Several major Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship class titles will be won on the final round of the series, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally (Saturday 29 October) - most notably the OnThePaceNote.co.uk supported Welsh Junior and Historic awards.
Liam Griffiths has led the Junior category for much of the year in his Discover Parks Ford Fiesta ST and has scored highly on all six rounds so far. But with two scores to drop, he has been coming under increasing pressure from Rob Wilson, who has scored four wins from four starts in his Ravenol Mitsubishi Evo 7.
Such has been their pace all season that Griffiths (co-driven by Daniel James) is also fourth in the Pirelli Ravenol Welsh 2WD class, while Wilson (who will have regular navigator Richard Crozier back alongside) finished second overall last time out on the Wyedean Stages Rally and is one of several drivers still in with a shout of finishing runner-up in the overall drivers' standings.
Callum Griffiths can't win the Welsh Junior drivers' title, but he'll be keen to end the season on a high in his Presteigne Tyre Services Ford Fiesta ST, while his navigator William Lewis could still steal the co-drivers' award.
Michael McDaid took the lead of the Historic class W8 for the first time after scoring a magnificent class win on the Wyedean, and also finished as the top-placed two-wheel drive pilot in sixth overall. The County Fermanagh driver was 17th in the W8 points table after the second round, but one more good result in his McDaid Pharmacy Escort RS1800 Mk2 will give him and co-driver Declan Casey the coveted title.
Neal James/Kevin Jones (Cwm Engineering Ford Escort Mk2) and David Lloyd Roberts/Gerallt Wyn Davies (Ford Escort Mk2) are in a close battle for the Historic class W7 title. Just 15 points separate them, with James' unblemished run of sixth straight second place finishes and no retirements giving him the advantage going into the final round. That said, he can only increase his score by three points, whilst Roberts can add 25 points to his final tally.
Chris Squires/Shaun Hughes (Ford Escort Mk2) lead the Historic class W6.
Those who finish in the top three of each Historic class (W6, W7 and W8) at the end of the season will be put forward for the David Stokes Historic Challenge award for drivers and the Guy Weaver award for co-drivers.
Just one point separates Bob Morgan (Winner Garage Å koda Fabia R5+) and John Caine (Phil Price Rally School Subaru Impreza) at the top of the Ravenol Welsh Challenge - and both are battling for the runners-up position in the overall drivers' category too. The scores to drop rule will play a significant part in the outcome, as Morgan (guided by Ade Williams, who has already secured the Ravenol Welsh Challenge co-drivers' title) and Caine (partnered by Andrew Sankey) will leave nothing on the table as they do battle for the last time in 2022.
Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear were crowned the overall 2022 Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally champions last time out on the Wyedean, with victory in the Forest of Dean giving them a perfect 150 points score. They'll be out to have fun in their Pirelli-shod Delta Salvage Ford Fiesta R5+.
"Having won the title on the Wyedean, the pressure's off now and we're out to enjoy the Cambrian Rally," says Hirst.
"This will be the fifth time I've done the event. The stages are extremely challenging, but that's the way we like them."
Perry Gardener/Jack Bowen are the only other crew to have won a round of the Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship this year and will be aiming to follow up their Woodpecker Stages win with another victory in their Ford Fiesta R5.
The Ceen family will be out in force too, with Bob (the 2001 and 2015 Welsh champion), Benji (who has been flying in his first season in a 4WD car) and Richard, pictured, all hoping for a good run in a pair of Fiesta R5s and a Focus WRC05 - co-driven by Shaun Layland, Caron Tomlinson and Alun Hayward respectively.
Russ Thompson has only contested two rounds this year but finished fourth on the Rallynuts and second on the Woodpecker. The 2019 Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Championship runner-up is always one of the favourites for a maximum points score, and he and co-driver Stephen Link will be aiming for nothing less this time out in their GPM/PD Extinguishers Mitsubishi Evo 9.
James Giddings/Aled Davies hope to have repaired the turbo issue that halted their Fordpad Mitsubishi Evo 9 last time out, Paul Walker/Geraint Thomas will be aiming to continue their good run in their Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Green Paw Subaru Impreza, while David Tomlin/Keith Ashley arrive at the Cambrian off the back of their best result of the season in their Axon Ford Fiesta R5.
Adrian and Matthew Walk will be aiming to secure the class W3 title in their PartBOX Ford Ka, while newly crowned Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Road Rally class champion Brynli Thomas (co-driven by Sion Rowlands) will be doing a victory lap of honour in his Peugeot 306 Rallye.
Action from the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally will be live streamed on: facebook.com/
Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship crews will contest the Interclub section of the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, which will consist of around 45 miles of loose surface roads over eight stages. The North Wales Car Club organised event will start and finish on the promenade on the seafront in Llandudno, rally headquarters will be at Venue Cymru and the centralised service area will be located in the car parks of the Welsh Government offices in Llandudno Junction.
Spectator information is available at: cambrianrally.co.uk.
Further details on the 2022 Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship can be found online at: wnrc.wamc.org.uk.
For more information please contact:
Dave Evison
Secretary, Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship
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Paul Evans
Press Officer, Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship
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Pictures by Paul Mitchell, Jon Price and Russ Otway.
