An impressive line-up of around 130 crews will head to Builth Wells this weekend as some of the best drivers in national rallying compete in the 45^th running of the Rallynuts Stages Rally (14^th April).

Formally known as the Severn Valley Stages, the Midland Manor Motor Club organised rally has seen a name, date and championship change in 2018 which has helped to bring one of the biggest entries in a number of years to the popular forest event.

Thanks to a long-term partnership with race wear and accessory supplier Rallynuts Motorsport, the event was renamed at the end of 2017, ensuring the stability of the rally which offers 45 miles of classic rallying in the Cefn, Crychan, Gwibedog and Radnor forests.

Returning after a break of 27 years, the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Championship has attracted a diverse and exciting entry, from World Rally Cars to historic specification machines.  Also heading to the Royal Welsh Showground at the weekend are crews from the Pirelli MSA Welsh Rally Championship, West Wales Rally Spares HRCR Stage Masters and the Brian Dennis Motorsport Welsh Historic Rally Championship.

Picking a winner from the notable entry would be a difficult task with any one of the top ten in with a shout for overall glory. 2017 BTRDA Champions Steve Petch/Michael Wilkinson could arguably be considered as favourites to better their third spot on the Cambrian Rally in their Fiesta WRC, but series leaders Paul Bird/Jack Morton will have something to say about that prediction. They will bring their older but equally as glorious Ford Focus WRC to Wales.

British Rally Championship hopefuls Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod will also be eying victory in their less powerful but nimble Ford Fiesta R5. The Welsh driver is dovetailing his BRC commitments with a BTRDA campaign. 2014 event winner and two-time runner up Luke Francis has swapped his Mitsubishi for a Fiesta WRC in 2018 and will want to take the winner’s trophy back to Denbighshire with John Roberts alongside.

Ruthin driver Hugh Hunter will wheel out his Fiesta WRC with Robb Fagg alongside and will also be one of the top Welsh Championship contenders amongst the leaders. Tom Cave from Aberdovey makes a welcome return to the stages after several months away from UK Rallying and will drive his own Subaru Impreza with Dale Bowen in the co-drivers seat.

Such is a quality of the entry, you will need to look outside the top twenty to find the first two wheel drive crew and that honour goes to last year’s Historic event winners Nick Elliott and Dave Price in their Ford Escort Mk2.  Fellow British Historic Rally Championship crew Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver will take the fight to Elliott in their similar machine.

Spectators eager to catch the action on the stages will be well catered for this year, with three opportunities to view the cars in full flight during the day. The Crychan stage, just a few miles North East of Cynghordy, offers the chance to see two passes of the stage, at both 09:18 and 14:34.

The Radnor test, just off the A488 at Monaughty is visited just once at 12:09. For those fans who want to get a little closer to the cars and drivers, the rally base at the Royal Welsh Showground is the ideal place to visit.

Technical checks take place from 13:00 on Friday 13^th at the venue. The ceremonial start gets underway from 08:30 on Saturday 14^th, with the service halt scheduled for 10:43 and 13:02. Crews will start to return for the ceremonial finish from around 15:55.

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Image: Kevin Money

Jamie Anderson sets six from seven fastest times in British Championship shakedown outing

MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) contenders Jamie Anderson and Ross Whittock took a dominant victory at the Rallynuts Motorsport Severn Valley Stages on Saturday (4^th June) in their Ford Fiesta R5. Anderson headed to the event as a shakedown to the forthcoming British Championship round which utilises similar forests and his efforts were rewarded with a 14 second victory from nearest rivals Luke Francis and John Roberts in their Mitsubishi E9. Fellow BRC challengers Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress also had the same idea and were also pleased to have taken third overall in their Proton Satria Neo S2000.

With a revised route and a host of top-line championships joining the Midland Manor Motor Club organised event, competitors were treated to 45 stage miles of classic Welsh forests across Powys including a return to the Radnor forest complex after a break of six years, attracting a substantial 120 car entry in the process.  Dust would be the talking point of the day as the dry conditions and lack of a breeze meant it was lingering in the trees and creating an issue for much of the field.

Anderson, from Leicestershire took first blood on the opening five mile Gwibedog test with a six second gap from Pirelli MSA Welsh Rally Championship front runner Francis.  That lead would never be challenged as Anderson put in a string of fastest stage times to dominate the event and take his first rally win since the Woodpecker in October 2015. Francis would be his closest challenger all day long and despite clawing four seconds back on the fifth stage, could not overhaul the on-form Anderson.  Francis from Rhuddlan had complained about the dust issue from the first loop which would scupper any chargeback he may have had on the rally leader. A solid second and maximum Welsh Championship points were his reward.

Ollie Mellors had a trouble free run to third despite suffering from a lack of power on the long straights of Radnor forest.  Dylan Davies and Mark Glennerster recovered from a slow start, languishing down at eighth overall on the opening loop to take a well-deserved fourth in their Subaru Impreza and a solid Welsh Championship points haul. Sacha Kakad and James Aldridge also had an impressive comeback from 17^th to end the day fifth overall in their Mitsubishi E10.

“It’s been a really perfect day to be honest” commented Anderson at the finish.  “We have had no dramas all day long and to have come away with a rally win was a bonus.  The stages are fantastic and it’s certainly been different running at first car on the road, I’ve never had that honour before and sweeping the stages is hard work. But we have done what we set out to do and gaining some experience ahead of Julys Nicky Grist was important.”

The battle for Mintex MSA British Historic Championship honors was nowhere near as straight forward as the top three however and there was a shock leader after stage one.  Adam Milner and Roy Jarvis stormed to third overall in the event and Historic leader in their Category 2 Ford Escort Mk1, taking many by surprise.

But Milner gradually slipped down the leaderboard before retiring on the penultimate stage of the event. Taking over from top spot on stage two were Joe Price and Chris Brooks who settled in nicely to the head of the pack, picking up nicely where they left off from last month’s Pirelli Rally. Nick Elliott and Dave Price battled long and hard with Paul Barrett and Dai Roberts for second throughout the day after challengers and local stars Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke rolled out of the event on stage four.

It was far from a done deal for Price, as his Escort MK2 became stuck in gear on the penultimate test to hand the lead to Elliott in his similar machine. That lasted for just one stage however as on the final run Elliott picked up a puncture, dropping behind a chasing Barrett to second. Barrett’s newly inherited win further extends his lead in the series with Rudi Lancaster and George Gwynn taking a well-deserved third.

There was another Ford Escort one, two, three in the HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge with Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons heading the runners after Shaun Rayner and Guy Weaver had an “up and down” day to take second. Stanley Orr and Declan Dear claimed the final podium spot despite a series of punctures throughout the event.

Despite the challenging and unusually dry conditions, 86 of the 120 starters finished the event which took crews through seven forestry stages. Clerk of the Course Chris Ashley believes this has been one of the best Severn Valley Stages for many years. “The organising team has had to overcome several issues before the event but thanks to the help and support of so many people, we believe we have delivered a first class event in 2016” he says.  “Huge thanks must go to our title sponsor Rallynuts Motorsport who has supported the event for the first time this year. We do hope this is just the start of a long and prosperous relationship”.

Pic: Jucy Rally Photography