James Giddings aims to extend his lead at the top of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship points standings when he contests this weekend’s Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages (Saturday 7 September) in his Fordpad/Enva/Sar Metals Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Co-driven by Aled Davies, the Swansea driver’s consistently high scoring run of third, fourth and second-place finishes on the first three rounds has given him a 10-point lead as he heads into Round 4. James didn’t contest the Woodpecker last year and he hasn’t finished the event since 2021 (when he finished second in class in a Fiesta R2) – but a new route this year will lessen that disadvantage as he aims for another podium finish.
Matthew Hirst is still on course for a record-breaking fourth Pirelli Welsh title, thanks to victories on the opening two rounds. Retirement on the recent Nicky Grist Stages will merely go down as one of his two dropped scores as he and co-driver Declan Dear aim to slay their Woodpecker demons in their Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.
2001 Woodpecker winners Perry Gardener/Jack Bowen return in their TNT Tyres Fiesta R5, as do Russ Thompson/Stephen Link who claimed maximum Pirelli Welsh points on this year’s Nicky Grist Stages in their Dunnow Plant Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Peter Baylis/Paul Godden are having a great season and arrive at the Woodpecker lying fourth in the standings. The overheating problems that hampered them in 2023 seem to have finally gone and they’ll be aiming to beat their season best fifth Pirelli Welsh finish in their Artificial Lawn Company Mitsubishi Evo 9.
As always there will be a fierce battle for Hockly Motorsport 2WD honours, with Mike Brown Jnr/Nikola Brown (LB Passive Fire BMW Compact M3) fresh from their class victory last time out and battling against the likes of Kevin Metcalfe/Ian Jones (BMW E30), Wyn Hughes/David Davies (Escort M2), Dan Chester/Steven Davey (Dan’s Action Vehicles BMW E30), Gareth Humphreys/Adam Burkill (BMW Mini Cooper S), David Jones/Glyn Price (Tanners Arms/GJ Price Transport BMW E30) and defending W12 champions Andrew Fox/Jaime-Lee Fox (Xwatch Safety Solutions BMW 325).
Peter Hinton/Lewis Sim lead W7 in their Escort Mk2 and are set to continue their close battle with Graham Thatcher/Tim Samuel in their Pembridge Vehicle Management TR7 V8, while Neal James (co-driven by Siobhan Pugh) returns in his Mosleys Rolling Road/Eagle Accountancy Escort Mk2.
Rudi Lancaster/Guy Weaver arrive leading W9 after two wins and a second-place finish in their Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks Escort RS18000 Mk2.
