Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear are set to become Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally champions for a record third equalling time as they take an unassailable lead into the final round of the all-gravel series, the Wyedean Stages Rally (Saturday 18 November).
It looked like the Wyedean would be a straight head-to-head fight between Hirst/Dear and Russ Thompson/Stephen Link for the title – until pre-event engine problems with their Dunnow Plant Mitsubishi Evo 9 forced the 2019 Pirelli Welsh runners-up to withdraw from the event.
Simon Rogers currently holds second place, and whilst the two scores to drop rule means that he can’t win the title outright, the runners-up spot would be the highest finishing position for the rapid Radlett driver.
Martyn Andrews is four points behind in third, having scored highly on all six previous rounds in his Opie Oils Subaru Impreza STi N12. Such has been the Welwyn Garden City pilot’s performance this year that he won the Welsh Challenge title some time ago, while Steve Greenhill has also secured the Welsh Challenge co-drivers’ crown and leads the overall co-driver’s standings.
Wug Utting arrives at the final round in fifth and could still finish third in the series. Co-driven by Bob Stokoe, he’s had a fantastic season in his Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Subaru Impreza N12b – and having travelled from his home in Gatwick (the Surrey village, not the airport) to every round this year, the Wyedean is his ‘local’ Pirelli Welsh event.
Nik Elsmore is a two-time winner of the rally and whilst he doesn’t compete as much as he used to (this will be this third Pirelli Welsh start this year) he is still a force to be reckoned with. Co-driven by Pauline Nash, expect some fast times from the local driver in his CDS Taxis & Private Hire Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Another rapid Mitsubishi driver to watch is Rob Wilson. He might be in an older Evo 7, but that didn’t stop the Ledbury driver taking the Pirelli Welsh win on the Woodpecker and two other podium results this year.
It’s an incredibly close battle in the OnThePaceNote-supported Welsh Junior Championship, with the top six drivers separated by just 23 points and all still in contention for the title.
With two class wins to his name, Callum Griffiths (co-driven by William Lewis) heads the standings in his Presteigne Tyre Services-supported Fiesta ST and only needs to finish first or second to guarantee the title.
Sam Mason (co-driven by James Seymour) is second, just eight points behind, in his SM Autocare Ford Fiesta – and is tied on points with Callum’s brother Liam (who is co-driven by Daniel James in another Fiesta ST). Mason has won one and finished second twice on the last three rallies, while Griffiths is looking for his first win having finished second twice.
Iwan Roberts/Daniel Jones (Roberts of Ffestiniog Ford Escort G3) and Boyd Kershaw/Keegan Rees (Flying Kiwi Ford Escort Mk2) go into a head-to-head battle for the Hockly Motorsport-supported 2WD category title.
Two of the most spectacular drivers in the series have each won the class three times this year – and whilst Roberts Jnr leads by 17 points, he can only improve his score by six points, while Kershaw (who is an impressive sixth in the overall driver standings, one point ahead of Roberts) can add 25 to his current total.
Several of the Restruct Welsh Historic class titles have been won, although there will be some intriguing battles on the Wyedean.
