Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear will begin the defence of their Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship titles - and attempt to win the series for a record-breaking fourth time - when they contest this weekend's opening round, the Get Jerky Rally North Wales on Saturday 16 March, in their Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.
The pair have an impressive record on Rally North Wales, having won the event three times - and each time they've won it they have gone on to become Pirelli Welsh champions! Rally North Wales was also the scene of their very first overall rally win in 2019.
Simon Rogers finished a career-best runner-up in last year's all-gravel Pirelli Welsh Championship after a very impressive and consistently fast season in his MacWhirter Motorsport-prepared Mitsubishi. The Evo 6 driver will be partnered on this occasion by Jack Bowen, who will this year be aiming for the OnThePaceNote / Restruct-supported Welsh Junior co-drivers' title.
James Giddings returns to the series - the Carmarthen driver was super-fast in 2022 and picked up second-placed Pirelli Welsh points on the Plains Rally, along with three other top six finishes. Co-driven by Aled Davies, the former Fiesta ST Trophy and Citroën C2 Challenge champion will be a title contender in his Fordpad/Sar Metals Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Paul Walker/Geraint Thomas are always quick in their Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Green Paw Engineering-backed Subaru Impreza STi N11 and will be keen to start the season with a good run on the Oswestry driver's home event.
Three retirements knocked Steve Hollis/Tim Currie down the points order last year, finishing lower than their speed and commitment deserved. They could well be title contenders given a few more clean runs in 2024, as they appear in their V6 Jaguar-engined Volkswagen Golf V R32, the sight and sound of which is something to behold in the Welsh forests.
Former Welsh Junior frontrunner Dan O'Brien makes a very welcome return to the series and will be partnered by Mark Glennerster in his O'Brien Group Ford Fiesta RS WRC, while Peter Baylis/Paul Godden return in their quick Artificial Lawn Company-backed Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Colin Minton enjoyed a high points-scoring run to the finish in last year's championship, which saw the Swindon driver net a top 10 overall finish. Partnered by the reigning Welsh Junior co-driving champion Bonnie Papper, he'll be looking for more success in his Ignition Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.
Also challenging for a top overall result will be Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe in their Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Subaru Impreza N12b and David Tomlin/Keith Ashley in their Axon Ford Fiesta R5. Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan will be aiming to carry on from the great season that they had last year in their ex-Mikko Hirvonen/Alister McRae Subaru Impreza STi, whilst fighting for overall and 57 Tyres Welsh Challenge points will be Paul Lomas/Mark Leader (Plant Speed Subaru Impreza STi), Michael Jenkins/Jordan Joines (Ignition Motorsport Fiesta), Adam Durston-Hillyer/Chris Davies (MacWhirter Motorsport/Saulire PC Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo 9), Keith Jones (co-driven by OnThePaceNote / Restruct Welsh Junior Robbie Sandford in the Grooms Garage Subaru Impreza), Geoff Cottrill/Nathan Crewe (Cottrill Transport Mitsubishi Evo 9), and Rob and Ashley Aslett in their Rigfone Electric Contractors Subaru Impreza.
There will be the usual big battles in the Hockly Motorsport-supported Two-Wheel Drive category.
Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox return to defend their class W12 title in their Xwatch Safety Solutions BMW 325 - resuming their close battle Dan Chester (co-driven this time by Steven Davey) in his Dan's Action Vehicles BMW E30(pictured below), Kevin Metcalfe/Ian Jones in their three-litre BMW E30 and Scott Walton/Ryan Jones in their Mid Glam Motorsport Escort MK2.
The Phelps brothers are back too, with Tim Phelps/Elwyn Manuel battling for class W12 glory in their Britpart Escort Mk2 and Geoff Phelps/Colin Jenkins aiming for class W11 honours in their Hartpury Farms Escort Mk2.
In his first year of rallying on gravel, 57 Tyres boss Lyn Davies clinched the highly competitive Historic class W9 title. His year the Newport driver's Escort RS1800 Mk2 will be prepared by Jonesport and, co-driven by Aled Richards, Lyn promises to be even faster this year!
Taking a W9 class win on Rally North Wales will not be easy, especially with the likes of Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver (Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks Escort RS18000 Mk2), John Morgan/Llinos Jones-Edwards (Fairfield Motor Co. Escort Mk2), Peter Jones/Gareth Davies (Escort Mk2) and Rob Dennis/Andy Boswell (Escort Mk2) on the starting list.
Eddie Lewis, one of the leading challengers for the OnThePaceNote / Restruct-supported Welsh Junior drivers' title, is also taking part - co-driven by Sion Cunniff in his Mechanical Solutions Escort Mk2.
Defending class W8 champions Andrew Stokes/Jonny Tad Evans will be aiming for a good start to the series in their Stokes Rally Team Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1. They always enjoy a tremendously close battle with Jonathan Brace/Paul Spooner in their Dave Jenkins Motorsport-run Brace's Bakery Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1 and Gary Smith/Emma Clarke in their Escort Mk1.
Graham Thatcher gave his magnificent Pembridge Vehicle Management TR7 V8 its debut on last year's Wyedean Rally. Co-driven by Tim Samuel, he'll be hoping to get his challenge for the class W7 title off to a flying start. They'll have some stiff opposition, not least from Peter Hinton/Lewis Sim in their Escort Mk2.
Class W5 champions Julian Birley/Emyr Hall are also back to defend their title in their wonderful orange Talbot Sunbeam.
For the third year running, the top three finishers in each Historic class 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.
Two class wins should have netted Gethin Price more than fourth in last year's class W2 title race, so the Machynlleth driver and co-driver Iwan Thomas will be hoping for another winning start to the Hockly Motorsport-supported 1400cc class in their Keith Price Haulage Nissan Micra. Dave and Freddy Brick are also very fast and will be pushing their Vauxhall Nova to the limit and beyond in an attempt to score maximum points.
Martin Walters/Marie Fletcher have won the class W10 title for the last two years and will be aiming for an incredible hat-trick of trophies in their Digger Parts Direct Honda Civic. Always attracting a vast variety of cars, it's not an easy class to win - and aiming to stop the reigning champion's great run of success will be Greg Mills/Andrew Sankey in their 1.6-litre Toyota-engined Escort Mk2.
Double Cilwendeg Rally winner Chris Richmond Hand brings his two-litre DC Motorsport Escort into the woods in the class for 2WD road rally spec cars. The road rally ace will be co-driven on Rally North Wales by Pete Phennah.
As well as Pirelli Welsh Championship points, the much sought-after special Witham Motorsport awards will be up for grabs on Rally North Wales for registered 2WD, 4WD and Historic competitors.
Rally North Wales will be live streamed on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship's and Special Stage TV's Facebook pages during the event, featuring action from all the registered competitors.
Organised by Wolverhampton & South Staffs Car Club, this year's Rally North Wales will be based at the Welshpool Livestock Market, just outside the town - where the start, midday service and finish will be held. There will be two challenging loops of stages through Gartheiniog, Dyfi and Dyfnant forests, totalling around 45 stage miles.
Spectator information is available at: rallynorthwales.co.uk.
During the 2024 season, the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship will be raising awareness of its official charity partner, The Osborne Trust (theosbornetrust.com).
Further details on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship can be found online at: wnrc.wamc.org.uk.
For more information, please contact:
Dave Evison
Secretary, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship
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Paul Evans
Press Officer, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship
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