Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear clinched the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship title for a record-equalling third time at the weekend after winning the Wyedean Stages Rally in their Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5.
Recent heavy rain had left the Forest of Dean stages very wet and slippery, and despite a cautious start Hirst admitted to a few overshoots on the morning’s loop of three stages. He still led the Pirelli Welsh section and took over the overall lead of the event on the afternoon’s repeat run through the stages.
Whilst the drivers’ title was pretty much secure, maximum points were required for Dear to clinch the co-driver’s title. With that in mind, and the desire to end the 2023 season on a high after a recent run of bad luck, Hirst made no mistakes as he took an impressive 17 second win.
“I’m delighted to have won my third Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship with my third win in a row on the Wyedean, particularly as it was such a tricky event this year,” said Hirst.
“We’ve had a bad run recently and we needed this result to go into the winter break at peace and at one with rallying again. In sport you have good runs and bad runs and we’ve had both this year.
“We came to the Wyedean with the mindset of taking it steady and not making any mistakes, and to do that and win feels great. We’ve ended the year on a high, which is what we wanted, and I’m over the moon.”
“It was a little more difficult for me to clinch the co-driver’s title, but we knew what we had to do on the Wyedean,” added Dear.
“Matt drove a great event, really measured in very tricky conditions, and it all came good in the end.”
Rob Wilson put in another very impressive drive in his Mitsubishi Evo 7 to finish second on the Wyedean. Co-driven by Martin Haggett, the 2022 Welsh Junior champion was a lot happier once he’d changed tyres for the afternoon stages and never put a foot wrong in the challenging conditions.
Nik Elsmore admitted that Lady Luck had been his salvation in the morning, as he’d been off the road and well into the undergrowth twice on SS3. Co-driven by Pauline Nash, the local Coleford driver had a gear linkage come loose on his CDS Taxis & Private Hire Mitsubishi Evo 9 in the afternoon, making downshifts difficult – all of which made finishing third all the sweeter.
Callum Griffiths is the new OnThePaceNote-supported Welsh Junior champion, after a very close and exciting battle for the title. He and co-driver William Lewis arrived at the Wyedean leading the class, but with six drivers in with a chance of winning there was much to do.
Hitting a few banks on SS3 was an indication of how hard Griffiths was pushing in the morning, as the Presteigne Tyre Services Fiesta ST driver reached first service after three stages with a good lead – and with many of his Junior rivals hitting problems, one hand on the trophy.
He still had to survive the remaining four stages to be sure of the title, and a “hairy moment” on SS5 got his heart racing – but in the end Griffiths secured the Junior title in style (taking home seventh place Pirelli Welsh overall points) and clinch the 2WD runners-up spot (first front-wheel drive).
One of the star drives of the season has come from Sam Mason. He only passed his driving test earlier this year and hasn’t even got a road car – so the only time he drives at all is when he competes on a rally.
In fact, the first time he’d ever driven on a dual carriageway was on the recent Visit Conway Cambrian Rally! Despite this, he and co-driver James Seymour put in another excellent performance in their SM Autocare Ford Fiesta – despite the car having severe diff problems all day, which effectively left it in one-wheel drive – with Mason claiming the Welsh Junior runners-up crown and the class W4 title.
The opening round of the 2024 Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship is the Get Jerky Rally North Wales on Saturday 16 March.
2023 Wyedean Rally – top 10 Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship finishers:
1. Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear (Ford Fiesta R5)….42mins 04secs
2. Rob Wilson/Martin Haggett (Mitsubishi Evo 7)….42mins 21secs
3. Nik Elsmore/Pauline Nash (Mitsubishi Evo 9)….43mins 49secs
4. Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Škoda Fabia R5) ….44mins 16secs
5. Iwan Roberts/Daniel Jones (Ford Escort G3)….45mins 42secs
6. Simon Rogers/James How (Mitsubishi Evo 6)….46mins 06secs
7. Callum Griffiths/William Lewis (Ford Fiesta ST)….46mins 53secs
8. Ricky Crone/Ifan Devine (Ford Escort Mk2)….47mins 08secs
9. Jonathan Brace/Paul Spooner (Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1)….48mins 32secs
10. Colin Minton/Bonnie Papper (Ford Fiesta R5)….48mins 57secs
2023 Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship