James Giddings aims to extend his lead at the top of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship points standings when he contests the is Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages on 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.
Bob Morgan/Ade Williams flew to a fourth-placed Pirelli Welsh points finish in their Winner Garage Škoda Fabia R5 on the Nicky Grist Stages and will be aiming for a podium this time out – having collected third-placed Pirelli Welsh points on the Woodpecker last year, while Steve Hollis/Tim Currie are looking for their first finish of the season in their V6 Jaguar-engined Volkswagen Golf V R32 and hope to avoid rolling out of the Woodpecker like they did last year.
Daniel Moss/Hannah McKillop will also be hoping for better luck in their Hurst Haylage Mitsubishi Evo 10 and like Colin Minton/Adam Westerby (Ignition Motorsport-prepared Tutts Clump Fiesta R5) will be aiming for their strongest performance of the season.
Having finished runner-up in the overall drivers’ category last year, Simon Rogers hasn’t had the best of seasons in his MacWhirter Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo 6, with just a seventh-placed Pirelli Welsh points finish on the opening round to shout about. Partnered by James How, the Radlett driver will be hoping to be back battling for maximum points this time.
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