Nicky Grist Stages: Full Report
After a long delay, an enthusiastic bunch of crews gathered before the start of the Nicky Grist stages last weekend in Builth Wells.
FUCHS LUBRICANTS BTRDA 1400 Bronze Star Championship
Swift by Name…
Sixteen months it might be since they last contested a BTRDA event, but the pace of the FUCHS LUBRICANTS BTRDA 1400 Championship front-runners is still formidable, with the Top Three finishing within 41 seconds of each other after 44 miles of stages (The same as the Gold Star competitors). Steve Black/Paul Morris (Pictured) took their Suzuki Swift to victory from the MG ZR of Richard Jordan/James Gratton-Smith, five seconds in front of Dave & Toby Brick’s Nova. Staying well out of the way of the aforementioned flying trio, Aaron Rix/Abi Haycock claimed 4th place points in their Ford Escort. Edward Wain/Noel Murphy won Class 1400C in their MG ZR, but Gethin Price/Andrew Baddeley were on their way home earlier than expected following their Nissan Micra’s retirement on SS4. Simon & Alex Stanbury’s MG ZR took maximum class points in the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally First Championship and so did Tom Naylor – Pat’s son, but we promise not to mention that again! – in his Nissan Micra, with a little help from co-driver Tom Bishop, obviously!
MRF TYRES BTRDA Gold Star® Championship
As forest rallying resumes, Payne eases....
Into the lead of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Gold Star® Rally Championship!… Elliot, son of 2016 Gold Star Champion Charlie Payne, and co-driver Cameron Fair contested the BRC National category of the Nicky Grist Stages and having elected to forego the opportunity of a recce of the route, were also eligible for BTRDA points – an opportunity they grasped with both hands as their Fiesta completed the route just nine seconds quicker than the similar car of Callum Black who won the Interclub event on the day. In fact, the Black family were well represented as Steve came out on top of the 1400 ‘Bronze Star’ contenders…
Next up were Ian Bainbridge/Will Atkins whose Skoda Fabia took fastest time on the second stage of the day, Monument 1, to lead Black by a solitary second at this point. However, the Fiesta driver was three seconds quicker on SS3 to re-establish a lead which he maintained through to the finish in Builth Wells. George Lepley/Tom Woodburn are back in their giant killing Lancer EVOX – they were 3rd on the Interclub event, a mere one second ahead of Tom Llewellin on his first competitive outing in his Mitsubishi Mirage. It’s worth pointing out that, prior to the final run through Crychan, the gap had been nine seconds but, now coping with a gearbox issue, Lepley could only manage 6th fastest here – his slowest time of the day – to scrape home ahead of the young Welshman by the skin of his teeth! Gareth Sayers/Gareth Gilchrist rounded off the Top Six in their Fiesta while Richard Hill (Lancer) was ‘Best of the Rest’ behind Lepley in Class B13. Ian Joel/Graeme Wood’s Escort Cosworth finished a handful of seconds ahead of Matthew Hirst’s EVO9 while Martyn & Dawn England’s re-acquaintance with an EVOX saw them end the day just inside the Top 20. Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence’s return in their former BTRDA Production Cup-winning Lancer EVO9 came to an end following the first run through Crychan. Never mind, family honour was upheld by son Tom Naylor – more of whom anon!...
MRF TYRES BTRDA Silver Star® Championship
Home win for Pritchard!....
Builth Wells resident Jason Pritchard brought his Historic spec. Escort home in 11th place overall to claim a class win and the lead in both the MRF Tyres BTRDA Silver Star® Championship and BTRDA Historic Cup. Following the retirement of the previously successful Talbot Sunbeam VRX of Andrew Davison/Tom Murphy, the twowheel drive category in mid-Wales turned into something of an Escort benefit with a definite Irish flavour to it! Dungannon’s Frank & Lauren Kelly and
Owen McMackin, who hails from Omagh, finished one place apart, while Londoner Ashley Davies, the 2017 Silver Star Champion, and co-driver Sam Fordham were right behind them. Rob Wright/Mark Fisher continued the Blue Oval rout with 5th in class, half-a-minute behind Davies.
In Historic Cup terms, Paul Street/Ian Jones (Escort) were Pritchard’s nearest rivals, with Baz Jordan/Arwel Jenkins next in their Avenger. It’s perhaps worth noting that Baz maintained the ‘Bragging Rights’ in the Jordan household by finishing three seconds ahead of son Richard’s 1400
MG ZR!... Meanwhile, 2019 Historic Championship runner-up David Gathercole suffered an inauspicious start to his current campaign when his Ford Escort developed electrical problems prior to leaving Builth Wells – and, consequently, didn’t!...
BTRDA RALLYE R2 CUP
Lloyd banks maximum points!...
Notwithstanding the prevalence of Fiestas in the BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup, Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams took their Peugeot 208 R2 (naturally!) to a convincing win in both the main and Junior categories on the Nicky Grist Stages. Apart from a spin in Monument, the West Wales Rally Spares-backed duo endured an untroubled run to a class win and a brace of maximum point scores. Jonathan Jones, another driver to contest the BRC National event, took 2nd place points in his Fiesta, with Connor Tolson/Dylan Thomas also opening their account at the earliest opportunity. On the other side of the coin, Jonathan Lee Jones/Lewis Griffiths’ bid for glory ended on Stage 3 while the Fiestas of the Tordoffs, Mathew & Tim, and Rob Wilson/Martin Haggett both waited until the last stage of the day, rychan 2, before throwing in the towel….
MOTORSPORT UK 2021 English Rally Championship In Association With SEACON UK
The Motorsport UK 2021 English Rally Championship in association with Seacon UK also began on the Nicky Grist Stages and we say this every year – basically because, in a class-based series such as this, it happens every year! - following the season-opener there is currently a six-way tie for the lead. Defending champion Steve Black (Suzuki Swift), George Lepley (Lancer EVOX), Jason Pritchard (Escort), Frank Kelly (Escort), Elliot Payne (Fiesta) and Ioan Lloyd (Peugeot 208) earned 25 points each for their efforts in mid Wales. As is also always the case, their pursuers – of whom there are also six – are just two points behind and everyone now has until the beginning of September to regroup prior to round 2, the Woodpecker Stages. From then on, each competitor’s success will begin to pay dividends as it will allow them to pull clear of their rivals - or not, depending on their luck!
MRF TYRES Mixed-Surface Rally Challenge
In what is already a necessarily re-jigged calendar, the Nicky Grist Stages played host to contenders for the MRF Tyres Mixed-Surface Rally Challenge. Four gravel events – or three after last weekend! – and three rounds on asphalt lie in wait for those eager to test their skills on both types of rally stages and, as crews now ready themselves for a trip to the Scottish Rally, it is Appleby’s Jonny Sproat (Fiesta) who holds sway by a single point from the Escort Cosworth of Ian Joel who lives not a million miles away from the leader in Carnforth. Simon Stanbury’s MG ZR is 3rd, ahead of Brendan Wellman (Fiesta) and Edward Wain (MG ZR) who are currently 4th equal. Further down the list, it’s interesting to note that two Manxmen, Steven Ormond-Smith and Maxx Bradshaw (both Mitsubishi EVOs) are getting some points on the board prior to their ‘home’ event, the Pokerstars Rally, a double-header on the Isle of Man at the beginning of October!
Championship Points
A full list of all the BTRDA Rally Series points after the Nicky Grist Stages can be found in the Competitor section of www.btrdarally.com Likewise a list of Motorsport UK 2021 English Rally Championship points can be found in the Competitor section of www.englishrally.co.uk The MRF Mixed Surface Challenge points after the Nicky Grist Stages can be found in the MRF Challenge section of www.btrdarally.com
These points will become final on Wednesday 21st July.
