Defending Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh rally champions Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear will be aiming for a third straight win on the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages (Saturday 13 April) when the series leaders contest the event in their Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5 - although they'll face stiff competition from the likes of Perry Gardener/Jack Bowen, who return to the series in their TNT AGRI Fiesta R5, and Dan O'Brien/Mark Glennerster, who finished second on Round 1 in their O'Brien Group Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Hirst started his title defence in style with a commanding victory on the recent Get Jerky Rally North Wales, but there is a long way between now and what the Doncaster ace hopes will be a record-breaking fourth Pirelli Welsh title - and there are plenty of drivers out to stop him.
Gardener is always quick in the Welsh forests and took home third-placed Pirelli Welsh points the last time he did the Rallynuts in 2022. Jack Bowen meanwhile will be aiming to extend his lead at the top of the OnThePaceNote / Restruct Welsh Junior co-drivers' standings, having navigated for Simon Rogers on the opening round.
Former Welsh Junior frontrunner O'Brien had a very close battle for position with James Giddings/Aled Davies (Fordpad/Enva/Sar Metals Mitsubishi Evo 9) last time out, and the pair will be duelling for the top spot once again.
Russ Thompson/Stephen Link scored maximum Pirelli Welsh points on last year's Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally and return in their rapid Dunnow Plant Mitsubishi Evo 9. The 2019 championship runners up will be able to use the top end speed of their car to good effect on the fast and flowing stages and will be out for a win.
David Tomlin would have taken third-placed points on Rally North Wales had he not put his Axon Ford Fiesta R5 off and got stuck in the mud for three minutes. As his regular co-driver Keith Ashley is on Rallynuts Clerk of the Course duties, the Worcester driver will be partnered this time by Ian Beamond.
The 2023 Welsh Challenge champions Martyn Andrews/Steve Greenhill return in their unmissable Opie Oils Subaru Impreza STi N12 and will be challenging for a top spot, as will Daniel Moss/Sam Davies in their Hurst Haylage Mitsubishi Evo 10.
Rob Wilson won the Pirelli Welsh Junior, Challenge and class W13 titles in 2022 (and finished runner up in the overall drivers' standings) and is back in his trusty Mitsubishi Evo 7. Co-driven by Martin Haggett, the Herefordshire youngster knows how to get the most out of the not-so-young car and will no doubt be battling right up at the sharp end once again.
Peter Baylis had a great run to fifth last time out, with his Artificial Lawn Company Mitsubishi Evo 9 showing no signs of the overheating problems that had dogged him in 2023. Co-driven by Paul Godden, the Gravesend driver will be hoping to continue his run of good form.
Colin Minton enjoyed a solid start to the season in his Ignition Motorsport-prepared Tutts Clump Fiesta R5, and will be co-driven this time by Tim Green, while Paul Lomas (co-driven by Mark Leader) will contest only his third rally in his self-built Plant Speed Subaru Impreza STi.
A DNF wasn't the way Steve Hollis/Tim Currie had planned to start their 2024 campaign, although with the best five scores from seven rounds counting towards the final championship standings, their title challenge is very much on. They'll be keen to get a good points-scoring finish under their belts this time in their V6 Jaguar-engined Volkswagen Golf V R32.
Simon Rogers didn't have a great start to the season either. Last year's runner up will be hoping for better things, as he's partnered by Ade Williams in his MacWhirter Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo 6.
Other 4WD crews to look out for include Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe (Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Subaru Impreza N12b), Rob and Ashley Aslett (Rigfone Electric Contractors Subaru Impreza), Geoff Cottrill/Nathan Crewe (Mitsubishi Evo 9) and Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan (Subaru Impreza STi), pictured below.
The Hockly Motorsport-supported 2WD category sees the return of reigning champions Iwan Roberts Jnr/Daniel Jones in their Roberts of Ffestiniog Ford Escort G3. Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees won the 2WD category three times last year, including on the Rallynuts, and will be out for another win in their Flying Kiwi Ford Escort Mk2.
The star drive on Rally North Wales came from Chris Richmond Hand, who won the class, finished second on the 57 Tyres Welsh Challenge and scored a Pirelli Welsh top 10 overall result in his Road Rally class DC Motorsport Escort Mk2. Co-driven this time by Ryan Jones, the double Cilwendeg Rally winner will be aiming for another impressive performance this time as well.
Defending class W12 champions Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox will be aiming to bounce back from a rare retirement last time out in their Xwatch Safety Solutions BMW 325, while David Jones/Glyn Price make their first appearance of the year in their Tanners Arms/GJ Price Transport BMW E30.
Geoff Phelps/Colin Jenkins arrive leading class W11 in their Hartpury Farms Escort Mk2. They'll resume their battle with Scott Walton (partnered this time by Craig Nelson in his Mid Glam Motorsport Escort Mk2), Richard Warne/Chris Deal (Escort Mk2) and Mike Brown Snr/Nikola Brown (BMW Compact).
Martin Walters/Marie Fletcher started the defence of their class W10 title with victory on round one in their Digger Parts Direct Honda Civic. They'll have a fight on their hands again, as Alan Desbois (co-driven by Lucie Gutteridge) returns in his Peugeot 306 RWD. Greg Mills (who finished runner up in the 1999 Welsh Championship) and co-driver Andrew Sankey, pictured above, are back in their Lake Vyrnwy Hotel-backed 1.6-litre Toyota-engined Escort Mk2, as too are Michael Jenkins/Jordan Joines who finished second in class in their Ignition Motorsport/Tutts Clump Fiesta last time out, despite a pair of punctures.
Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver had an amazing Historic W9 class winning run on Rally North Wales, picking up fourth-placed overall Pirelli Welsh points in their Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks Escort RS18000 Mk2, despite brake bias issues. They'll be pushed hard again by Rob Dennis/Andy Boswell, who also had a good run last time out in their Team Dennis Escort Mk2.
Defending class W9 champion Lyn Davies will be aiming for his first win of the season when he and co-driver Aled Richards start the event in their Jonesport-prepared 57 Tyres Escort RS1800 Mk2, while Robert Gough/Jez Rogers (Escort RS1800 Mk2), Steve Chaplin/Rich Suter (Escort Mk2), Jeremy Wells/ Martin Saunders (Wells Masonary Solutions Escort Mk1), Peter Jones/Gareth Davies (Escort Mk2) and John Morgan/Llinos Jones-Edwards (Escort Mk2) all return.
Jonathan Brace/Paul Spooner, pictured below, will be aiming to get their Historic class W8 title challenge back on track after a burnt-out windscreen wiper motor stopped their Dave Jenkins Motorsport-run Brace's Bakery Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1 on Rally North Wales. They'll be back battling with Andrew Stokes/Jonny Tad Evans (Stokes Rally Team Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1) and Gary Smith/Clive Jones (Escort RS1600 Mk1).
Peter Hinton/Lewis Sim will be aiming to extend their early Historic class W7 lead in their Escort Mk2, chased hard by Graham Thatcher/Tim Samuel in their Pembridge Vehicle Management TR7 V8. Eddie Lewis, one of the leading challengers for the OnThePaceNote / Restruct Welsh Junior drivers' title, and co-driver Sion Cunniff, will be looking to bounce straight back after a non-finish on round one in their Mechanical Solutions Escort Mk2.
Neville Breach/Tony Vart will be one of the favourites for class W5 honours in their Hillman Avenger.
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.
Dave and Freddy Brick will be looking for a strong Hockly Motorsport-supported 1400cc class points finish after fuel pump problems stopped their Vauxhall Nova on Rally North Wales. They'll be fighting for class W2 honours against the likes of last year's class runner up and Welsh Junior frontrunner Ashley Francis-Adams (co-driven by Mark Ammonds) in his T2 Fabrication-backed Nissan Micra.
Also battling for Welsh Junior honours as well as class W4 victory will be Sam Mason. The Bewdley youngster had a wonderful debut season last year and is back with co-driver James Seymour in his SM Autocare Ford Fiesta.
The 50th anniversary Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages contains seven stages, totalling 62.31 stage miles. It starts from the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells at 08:00 on Saturday 13 April and has four stages (Sarnau, Tarennig, Myherin and Sweet Lamb) before service in Builth Wells. In the afternoon, there is the repeat of Sarnau, Myherin Main (which at 15.82 miles is the longest of the event) and Hafren Main, before the finish back in Llandrindod Wells at 17:35.
The Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages 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.
During the 2024 season, the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship will be raising awareness of its official charity partner The Osborne Trust (theosbornetrust.com).
For details about the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship and how to register visit: wnrc.wamc.org.uk.
Paul Evans
Press Officer, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship
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Images by Paul Mitchell
Please credit Paul Mitchell Photography
