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PIRELLI WELSH CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR FLYING START
The 2026 Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship will kick off in fine style on Rally North Wales, which is based in the border town of Welshpool on Saturday March 28.
With around 50 PWRC registered crews, it will be a fitting start to the seven-round Championship, which covers the key gravel rallies in Wales between now and mid-November.
Competition is set to be fierce across all classes and Rally North Wales also marks the opening round of the Restruct Junior Challenge within the championship. Two young competitors from this year's Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship will win the opportunity of a lifetime to join the M-Sport WRC team for Rally Italia in October.
Class 0, for the up to 1400cc cars, should feature some fine competition between Dylan Fowler-Bishop/Dan Evans (Restruct Ltd/Total Spray Solutions/JFB Motorsport/Jordan Road Surfacing-Nissan Micra), Luke Watts/Matt Rogers (Ian Watts & Son Funeral Directors/Watts Memorials Limited/NJ Auto Repairs-MG ZR), Geraint Williams/Ifan Rowlands (GW Services/Gwynedd Skip and Plant/Carafanau Hamdden/Ceir Seiont/Cacenau Tyn Twll Cakes-Vauxhall Nova) and Gethin Rhun Price/Steven Brown (R Keith Price Haulage-Nissan Micra). Adding more depth to the class are Joel Lewis/Jamie Mills (Bucknell Auto Services-Peugeot 106 XSi) and Brynli Thomas/Dylan Griffiths (WA Motorsport/PR Signs/Cresta Taxis-Peugeot 206).
Class 1, for road rally cars, is headed by Colin Evans/John Evans (Towy Waste-BMW 318ti) who have Richard Phillipson/Jemma Taylor (BL Mini 1000 MK3) as class rivals.
In Class 2 for R2 and Rally4 cars Riley Chester/Robbie Sandford (Peugeot 208 Rally4) will be limbering up for their Junior BRC campaign and will go up against Tony Simpson/Simon Rogers (Seacon UK/M-Sport/MRF Tyres/PB Engineering/James Clay & Sons Ltd/ Drop Water Coolers-Ford Fiesta) and Michael Jenkins/Christian Brown (Ignition Motorsport-Ford Fiesta R2).
Class 7 is home to the 1600 to 2000cc cars and should feature a three-way contest between Geoff Phelps/Lucy Wilding (Cherry Rock Ltd/Dave Jenkins Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk2), Damian Cole/Ian Allsop (Get Connected-Ford Escort MK2) and Tom Todd/Dan Morefield (Historic Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk1).
The competition will be fierce in Class 8 for the over 2000cc 2WD cars as Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Rally Team-Ford Escort MK2) return to the forests to take on the BMWs of Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox (Severnside Defibs and Training/Fitzgerald Plant Services-BMW 325), Dan Chester/Jack Morris (Dan's Action Vehicles Ltd/Silverstone Rally School-BMW E30) and Oliver Wright/Stephen Baxter (Tvalley Motorsports-BMW E30).
One of the most hotly contested classes will be Class 9 for all four-wheel-drive cars excluding those running in Class 10. Expect front runners to include Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (GPM/PD Extinguishers-Mitsubishi Evo 9) and Patrick Naylor/Tom Bishop (Fuchs/GPM/MRF/Bremax-Mitsubis
Setting the overall PWRC pace will be the top crews in Class 10 for R5, Rally2 and S2000 cars. Current champion Matthew Hirst/Jack Bowen (Skoda Fabia R5) will take on major opposition for Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss (Castrol-Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Liam Clark/Michael Gilbey (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and James Wilson/Paul Mulholland (Road Tankers Armagh/Rigual/Emco Wheaton/Pirelli-Skoda Fabia Rally2).
Other quick crews include Dan O'Brien/Niall Burns (M O'Brien Group-Ford Fiesta Rally2), Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Winner Garage Skoda Cinderford-Skoda Fabia R5), David Tomlin/Keith Ashley (Axon Commercial Catering Equipment-Ford Fiesta R5), Rob Morris/Paul Spooner (RMG Groundwork's Construction Hub-Citroen C3 Rally2), Colin Minton/Izzie Holman (Ignition Motorsport Rally Team-Ford Fiesta R5) and Paul Bonas/Elgan Davies (Rallynuts Motorsport Ltd-Ford Fiesta R5).
The entry for the historic classes is also strong and Class H3 for the Category 2 cars is headed by Ben Smith/Steven Smith (Amigos Tequila Flavoured Beer-Porsche 911 RS). Other contenders include David Hopkins/Siobhan Pugh (Hopgrove Construction/Ribbons of Treorchy/Mosley's Rolling Road/WOS Performance-Ford Escort Mk1), Mark Tugwell/Steve Pugh (Metalways-Ford Escort Mk1), Jeremy Wells/Martin Saunders (Wells Masonry Solutions Ltd-Ford Escort) and Jon Adams/James Wardle (Ford Escort).
Class H4 for Category 3 over 1600ccc, is all about Ford Escorts in the hands of Rob Dennis/Andy Boswell, Mike Simpson/Ian Jones, Peter Jones/Gareth Davies, Lyn Davies/Aled Richards (57 Tyres), John Greves/Russell Thompson (Greves Transport) and Steve Chaplin/Rich Suter.
For 2026 the Restruct Junior Challenge within the PWRC will only be open to crews in two-wheel-drive cars and is for competitors aged under 25 at January 1, 2026.
In a continuation of the unique partnership between M-Sport and the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, the leading junior driver and co-driver after round three of the season, the Plains Rally in June, will get the chance to travel to Rally Italia and work with the M-Sport team as part of the weather crew for the event.
Joint championship co-ordinator Suzanne Lednor said: "We're really looking forward to the Restruct Junior Challenge we have running in partnership with M-Sport for the second time. This fantastic award gives two of our young contenders the opportunity to join M-Sport on WRC Rally Italia Sardegna in early October and gain hands-on experience of how a WRC team operates."
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.
Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship
March 28 Rally North Wales
April 11 Severn Valley Stages
June 13 Plains Rally
July 11 Nicky Grist Stages
September 12 Woodpecker Rally
October 24 Cambrian Rally
November 14 Wyedean Stages Rally
Issued by Paul Lawrence on behalf of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship. Tel 07778 547918. For enquiries about the championship please contact Suzanne Lednor - joint co-ordinator on
PIRELLI WELSH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR FLYING START
The 2026 Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship will kick off in fine style on Rally North Wales, which is based in the border town of Welshpool on Saturday March 28.
With around 50 PWRC registered crews, it will be a fitting start to the seven-round Championship, which covers the key gravel rallies in Wales between now and mid-November.
Competition is set to be fierce across all classes and Rally North Wales also marks the opening round of the Restruct Junior Challenge within the championship. Two young competitors from this year's Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship will win the opportunity of a lifetime to join the M-Sport WRC team for Rally Italia in October.
Class 0, for the up to 1400cc cars, should feature some fine competition between Dylan Fowler-Bishop/Dan Evans (Restruct Ltd/Total Spray Solutions/JFB Motorsport/Jordan Road Surfacing-Nissan Micra), Luke Watts/Matt Rogers (Ian Watts & Son Funeral Directors/Watts Memorials Limited/NJ Auto Repairs-MG ZR), Geraint Williams/Ifan Rowlands (GW Services/Gwynedd Skip and Plant/Carafanau Hamdden/Ceir Seiont/Cacenau Tyn Twll Cakes-Vauxhall Nova) and Gethin Rhun Price/Steven Brown (R Keith Price Haulage-Nissan Micra). Adding more depth to the class are Joel Lewis/Jamie Mills (Bucknell Auto Services-Peugeot 106 XSi) and Brynli Thomas/Dylan Griffiths (WA Motorsport/PR Signs/Cresta Taxis-Peugeot 206).
Class 1, for road rally cars, is headed by Colin Evans/John Evans (Towy Waste-BMW 318ti) who have Richard Phillipson/Jemma Taylor (BL Mini 1000 MK3) as class rivals.
In Class 2 for R2 and Rally4 cars Riley Chester/Robbie Sandford (Peugeot 208 Rally4) will be limbering up for their Junior BRC campaign and will go up against Tony Simpson/Simon Rogers (Seacon UK/M-Sport/MRF Tyres/PB Engineering/James Clay & Sons Ltd/ Drop Water Coolers-Ford Fiesta) and Michael Jenkins/Christian Brown (Ignition Motorsport-Ford Fiesta R2).
Class 7 is home to the 1600 to 2000cc cars and should feature a three-way contest between Geoff Phelps/Lucy Wilding (Cherry Rock Ltd/Dave Jenkins Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk2), Damian Cole/Ian Allsop (Get Connected-Ford Escort MK2) and Tom Todd/Dan Morefield (Historic Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk1).
The competition will be fierce in Class 8 for the over 2000cc 2WD cars as Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Rally Team-Ford Escort MK2) return to the forests to take on the BMWs of Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox (Severnside Defibs and Training/Fitzgerald Plant Services-BMW 325), Dan Chester/Jack Morris (Dan's Action Vehicles Ltd/Silverstone Rally School-BMW E30) and Oliver Wright/Stephen Baxter (Tvalley Motorsports-BMW E30).
One of the most hotly-contested classes will be Class 9 for all four-wheel-drive cars excluding those running in Class 10. Expect front runners to include Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (GPM/PD Extinguishers-Mitsubishi Evo 9) and Patrick Naylor/Tom Bishop (Fuchs/GPM/MRF/Bremax-Mitsubishi Evo 9), with opposition from six Subaru Imprezas for Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan (Cefnsuran Farm Self Catering Holidays), Keith Jones/Clive Jones (Grooms Garage Ltd), Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe (Utting Estates/Geoff Jones (Wales) Motorsport), Arwel Parry/Catrin Price (Moduron Arwel Parry Motors/GPrice Photographs), Rob Aslett/Ashley Aslett (Retro Race and Rally) and Chris Gash/Dylan Williams.
Setting the overall PWRC pace will be the top crews in Class 10 for R5, Rally2 and S2000 cars. Current champion Matthew Hirst/Jack Bowen (Skoda Fabia R5) will take on major opposition for Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss (Castrol-Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Liam Clark/Michael Gilbey (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and James Wilson/Paul Mulholland (Road Tankers Armagh/Rigual/Emco Wheaton/Pirelli-Skoda Fabia Rally2).
Other quick crews include Dan O'Brien/Niall Burns (M O'Brien Group-Ford Fiesta Rally2), Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Winner Garage Skoda Cinderford-Skoda Fabia R5), David Tomlin/Keith Ashley (Axon Commercial Catering Equipment-Ford Fiesta R5), Rob Morris/Paul Spooner (RMG Groundwork's Construction Hub-Citroen C3 Rally2), Colin Minton/Izzie Holman (Ignition Motorsport Rally Team-Ford Fiesta R5) and Paul Bonas/Elgan Davies (Rallynuts Motorsport Ltd-Ford Fiesta R5).
The entry for the historic classes is also strong and Class H3 for the Category 2 cars is headed by Ben Smith/Steven Smith (Amigos Tequila Flavoured Beer-Porsche 911 RS). Other contenders include David Hopkins/Siobhan Pugh (Hopgrove Construction/Ribbons of Treorchy/Mosley's Rolling Road/WOS Performance-Ford Escort Mk1), Mark Tugwell/Steve Pugh (Metalways-Ford Escort Mk1), Jeremy Wells/Martin Saunders (Wells Masonry Solutions Ltd-Ford Escort) and Jon Adams/James Wardle (Ford Escort).
Class H4 for Category 3 over 1600ccc, is all about Ford Escorts in the hands of Rob Dennis/Andy Boswell, Mike Simpson/Ian Jones, Peter Jones/Gareth Davies, Lyn Davies/Aled Richards (57 Tyres), John Greves/Russell Thompson (Greves Transport) and Steve Chaplin/Rich Suter.
For 2026 the Restruct Junior Challenge within the PWRC will only be open to crews in two-wheel-drive cars and is for competitors aged under 25 at January 1, 2026.
In a continuation of the unique partnership between M-Sport and the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, the leading junior driver and co-driver after round three of the season, the Plains Rally in June, will get the chance to travel to Rally Italia and work with the M-Sport team as part of the weather crew for the event.
Joint championship co-ordinator Suzanne Lednor said: "We're really looking forward to the Restruct Junior Challenge we have running in partnership with M-Sport for the second time. This fantastic award gives two of our young contenders the opportunity to join M-Sport on WRC Rally Italia Sardegna in early October and gain hands-on experience of how a WRC team operates."
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.
STRONG CLASS W9 FOR PIRELLI WELSH CHAMPIONSHIP
Class W9 within the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship is set to be one of the most hotly-contested of the season, with a first-class line-up of 13 championship registrations to date.
Class W9 in the PWRC is the equivalent of Class 2 within the new Motorsport UK class structure and is for all four-wheel-drive cars that are not Rally2 and R5 models. It is a class that is home to a whole group of Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Lancers in particular, and with 13 crews now registered ahead of the opening event of the season, it is proving to be an incredibly popular division.
Of those 13 registrations, eight are already entered for round one, Rally North Wales on March 28, and it promises to be a supremely competitive part of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship.
Representing Mitsubishi will be defending class champion James Giddings in his Lancer E9 although James is not currently entered for Rally North Wales. The North Wales entry will be headed by established Mitsubishi Lancer E9 aces Russ Thompson and Pat Naylor, who are both capable of winning both the category and finishing very near the front of the overall PWRC pack. Thompson will be a welcome returnee after only a limited programme in 2025.
Joining them in his Lancer E9 will be championship regular Peter Baylis, while five Subaru Imprezas will include those of veteran competitor Wug Utting and Arwel Parry, who has joined the championship this year as a co-sponsor through his Moduron Arwel Parry Motors. More Imprezas will be in the hands of Keith Jones, Colin Griffiths and Rob Aslett.
Joint championship co-ordinator Bryn Pierce said: "We're absolutely delighted to see such a good entry in class W9. The competition is going to be very strong and it will be fascinating to see how far up the overall pecking order the Mitsubishis and Subarus can get. We look forward to some great rallying from this category."
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.
Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship
March 28 Rally North Wales
April 11 Severn Valley Stages
June 13 Plains Rally
July 11 Nicky Grist Stages
September 12 Woodpecker Rally
October 24 Cambrian Rally
November 14 Wyedean Stages Rally
Issued by Paul Lawrence on behalf of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship. Tel 07778 547918. For enquiries about the championship please contact Suzanne Lednor - joint co-ordinator on
STRONG CLASS W9 SHAPING UP FOR WELSH CHAMPIONSHIP
Class W9 within the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship is set to be one of the most hotly-contested of the season, with a first class line-up of 13 championship registrations to date.
Class W9 in the PWRC is the equivalent of Class 2 within the new Motorsport UK class structure and is for all four-wheel-drive cars that are not Rally2 and R5 models. It is a class that is home to a whole group of Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Lancers in particular, and with 13 crews now registered ahead of the opening event of the season, it is proving to be an incredibly popular division.
Of those 13 registrations, eight are already entered for round one, Rally North Wales on March 28, and it promises to be a supremely competitive part of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship.
Representing Mitsubishi will be defending class champion James Giddings in his Lancer E9 although James is not currently entered for Rally North Wales. The North Wales entry will be headed by established Mitsubishi Lancer E9 aces Russ Thompson and Pat Naylor, who are both capable of winning both the category and finishing very near the front of the overall PWRC pack. Thompson will be a welcome returnee after only a limited programme in 2025.
Joining them in his Lancer E9 will be championship regular Peter Baylis, while five Subaru Imprezas will include those of veteran competitor Wug Utting and Arwel Parry, who has joined the championship this year as a co-sponsor through his Moduron Arwel Parry Motors. More Imprezas will be in the hands of Keith Jones, Colin Griffiths and Rob Aslett.
Joint championship co-ordinator Bryn Pierce said: "We're absolutely delighted to see such a good entry in class W9. The competition is going to be very strong and it will be fascinating to see how far up the overall pecking order the Mitsubishis and Subarus can get. We look forward to some great rallying from this category."
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.
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