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WOODPECKER STAGES SET UP THREE-WAY FIGHT FOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE
The Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages saw the battle for maximum Championship points in the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship go right down to the final stage. The outcome also means that the overall drivers’ title, along with many of the other Championship awards, will not be decided until November and the final round of the series, the Wyedean Stages Rally.
With competitors heading out from Ludlow Racecourse to tackle five special stages, it was a short-lived event for Championship contenders Matt Hirst and Declan Dear, their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX succumbing to engine problems on the opening stage.
As the cars emerged from that opening stage it was Scott Faulkner and Gareth Parry who led the way ahead of Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy, with Richard Hill and Steffan Evans third among the Championship runners.
When the cars returned to service after two stages, Thompson and Murphy had moved ahead of fellow Evo IX runners Faulkner and Parry with Hill and Evans still third in their Subaru Impreza. Faulkner and Parry were quickest on stage three by a single second, but Thompson and Murphy retained their lead.
Another quick run through stage four saw Faulkner and Parry head into the final test in Radnor Forest with a three second advantage. A spin for them on that stage, however, meant that when the cars returned to the finish at the Racecourse it was Thompson and Murphy who took the win by 13 seconds, Hill and Evans finishing in third place behind Faulkner and Parry.
The overall Championship points table for drivers still shows Tom Llewellin with the highest points tally in his Mark II Ford Escort but, with competitors only allowed to count their top six scores from the eight Championship rounds, the amended totals show Thompson with a fifteen point lead over Llewellin while Hirst and Faulkner third and fourth respectively. As a result of this, Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy win the free entry on Wales Rally GB National Rally, provided by Motorsport UK as part of their Road to Wales initiative.
While Tom Llewellin cannot now catch Thompson, both Hirst and Faulkner can still do so depending on the outcome of the Wyedean Rally.
Tom Llewellin may have lost the opportunity to take the outright title but there was no small consolation for the youngster as he secured the overall two wheel drive title, sponsored by lightninghouse.co.uk to add to the junior title, backed by onthepacenote.co.uk and the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge for drivers, which he had already claimed. With his two-wheel drive victory comes a made-to-measure HRX Tutor race suit provided by lightninghouse.co.uk.
The overall co-drivers’ title is now a three-way fight between Andy Murphy, Declan Dear and Gareth Parry while in Group N, the drivers’ title is a straight two-way fight between the current points leader Wug Utting in his Subaru Impreza and second placed Russ Thomson with their respective co-drivers, Bob Stokoe and Andy Murphy
While Tom Llewellin has secured the overall two-wheel drive award, the separate awards for front and rear wheel drive have still to be resolved. Among the co-drivers in two-wheel drive cars, just six points separate Tom Murphy and Jim Lewis with the destination of the HRX race suit that comes with that title still to be settled.
The fight for runners up spot among the junior drivers is a close one with just a single point separating Zak Hughes and Gethin Price. Tom Murphy holds a fourteen point lead in the junior co-drivers’ standings but three others still hold at least a mathematical chance of taking the title.
Andy Fox or Josh Taylor could still claim the runner up spot in the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge and while the Woodpecker saw Tom Murphy clinch the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge for co-drivers there are six other co-drivers who could yet finish as runner-up to him.
The final round of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship is the Wyedean Stages Rally on November 9th. There is more information about that event of the official web site, wyedeanstages.co.uk and about the Championship on wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter, @WnRC.
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Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship
PLENTY TO PLAY FOR AS CHAMPIONSHIP ENTERS ITS CLOSING STAGES
Tom Llewellin image: Rallysportmedia.com
Competitors in the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship come to the penultimate round of the series, the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages, this weekend with most of the overall and class awards still to be settled.
The overall driver standings are headed by Tom Llewellin but the top six in the table all retain at least a mathematical chance of taking the title. Tom had put in consistently strong performances throughout the season in his Historic specification Mark II Ford Escort. With competitors only counting their best six results from the eight Championship rounds, however, he faces a stiff battle if he is to claim the title.
Matthew Hirst image: Rallysportmedia.com
Second placed Matthew Hirst has won one round of the series so far this season as well as claiming a runner up spot. He has a non-finish on the opening round, the Cambrian Rally to drop as well as a low score on round 5, the Red Kite Stages, and must be viewed as a strong contender in his Mitsubishi Evo IX.
Russ Thompson image: paulmitchellphotography
Fellow Evo IX driver Russ Thompson may be in third place in the standings but he has taken two victories and two second places but has also had a non-finish along with a non-start so two good results in the remaining rounds could see him take the title while Scott Faulkner has only finished three rounds of the Championship, missing two events altogether in his Group N Evo IX and he retains an outside chance of overall honours.
So too does Group N Subaru Impreza driver Wug Utting and Talbot Sunbeam driver Chris Powell who is competing on home ground this weekend.
There are no fewer than eight co-drivers with a theoretical chance of taking the overall title in the category with co-driver to Matthew Hirst, Declan Dear leading the way. He holds a 14-point advantage over Andy Murphy, partner to Russ Thompson. A further 11 points back is Jim Lewis.
Wug Utting is leading Group N driver, 14 points clear of Ross Thompson with Scott Faulkner a further 30 points back. The standings in the co-driver category are mirrored by the respective co-driver, Bob Stokoe, Andy Murphy and Gareth Parry.
In the two-wheel drive category, sponsored by lightninghouse.co.uk, Tom Llewellin tops the driver standings, 25 points ahead of Chris Powell while Perry Gardener is third. The two-wheel drive category remains wide open with Jim Lewis heading the way from Tom Murphy and Keaton Williams.
One title that has already been decided is the Junior driver title, sponsored by onethepacenote.co.uk, with Tom Llewellin’s impressive season long performance clinching that honour for him but just two points separate Gethin Price and Zak Hughes as they fight it our for the runner-up spot.
Tom Murphy is 10 points clear of Rhys Stoneman in the fight for the Junior co-driver title with Keaton Williams a further nine points back in third place.
Tom Llewellin has also clinched the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge for drivers, but second placed Josh Taylor is only three points ahead of Andy Fox in third with several more drivers still able to snatch the runner-up spot.
The RAVENOL Welsh Challenge for co-drivers sees leader Tom Murphy 21 points ahead of Simon Jones. Jones has just a single point advantage over Keaton Williams with Jessica Hockly only three points further back.
The Ludlow based rally, organised by 60 & Worcs Motor Club, could see a number of questions answered as far as the Championship is concerned, but the likelihood is that many more will not be resolved until the final round, the Wyedean Stages in November.
More information about the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages can be found on the official web page, woodpecker-rally.co.uk and about the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship on the Championship web page, wnrc.wamc.org.uk, the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.
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Issued 28th August 2019
Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship
ELFYN HELPS PUT JUNIOR COMPETITORS ON THE PACE
One of the world’s leading rally drivers was on hand to pass on his experience in the sport when Junior competitors in the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Forest Rally Championship took part in their second training day of the year.
World Rally Championship driver and winner of the 2017 Wales Rally GB Elfyn Evans talked to leading co-driver Jamie Edwards about his remarkable career so far, from starting off in the sport through to competing at the highest level.
After a question and answer session with Elfyn, the young competitors heard a talk about First Aid and participated in CPR techniques from experienced motor sport paramedic Nigel Wells. Nigel has been involved in the sport since the 1980s and was able to offer advice on the importance of knowing what to do if you are first on the scene at an incident.
The second half of the day saw the young drivers move on to Gorsedd Bran. With the venue being provided courtesy of Richard Ceen, the drivers enjoyed several 1 to 1 sessions under the watchful eyes of experienced drivers Jason Pritchard and Simon Hughes.
The junior co-drivers, meanwhile, received advice on the importance of keeping their map skills up to date from WRC Co Driver Craig Parry, of Junior Championship sponsors onthepacenote.co.uk, alongside Jamie Edwards and WAMC Championship winning navigator Steve Herbert.
With the participants confirming the value of these days at this early stage in their rallying careers, plans are already coming together for Training Day 3 with the date due to be announced shortly.
Anyone wishing to to book a place should contact Craig Parry by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 07977 234790
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Issued 4th August 2019
Note to Editors: Credit for the images below should be given to Chimera Photographic
Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship
TOM STAYS ON TOP
None of the front-running crews enjoyed a totally trouble-free run on the latest round of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship. It was Russ Thompson and Andy Murphy who overcame their tribulations on the Builth Wells based Nicky Grist Stages, organised by Quinton Motor Club, to take maximum Championship points while Tom Llewellin retains his overall series lead.
Scott Faulkner and Gareth Parry set the quickest time among the Championship contenders on the opening stage but after the second stage it was Thompson and Murphy who headed the field. However, just two seconds separated them from the next three crews, Richard Hill and Steffan Evans, Matt Hirst and Declan Dear and Faulkner and Parry.
While Faulkner and Parry and Hill and Evans would both be side-lined with differential problems, Hirst and Dear overcame steering issues on their Mitsubishi Evo IX to finish second while Thompson and Murphy had to cope with a puncture on their Group N version of the same car en route to top honours.
Third place went to the Talbot Sunbeam of Andy Davison and Tom Murphy with Tom Llewellin finishing fourth in his Historic Specification Ford Escort Mark II.
Llewellin now holds a four point advantage in the overall drivers’ standings from Matt Hirst with Russ Thompson a further seven points back but with competitors only counting their best six scores from the eight round series, the battle remains wide open.
Declan Dear leads the overall co-driver standings from Andy Murphy and Jim Lewis.
Thompson and Murphy also picked up maximum Group N points, for less modified cars but they still trail Wug Utting and Bob Stokoe, who finished second in Group N on this event, by 14 points while Faulkner and Parry remain in third place.
While Davison and Murphy claimed top points in the two-wheel drive category, sponsored by lightninghouse.co.uk, Llewellin retains the lead in this category ahead of Talbot Sunbeam mounted Chris Powell. Perry Gardener, driving a front wheel drive Fiesta, lies third.
Top two-wheel drive co-driver is Jim Lewis, ahead of Tom Murphy with Keaton Williams in third place.
A sixth successive maximum score in the Junior driver category means that Tom Llewellin is now unassailable in that class and he has secured the top award of a test drive in a PCRS Rallysport Hyundai i20 R5, courtesy of sponsors onthepacenote.co.uk.
Second among the junior drivers is Gethin Price, just two points ahead of third placed Zak Hughes.
Tom Murphy leads the junior co-driver category, 10 points clear of Rhys Stoneman with Keaton Williams third.
Tom Llewellin also heads the drivers’ section of the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge from Subaru Impreza driver Josh Taylor with BMW pilot Andy Fox three points further back in third.
Tom Murphy leads the co-drivers’ section of the Challenge from Simon Jones who is just one point ahead of Keaton Williams while Jessica Hockly is only three points further back.
The next round of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship is the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally on 31st August. The event, organised by Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club is based in Ludlow with much of the competitive action taking place in the Mid Wales forests.
You can find out more about the rally on the official event web site www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk and about the Championship at wnrc.wamc.org.uk, on the Championship Facebook page and on Twitter @WnRC.
Credit for the image given to paulmitchellphotography@
Issued by Peter Hughes Media on behalf of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship
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