Defending Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally champion Matthew Hirst celebrated a third straight maximum points score of the 2023 season on the Plains Rally in his Pirelli-shod Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5 – although it was far from straightforward, as both he and arch-rival Perry Gardener hit problems in the afternoon, which saw them swap positions on the eighth and final stage.
The frontrunning duo were tied for the lead after the opening 2.78 mile test through Alwen South – before Hirst, who was partnered for the first time by Mark Glennerster, took the smallest of leads after the next 6.55 miler through Alwen North.
With the top cars having to drive non-competitively through the longest 8.78 mile Aberhirnant test (one of the highest stages in Wales), just 0.01 seconds still separated them as they came to the final stage of the morning loop.
All four stages were repeated in the afternoon, which began with Hirst increasing his lead to 12 seconds – only for him to lose 35 seconds and the lead when the power-steering failed on SS6.
With only two stages remaining, Hirst regained 13 seconds on the penultimate stage after Gardener spun to leave him 10 seconds behind entering the final stage.
In his first rally for seven months, Gardener had driven brilliantly and looked set to score a memorable comeback win.
But it wasn’t to be, as an alarm on the dashboard came on during the final stage, forcing the Ludlow driver to stop his Davanti Tyres-backed Ford Fiesta R5, turn the engine off, reboot the system, restart the engine and get going again.
The delay cost him and co-driver Jack Bowen almost 30 seconds and the Pirelli Welsh top spot, as Hirst – who had to reboot his power-steering system a few road sections before – finished 18 seconds ahead.
Simon Rogers has moved up to second in the overall drivers’ standings after another great run in his MacWhirter Motorsport-prepared Mitsubishi Evo 6.
Greenhill takes over the lead in the overall co-drivers’ standings, while he and Andrews maintains their lead in the Welsh Challenge.
Richard Jordan/James Gratton-Smith were the top two-wheel drive crew home after a magnificent run in their Ford Escort Mk2.
Jordan has moved up to third in the Restruct Welsh Historic class W9 – which is now being led by Lyn Davies/Aled Richards in their Wales Motorsport-prepared Escort Mk2, after early class leader Robert Gough (co-driven by Paul Morris) retired his Escort RS1800 Mk2 with engine problems on the opening stage.
