News

NICKY GRIST DATE FOR PIRELLI WELSH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Round four of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship Nicky Grist Stages on Saturday (July 11) which is based from Builth Wells and takes in classic Welsh gravel stages in Epynt region.

In overall terms, and in championship class 10 for the R5 and Rally2 cars, there could be a change at the head of the standings as current leader Liam Clark has elected to miss the event with his Ford Fiesta Rally2. Dan O'Brien/Liam Regan (M O'Brien Group-Ford Fiesta Rally2) are best placed to take advantage but face the massive challenge of Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss (Castrol-Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) who make a welcome return to the championship.

Aiming to rival Evans will be Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear (Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport/Speedline Corse UK/Pirelli Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and James Wilson and Paul Mulholland (Road Tankers Armagh/Rigual/Emco Wheaton/Pirelli-Skoda Fabia Rally2). Meanwhile, other contenders in this strong entry include Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Winner Garage Skoda Cinderford-Skoda Fabia R5), Rob Morris/Daniel James (RMG Groundwork/Construction Hub-Citroen C3 Rally2), Paul Bonas/Elgan Davies (Rallynuts Motorsport Ltd-Ford Fiesta R5) and Colin Minton/Izzie Holman (Ignition Motorsport Rally Team-Ford Fiesta R5).

The quality continues in the very competitive class nine for the non-R5/Rally2 four-wheel-drive cars where there should be a fine battle among Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (GPM/PD Extinguishers-Ford Fiesta R5 Proto), James Giddings and Aled Davies (Fordpad-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) and Nik Elmosre/Cliffy Simmons (CDS Taxis & Private Hire/Calico Interiors/Bells Hotel and Country Golf Club-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9). Geoff Smith/Joe Dunn (Liberty Express Ltd-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) are getting quicker and quicker while Wug Utting and Nick Starkey (Utting Estates/Geoff Jones  Wales) Motorsport-Subaru Impreza) will renew a 50-year old rallying partnership for the event.

Packing out the class will be Arwel Parry/Catrin Price (Moduron Arwel Parry Motors/GPrice Photographs-Subaru Impreza), Martyn Andrews/Tim Currie (Subaru Impreza), Gary Bollands/Nigel Baldwin (GB Motorservices/CiderOnline/GB Furniture Solutions-Subaru Impreza Wagon) and Rob Aslett/Ashley Aslett ((Retro Race and Rally-Subaru Impreza)

Class 8 for the over 2000cc 2WD cars has gained some more BMWs to take on Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Rally Team-Ford Escort Mk2). Regular contenders Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox (Severnside Defibs and Training/Fitzgerald Plant Services-BMW 325) will be joined by Mike Brown Jnr/Nikola Brown (LB Passive Fire Ltd/Mymidwife.uk BMW Compact) and former Subaru Impreza crew Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan (Cefnsuran Farm Self Catering Holidays-BMW 135),

Damian Cole/Ian Allsop (Get Connected-Ford Escort Mk2) head Class 7 for the 1600 to 2000cc cars  from Tom Todd/Dan Morefield (Historic Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk1), but they will face the rapid Fiestas of Liam Griffiths/Robbie Sandford (Presteigne Tyre Services/KS Morgan/Monnow Marquees-Ford Fiesta ST Maxx) and Max Utting/Huw Mathias Ford Fiesta ST. Adding depth of quality to the class will be Geoff Phelps/Colin Jenkins (Cherry Rock Ltd/Dave Jenkins Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk2), Jeremy Harris/Alexandra Harris (Kilcot Garage Ltd/Gurneys Family Butchers/Edge Communications-Ford Escort Mk1) and Gary Smith/Les Forsbrook (Ford Escort Mk1).

Michael Jenkins/Martin Haggett (Ignition Motorsport-Ford Fiesta R2) have a handy lead in the 1600cc Class 6 where their rivals on the Nicky Grist will be Christopher Skinner/Mark Williams (Peugeot 205 GTi)  and Neil Commons/Christian Brown (Ford Fiesta R2), while Class 2 for R2 and Rally4 features JBRC contender Riley Chester with Jack Morris alongside in his Peugeot 208 Rally4. Class 1, for road rally cars, is all about Colin Evans/John Evans (Towy Waste-BMW 318ti).

Set to be as hotly contested as ever is Class 0 for the 1400cc cars where Dylan Fowler-Bishop/Dan Evans (Restruct Ltd/Total Spray Solutions/JFB Motorsport/Jordan Road Surfacing-Nissan Micra) should set the pace from Geraint Williams/Ifan Rowlands (GW Services/Gwynedd Skip and Plant/Carafanau Hamdden/Ceir Seiont/Cacenau Tyn Twll Cakes-Vauxhall Nova). Luke Watts/Matt Rogers (Ian Watts & Son Funeral Directors/Watts Memorials Limited/NJ Auto Repairs-MG ZR), Ed James/Kevin Lane (EJM Preparation/SJG International-Nissan Micra kit car) and Joel Lewis/Jamie Mills (Bucknell Auto Services-Peugeot 106 XSi) are other contenders.

In Class H3 for the Category 2 cars Neal James/Gerallt Davies (Valley Auto Sport/Classic Car Storage Ammanford-Ford Escort Mk2) head the way from Mark Tugwell/Steve Pugh (Metalways-Ford Escort Mk1), David Hopkins/Siobhan Pugh (Hopgrove Construction/Ribbons of Treorchy/Mosley's Rolling Road/WOS Performance-Ford Escort Mk1), Jon Adams/James Wardle (Ford Escort) and Jeremy Wells/Paul Rumary (Wells Masonry Solutions Ltd-Ford Escort).

Finally in Class H4 for Category 3 cars over 1600cc it should be the Ford Escort Mk2s of Andy Davies/Eurig Davies (GAP Solutions Ltd) and Mike Simpson/Ian Jones setting the pace while John Greves/Russell Thompson (Greves Transport) and Charles Hopkinson/Alan Jones (Ford Escort Mk2) add further quality and Yorkshireman Matthew Stroud will give PWRC registered co-driver Jack Bowen a fast run around the forests in another Ford Escort Mk2.

For 2026 the Restruct Junior Challenge within the PWRC is only 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 this event 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.

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.

REGISTRATIONS BOOM IN PIRELLI WELSH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

As the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship heads towards the mid-point of the season, a tremendous total of 138 competitors are now registered for the seven-round championship. From 138 drivers and co-drivers, 125 have already scored points across the opening three rallies.

After round three, the Plains Rally in mid-June, it is Liam Clark who heads the overall drivers' title race in his Ford Fiesta Rally2 ahead of the similar car of Dan O'Brien and the Skoda Fabia R5s of Bob Morgan and Matthew Hirst.

Meanwhile, in the co-drivers' overall category, it is Michael Gilbey who has a useful lead over Adrian Williams and Elgan Davies. Top two-wheel-drive car is the Porsche 911 of Ben Smith, while leading the very competitive 1400cc division is Dylan Fowler-Bishop in his Nissan Micra. Mike Simpson tops the historic classes in his Ford Escort Mk2. 

With the PWRC delivering up to 50% of the entry on some of the events, the focus now switches to the Nicky Grist Stages on July 11 when another strong PWRC field will contest the popular event based out of the town of Builth Wells. Already, 45 crews from the PWRC are on the entry list.

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 four of the season, the Nicky Grist Stages, 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. For 2026 the Restruct Junior Challenge within the PWRC is only open to crews in two-wheel-drive cars and is for competitors aged under 25 at January 1, 2026.

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.

HIRST TAKES TOP SCORE IN PIRELLI WELSH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear scooped maximum points on round three of the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, the Plains Rally on Saturday (June 13).

Unfortunately, the event had to be curtailed with the final three stages cancelled after a serious road traffic accident on the A470 near Dolgellau. With the main road closed, the organisers had no alternative but to cancel the last three stages and declared the results after SS7.

Everyone at the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship sends best wishes to all of those affected by the accident and recognises the hard work and dedication of the organising team from Knutsford and District Motor Club to run the event under challenging conditions. Due to the accident, there was no PWRC podium celebration on this event.

Among the four-wheel drive R5 and Rally2 cars in championship class 10 it was Irish crew James Wilson and Paul Mulholland (Road Tankers Armagh/Rigual/Emco Wheaton/Pirelli-Skoda Fabia Rally2) who led the chase of Hirst and Dear (Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport/Speedline Corse UK/Pirelli Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) as championship leaders Liam Clark and Michael Gilbey slotted into third in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, finishing one second down on Wilson after dropping time in the final stage. 

Hirst admitted to a modest start on Saturday morning as he returned to competition following an off in April, but he was then able to up his pace and move clear of the rest of the Welsh pack as the day progressed. Similarly, Wilson had a relatively slow start but found his pace in the afternoon stages for another strong PWRC results.

Dan O'Brien had ERC co-driver Liam Regan alongside for the day (M O'Brien Group-Ford Fiesta Rally2) and made good progress to take fourth PWRC contenders. Rob Morris/Daniel James (RMG Groundwork/Construction Hub-Citroen C3 Rally2) just edged Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Winner Garage Skoda Cinderford-Skoda Fabia R5) and Paul Bonas/Elgan Davies (Rallynuts Motorsport Ltd-Ford Fiesta R5) while Colin Minton/Izzie Holman (Ignition Motorsport Rally Team-Ford Fiesta R5) retired in service with suspension damage.

In class nine for the non-R5/Rally2 four-wheel-drive cars there was a fortunate result for Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (GPM/PD Extinguishers-Ford Fiesta R5 Proto) who set the pace across the morning stages. However, a major misfire struck in the afternoon run through Drws-y-Nant but they held on to the class lead when the final three stages were cancelled.

Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe (Utting Estates/Geoff Jones (Wales) Motorsport-Subaru Impreza) moved up to second in class as Patrick Naylor and Tom Bishop (Fuchs/GPM/MRF/Bremax-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) stopped in the first stage. Chris Gash/Dylan Williams (Subaru Impreza) took third as Martyn Andrews/Tim Currie (Subaru Impreza) retired on what became the final stage when the engine cut out and refused to refire.

Meanwhile punctures caused by the same rock in the second run of Drws-y-Nant forced both Geoff Smith/Joe Dunn (Liberty Express Ltd-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) and Arwel Parry/Catrin Price (Moduron Arwel Parry Motors/GPrice Photographs-Subaru Impreza) to stop and change wheels, costing them both any chance of a good result.

Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Rally Team-Ford Escort Mk2) took a clear win in Class 8 for the over 2000cc 2WD cars ahead of Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox (Severnside Defibs and Training/Fitzgerald Plant Services-BMW 325). Kershaw also finished as best two-wheel drive car on the overall event.

Max Utting/Huw Mathias (Ford Fiesta ST Max) claimed top points in Class 7 for the 1600 to 2000cc cars on Utting's first rally of the year. They finished 23s ahead of Geoff Phelps/Colin Jenkins (Cherry Rock Ltd/Dave Jenkins Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk2) while Damian Cole/Ian Allsop (Get Connected-Ford Escort Mk2) narrowly fended off Tom Todd/Dan Morefield (Historic Motorsport-Ford Escort Mk1) for third as Simon Millington/Sam Kelter (Ford Escort Mk2) rounded out the finishers.

The 1600cc Class 6 was a case of survival of the fittest with Michael Jenkins/Jordan Joines (Ignition Motorsport-Ford Fiesta R2) winning the class as Christopher Skinner/Mark Williams (Peugeot 205 GTi), Jeffrey Jones/Graham Isaac (Peugeot 106 GTi) and Andrew Husselbee/Alex Lewis (Peugeot 306 RWD) all retired.

Colin Evans/John Evans (Towy Waste-BMW 318ti) topped Class 1 for road rally cars, as Richard Phillipson/Brian Cammack (BL Mini 1000 MK3) retired on the first run of the Drws-y-Nant stage.

Class 0 for the 1400cc cars was one of the most hotly-contested classes and there was another impressive victory for Dylan Fowler-Bishop/Dan Evans (Restruct Ltd/Total Spray Solutions/JFB Motorsport/Jordan Road Surfacing-Nissan Micra). Geraint Williams/Ifan Rowlands (GW Services/Gwynedd Skip and Plant/Carafanau Hamdden/Ceir Seiont/Cacenau Tyn Twll Cakes-Vauxhall Nova) finally had a trouble free rally and claimed a strong second place as little more than a minute covered Luke Watts/Matt Rogers (Ian Watts & Son Funeral Directors/Watts Memorials Limited/NJ Auto Repairs-MG ZR), Gethin Rhun Price/Steven Brown (R Keith Price Haulage-Nissan Micra), Matthew Jackson/Sasha Heriot (Nissan Mica kit car) and Joel Lewis/Jamie Mills (Bucknell Auto Services-Peugeot 106 XSi). Brynli Thomas/Dylan Griffiths (WA Motorsport/PR Signs/Cresta Taxis-Peugeot 206) completed the finishers as Ed James/Kevin Lane (EJM Preparation/SJG International-Nissan Mica kit car) posted a late retirement.

Mark Tugwell/Steve Pugh (Metalways-Ford Escort Mk1) had Class H3 for the Category 2 historic cars all to themselves and were pleased to record a strong run after a major engine failure on Rally North Wales.

Class H4 for Category 3 over 1600cc cars was all about Ford Escort Mk2s and there was a frustrating first stage retirement for Andy Davies/Owain Davies (GAP Solutions Ltd. Instead, Mike Simpson/Ian Jones took a clear class win ahead of Steve Chaplin/Rich Suter (Ford Escort Mk2) and John Greves/Russell Thompson (Greves Transport).

For 2026 the Restruct Junior Challenge within the PWRC is only 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 four of the season, the Nicky Grist Stages in July, 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.

The Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship now switches to round four the Nicky Grist Stages on Saturday July 11, with a route taking in classic stages in the Epynt region from a base in the town of Builth Wells.

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 - remaining rounds:

July 11                   Nicky Grist Stages

September 12         Woodpecker Rally

October 24             Cambrian Rally

November 14           Wyedean Stages Rally