and his first stage rally was Rally North Wales in March.

On behalf of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, joint co-ordinator Brynmor Pierce said: "We are truly indebted to Rich Millener and everyone at M-Sport for making this amazing prize available. It really is a unique opportunity for these two young co-drivers to learn so much about rallying at the top of the sport. I think we have two very worthy recipients of this special award."