Thorburn aims to clinch BTRDA Series title on the bumper 130 car Nicky Grist Stages

The forthcoming Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July) has received a bumper 130 car entry, with top seeds Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton hoping that a good result on the eight stage Mid-Wales forestry event will clinch them the prestigious 2019 Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series title.

The Scottish duo has been unstoppable so far this year, with four wins out of four in their Ford Focus WRC. But securing the final championship winning points are often the hardest ones to find – and they’ll have plenty of top quality competition trying to deny them the Gold Star trophy on the Builth Wells-based event.

And as if Thorburn needed reminding of that fact, in his rear view mirror will be number two seeds and 2017 champions Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson (Ford Fiesta WRC), with Connor McCloskey/Noel Sullivan (Ford Fiesta R5+) starting at number three. The quality field continues with Ian Joel/Shaun Hughes (Escort Cosworth) at four, Conor McCourt/Caolan McKenna (Ford Fiesta R5) at five and Martyn and Dawn England (Ford Fiesta R5) at six.

Local hero Jason Pritchard, the triple British Historic Rally Champion, will start his very first Nicky Grist Stages at number seven – partnered by Phil Clarke in his North Road Garage-backed Ford Escort RS1800. Having never completed against the cream of the BTRDA Historic crop before, it will be fascinating to witness Pritchard battling with the likes of reigning BTRDA Silver Star champions George Lepley/Tom Woodburn, who lead the BTRDA Historic Cup and who are an incredible third overall in their flying Hillman Avenger.

Tom Llewellin will be another Historic Escort Mk2 driver to watch. The son of double British Rally Champion David Llewellin arrives at the Nicky Grist Stages leading the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship in the overall drivers’ standings, the Junior series, the two-wheel drive category and the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge. The Pembrokeshire teenager also leads the FMP Rally Challenge, which has over 100 competitors and helps raise the profile of the Wales Air Ambulance. Co-driven by Russ Whittock, Llewellin is seeded at number 19.

Matthew Hurst/Declan Dear, Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy and Scott Faulkner/Gareth Parry (who also lead the BTRDA Production Cup) are currently second, third and fourth in the Welsh series, and their close rivalry will continue in a trio of rapid Mitsubishi Evos.

Others crews to look out for include Theo Bengry/Les Forsbrook in the new Proton Iriz R5, former BTRDA Cup champions Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence (Mitsubishi Evo), Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe (Subaru Impreza N12), Terry Brown/Angharad Williams (Escort Mk2), Richard Hill/Steffan Evans (Subaru Impreza), Tommi Meadows/Osian Owen (Fiesta R2), former 1400 champion Ed Fossey/Will Rutherford (Peugeot 208 R2), Callum Black/Michael Gilbey (MG ZR S1400), Steve Black/Paul Morris (Suzuki Swift 1400), Dan Evans/Jess Hockly (Suzuki Swift), Chris Powell/Jim Lewis (who lead the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA 1400 Championship in their Talbot Sunbeam) and Noel Lappin/Will Atkins, who will lead the field away in their Escort Mk2.

The event is also a round of the MRF Fiesta ST Trophy, with series leaders Zak Hughes/Tom Wood aiming to extend their healthy 25 point lead over Bobby Mitchell/Shannon Turnbull.

No fewer than 18 manufacturers and over 40 different models are represented on the entry list. The vast array of rally-prepared cars competing on the event include a Porsche 911, a BMW 325, Compact M3 and E30, a Toyota GT86, an Opel Ascona, Talbot Sunbeam VXR, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Galant VR4, Vauxhall Chevette HSR, a Ford Ka and a SEAT Arosa – to name but a few!

This year’s Quinton MC-organised Nicky Grist Stages will be based in the centre of Builth Wells for the first time. Scrutineering takes place on the eve of the event at North Road Garage, while the trailer park and a re-fuelling zone will be located at the town’s Cattle Market car park. On Saturday (13 July), the Start (08.30) and Finish (15.16) ceremonies will take place in Groe Park and the Service Area will be on the Builth Wells RFC pitch, in a stunning venue on the banks of the River Wye. Rally Headquarters is based a few steps away in Strand Hall on Strand Street, with the hub of the rally all within a stone’s throw away from the town’s main high street, which is full of wonderful independent shops, cafes and hardware stores.

The 2019 Nicky Grist Stages is the only rally to use Crychan forest this year, with a fantastic opening stage that is just over nine miles long. A short test through Halfway forest is next, followed by the popular Monument stage and then a revised Llyn Login stage. Following a mid-day service halt (from 11.30) in Builth Wells, the 21.5 mile four-stage loop will be repeated in the afternoon, giving a stunning 43 miles of competition in total.

Following the success of last year’s format, the 1400, Rally First and H1/2 Historic cars will once again run in the first batch of cars in reverse order, followed by the rest of the field in a second batch, running in number order.

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “We are really pleased with the depth and quality of this year’s entry throughout the field and we are looking forward to another classic Nicky Grist Stages. The battles for the championship titles are on a knife edge and the event could be the deciding factor.”

2019 Nicky Grist Stages – Top 10 Seeds

  1. Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton – Ford Focus WRC
  2. Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson – Ford Fiesta WRC
  3. Connor McCloskey/Noel Sullivan – Ford Fiesta R5+
  4. Ian Joel/Shaun Hughes – Ford Escort Cosworth
  5. Conor McCourt/Caolan McKenna – Ford Fiesta R5
  6. Martyn England/Dawn England – Ford Fiesta R5
  7. Jason 
Pritchard/Phil Clarke – Ford Escort RS1800
  8. Scott Faulkner/Gareth Parry – Mitsubishi Evo 9
  9. Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy – Mitsubishi Evo 9
  10. Pat Naylor/Patrick Walsh – Mitsubishi Evo 9

Local rally champion Jason Pritchard to contest Builth Wells-based Nicky Grist Stages in Historic Ford Escort Mk2

Builth Wells champion rally driver Jason Pritchard will contest his home forestry event, the Nicky Grist Stages, for the first time on Saturday 13 July in his North Road Garage-backed Ford Escort RS1800.

Having won the MSA British Historic Rally Championship title for a record three times in a row (2015, ’16 and ’17), this will be the first time that Pritchard has competed against the Historic crews in the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series. So competitive is the Historic section this year that class leader George Lepley (Hillman Avenger) is also lying third in the overall BTRDA Series drivers’ points table!

Co-driven by Phil Clarke, Pritchard is contesting the Nicky Grist Stages as part of his on-going preparations for another attempt at this winter’s Roger Albert Clark Rally. He’s done that event twice before, and after a broken half-shaft ruined a one minute lead, the talented 31-year old driver is aiming to win the November classic for the first time this year.

Originally built in 1980, Pritchard’s RS1800 has a rich motorsport history, even in the modern era of top-flight Historic rallying. Gwyndaf Evans won the Roger Albert Clark Rally in the car in 2011, the same year Stig Blomqvist drove it to victory on the Colin McRae Historic Forest Stages Rally and then Petter Solberg drove it on a demonstration event in Norway, before Pritchard acquired it.

Technical checks on the eve of the Nicky Grist Stages will take place at North Road Garage in Llanelwedd, meaning that Pritchard won’t even have to miss any hours in work that day, as he works at the family’s Toyota dealership as Sales Manager.

Jason Pritchard said: “It’s great to support my local forest rally, especially as it’s coming into the centre of Builth Wells this year, and I’m really looking forward to contesting the Nicky Grist Stages for the first time. Getting some good seat time in the Escort Mk2 is the most important thing as we prepare for the Roger Albert Clark Rally later in the year, but of course we want to be competitive, do our best and put on a good show for the spectators. I’ve never rallied against the crews in the Historic BTRDA Rally Series before, but it looks to be extremely competitive and the pace will undoubtedly be very hot. Hopefully a clean run on the Nicky Grist Stages will set us up nicely for a good performance on the Roger Albert Clark Rally – and if we can win that for the first time later in the year, it will be another box on the Bucket List ticked off!”

This year’s Quinton MC-organised Nicky Grist Stages contains eight stages (four repeated) totalling 43 stage miles in the classic Mid-Wales forests of Crychan, Halfway, Monument and Llyn Login, situated in the stunning Carmarthenshire-Powys border area.

The hub of the event will move into the centre of Builth Wells for the first time, with the Rally Headquarters located at the stunning Strand Hall on Strand Street, the Start and Finish ceremonies in Groe Park, on the banks of the River Wye, and the Service Area situated on the Builth Wells RFC pitch, a stone’s throw away from the town’s main high street, which is full of magnificent independent cafes and shops.

Following the success of last year, competitors in the 1400, Rally First and H1/2 Historic classes will once again run first on the road in the first batch of cars in reverse order, followed by the rest of the field in a second batch, running in number order.

Regulations and entry forms are available in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk

Nicky Grist gives a personal insight into this year’s ‘super-smooth’ Nicky Grist Stages forest rally route

This year’s Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July) is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of title sponsorship support from Nicky Grist Motorsports – and the man himself has been a vital component in the event’s success over the years, both in terms of backing and his invaluable guidance on planning the route and timetable from a competitor’s point of view.

And Nicky says that this year’s Quinton MC-organised event, which contains eight stages (four repeated) totalling 43 stage miles in the classic Mid-Wales forest stages in the Carmarthenshire-Powys border area, will be one of the best – as the stages are in super-smooth condition.

Nicky Grist said: “This year’s Nicky Grist Stages has a fantastic opening stage, Crychan. At just over nine miles, it’s the longest stage of the event and one of the longest in the BTRDA Series, and competitors aiming for a good result will need to go hard and fast from the very beginning. As it’s the only rally that will use Crychan this year, the road is in excellent condition. It’s a stage were drivers and co-drivers can really get their teeth into, as the road is super-smooth. There is a lot of variety too, with many junctions, twisty sections and some fast and flowing sections. It’s a gem of a Mid-Wales stage, one of the best stages you can find, and like all the stages competitors get to do it twice, as it’s repeated in the afternoon.

“Next up is Halfway. All the forestry stages in and around the Epynt military range have a similar feel, but all have their own very subtle characteristics, and Halfway is no exception. It’s a shorter stage, but there is plenty to keep crews focused and there are opportunities to make up time, and lose time if you’re not careful.

“The Monument stage returns for the first time since 2017. We like to change the route and give competitors something a little different each year, so this classic gravel Epynt stage returns while Route 60 is being re-surfaced. This stage is rarely used and is in magnificent condition.

“The fourth and final stage on the loop is Llyn Login. This was used on the event for the first time last year, and is back by popular demand. The great majority of the stage will be run in the opposite direction, making it a brand new challenge for crews. It finishes on the eastern side of the ranges, so from there it’s a short drop down into Builth Wells for midday service – before all four stages are repeated in the afternoon.

“I’m also delighted that the event is moving lock, stock and barrel into the centre of Builth Wells. The Royal Welsh Showground has served us well over the years, but it’s meant that the event has always been a bit hidden away from people. With the support of Builth Wells Town Council and Powys County Council, Rally Headquarters has moved into the fabulous Strand Hall in Strand Street, the Start, Finish and Service Area is located at the Builth Wells RFC in Groe Park, the trailer park and a re-fuelling zone will be at the town’s Cattle Market car park and Scrutineering will be at North Road Garage. In terms of promotion and visibility, all these developments takes the event to another level, which can only be of greater benefit to rally crews, rally sponsors and the businesses and people of Builth Wells. It’s a real win-win situation.”

This will be the 32nd consecutive year that the Nicky Grist Stages will host a round of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series. The event will count towards the BTRDA Gold Star, BTRDA Silver Star, BTRDA Production Cup, BTRDA 1400, BTRDA Rally First, BTRDA Historic Cup, BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup and the Fiesta ST Trophy, plus the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship, FMP Rally Challenge and the HRCR Stage Masters Challenge.

Following the success of last year, competitors in the 1400, Rally First and H1/2 Historic classes will once again run first on the road in the first batch of cars in reverse order, followed by the rest of the field in a second batch, running in number order.

Regulations and entry forms are available in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk

North Road Garage provides state-of-the-art scrutineering facilities for the Nicky Grist Stages

North Road Garage, a company synonymous with both the motor industry in Mid-Wales and with national rallying, will provide state-of-the-art scrutineering facilities for this year’s Nicky Grist Stages – which takes place on Saturday 13 July.

The Toyota dealership, which is situated in a prime position on the A470/A483 roundabout on the outskirts of Builth Wells, has very kindly offered its pristine workshop for the event’s technical and safety checks, which will be carried out on the eve of the rally (on the afternoon of Friday 12 July). A one-way system will operate to allow an easy flow in and out of the workshop, while the building will provide competitors and scrutineers with first-class operating facilities.

It’s not the first time a high-profile motorsports event has used North Road Garage for such an occasion, as it was the scrutineering venue for the 2011 Wales Rally GB.

North Road Garage is owned by Eian Pritchard and his wife Helen. The company has been based in Builth Wells since 1972, when Eian’s parents ran it as a petrol station. Eian was training to be a motor technician at Newtown College when, in May 1977, his father sadly passed away. Aged just 19, Eian immediately left college to help his mother run the garage, and began offering customers vehicle repairs and servicing.

In April 1984 Eian and Helen bought North Road Garage and started buying and selling used cars. In 1989, the old site was redeveloped and in December 1992 North Road Garage took on the Toyota franchise selling new and used cars. During this period, from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, North Road Garage also used to buy, sell and rent out rally cars, with many customers scoring event and championship victories. It still buys and sells the odd rally car, in addition to normal car sales.

In October 2007 North Road Garage moved into new purpose-built state-of-the-art premises to accommodate new Toyota franchise requirements. This is where North Road Garage is based today, and the busy operation employs 15 people.

Renowned for having an exceptionally high quality of service and aftersales care, Eian is also extremely well known in rallying – and has, over the years, won many national Tarmac events as a driver. Running North Road Garage has meant that he has mainly tackled individual events and has been unable to contest many full championships, although Eian did finish second in the 1988 Motoring News National Tarmac Rally Championship in the famous ex-Roger Clark (POO 505R) Group 4 Escort. He also finished second in the same series in 2004, driving a Group A Subaru Impreza. He most recently won the Historic section and finished 11th overall on the Dixies Challenge Rally, driving a Ford Escort RS1800 – which was his first rally in twelve months!

Eian’s son Jason Pritchard also works at North Road Garage. After finishing his GCSEs at school, Jason attended the Toyota Academy to train as a motor technician and has worked his way up through the business to become Sales Manager. He worked in the workshop for a number of years and also maintained the rally cars and has built a number of competition cars.

Jason is also a superb rally driver, and has won four major British titles in as many years – a hat-trick of MSA British Historic Rally Championship titles (2015, ’16 and ’17) and the 2018 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship. The reigning champion currently leads the Asphalt series with a perfect score, after winning three out of three rounds in a Ford Focus WRC05. His latest victory on the Manx National Rally equalled Kenny McKinstry’s record of five event wins.

Eian Pritchard, North Road Garage MD, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to accommodate the Nicky Grist Stages as a scrutineering venue. We’re delighted to help a national rally use our facilities at North Road Garage and we hope it is a successful event for the organisers, competitors and the local town. It’s great to have big events such as these come to Builth Wells, as it’s extremely beneficial to the local economy in this small town in Mid-Wales. We really do appreciate the event supporting our local businesses and all the teams and spectators this event brings with it.”

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “We are delighted to have access to such fabulous facilities for our scrutineering and look forward to working with Eian, Jason and all those at North Road Garage, which is an iconic name in national rallying. Working with the local businesses in Builth Wells is important to us at Quinton Motor Club and bringing the event into the heart of the town is a major part of our vision for the Nicky Grist Stages going forward.”

This year’s Quinton Motor Club-organised Nicky Grist Stages hosts a round of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series for a 32nd consecutive year. The event will count towards the BTRDA Gold Star, BTRDA Silver Star, BTRDA Production Cup, BTRDA 1400, BTRDA Rally First, BTRDA Historic Cup, BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup and the Fiesta ST Trophy, plus the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship, FMP Rally Challenge and the HRCR Stage Masters Challenge.

Based in the centre of Builth Wells – with Rally Headquarters in Strand Hall (Strand Street) and the Start, Finish and Service Area at the Builth Wells RFC in Groe Park – this year’s route will contain 43 stage miles in Crychan, Halfway, Monument and Llyn Login forests. All eight stages (four stages repeated) will run on both Natural Resources Wales and Ministry of Defence land on the Epynt ranges, in the Carmarthenshire-Powys border area.

Regulations and Entry Forms can be found in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk.

Nicky Grist Stages entries open, as 43 stage mile BTRDA and Welsh Championship event route is revealed

Entries are now open for the Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July) – with the official event Regulations and Entry Forms published on-line at nickygriststages.co.uk.

This year’s Quinton MC-organised event will once again take place in some of Mid-Wales’ most classic forest stages in the Carmarthenshire-Powys border area, with 43 stage miles (and only 80 road miles) in an eight-stage route. The event will run on both Natural Resources Wales and Ministry of Defence land on the Epynt ranges, with the emphasis on giving competitors the best smooth and flowing roads available, great value for money and a no-nonsense, action-packed and well organised event.

The 2019 Nicky Grist Stages is the only rally to use Crychan this year, with a fantastic stage through this famous Welsh forest that is just over nine miles long. A short test through Halfway forest will be up next, followed by the return of the popular Monument stage and then a revised Llyn Login stage, which will have most of the asphalt section removed and a flying finish where cars will be airborne as they cross the line. The 21.5 stage mile loop will be repeated in the afternoon (following a mid-day service halt in Builth Wells) giving a stunning 43 miles of competition in total. The Route 60 stage is being rested this year as it is undergoing re-surfacing work by the MOD.

Celebrating its tenth year of invaluable support from Nicky Grist Motorsports, the Nicky Grist Stages will host a round of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series for a 32nd consecutive year. The event will count towards the BTRDA Gold Star, BTRDA Silver Star, BTRDA Production Cup, BTRDA 1400, BTRDA Rally First, BTRDA Historic Cup, BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup and the Fiesta ST Trophy, plus the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship, FMP Rally Challenge and the HRCR Stage Masters Challenge.

Last year the Nicky Grist Stages was the first rally in Wales to run under new seeding guidelines – and such was its success and popularity with competitors that this year the 1400, Rally First and H1/2 Historic cars will once again run in the first batch of cars in reverse order, followed by the rest of the field in a second batch, running in number order.

The Nicky Grist Stages will be located in Builth Wells this year, with Rally Headquarters based in Strand Hall (in Strand Street), the Start, Finish and Service Area at the Builth Wells RFC in Groe Park and the trailer park and a re-fuelling zone at the town’s Cattle Market car park.

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “We have worked hard this year to bring competitors and fans what we are confident will be a classic Nicky Grist Stages. The forest roads are in great condition, and they haven’t been used since last year’s event. Moving the rally into the centre of Builth Wells will showcase the event to the local population, and we hope the rally community will support the many local businesses during the event.”

Regulations and entry forms are available in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk

Nicky Grist Stages moves to the centre of Builth Wells

This year’s Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July) will move into the centre of Builth Wells, with the Rally Headquarters located at the fully renovated Strand Hall on Strand Street and the Service Area based at the Builth Wells RFC at Groe Park, a stone’s throw away from the town’s main high street.

Organised by Quinton Motor Club (which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year), since 2011 the Nicky Grist Stages has been based at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd. In 2017 it moved its ceremonial start to Strand Street and its podium celebrations to Groe Park, on the banks of the River Wye. Such has been the support from local traders, Builth Wells Town Council and Powys Country Council, that the event will now move into the town – with the Start, Finish, Service Area and Rally Headquarters located all within sight of each other.

The trailer park and a re-fuelling zone will be located at the town’s Cattle Market car park, while extra marshals will be brought in to manage the Service In and Out controls, as well as the rally car exit route. Auxiliary service vehicles, officials and media car parking will be located adjacent to the Service Area.

This means that the busy hub of the Nicky Grist Stages will be within sight of Builth Wells’ main high street, which is full of independent coffee shops, cafes, bars, hotels, B&Bs, hardware stores and a multitude of other outlets – meaning that team personnel and all rally visitors will have quick and easy access from the Service Area to everything the town has to offer. The event is working closely with Builth Wells Town Council, the Builth Wells Chamber of Trade and Powys County Council to make sure all the local business opportunities are maximised and all rally personnel are catered for.

The Nicky Grist Stages will begin to set up in Builth Wells on Thursday 11 July, with a site clearance operation returning everything to the way it found it concluding on Sunday 14 July.

The organisers predict a large number of visitors to Builth Wells, as the event hosts a round of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series for a 32nd consecutive year – as well as welcoming crews from the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship, FMP Rally Challenge and the HRCR Old Stagers Championship.

Jeremy Pugh, Powys County Council Councillor and Chairman of Builth Wells RFC, said: “We are delighted to welcome a major sporting event like the Nicky Grist Stages into the centre of Builth Wells. The extra trade it will bring into the town is exactly what the local businesses need, and it will be a fantastic sight for everyone to enjoy. The rugby pitch sits on a very large grass area that has previously held a wide variety of family events, and it will easily accommodate more than a hundred and forty service crews and rally cars. We are confident that what we have planned together with Quinton Motor Club will be of maximum benefit and minimum inconvenience to the town.”

Gwyn Davies, Builth Wells Deputy Mayor, said: “We are very excited to have the Nicky Grist Stages come into Builth Wells town centre. We are situated in a very beautiful part of the world and on the major north-south link through Wales, so as a town we do well out of tourism and passing trade. To have a big event based on the Groe, within sight of the main high street, will be great for the people and businesses of Builth. We have a new generation of shopkeepers in the town who will be very keen to welcome the Nicky Grist Stages, and we’re looking forward to making this the start of a long-term relationship with the event.”

Jo Jones, owner of The Owls B&B, said: “As a catering business, we personally do well out of the Nicky Grist Stages as we always have rally guests staying at The Owls. This year we are really excited to have the event based at the Groe, as all the businesses on the high street can benefit from the increased trade. Builth is such a lovely little town, a real Mid-Wales gem, full of wonderful independent shops and a real community spirit. It’s lovely to share the town with visitors, who we hope go home happy and tell their friends to come and find us!”

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “This is a fantastic and exciting move for the event. Crossing the river and bringing the rally to the heart of Builth Wells will showcase the event to the local population and hopefully bring welcome business to the cafes, coffee shops and takeaways. Both the Builth Wells Town Council and Powys County Council have been instrumental in this move and we thank them for all their support and encouragement.”

Regulations and entry forms will be published in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk on Monday (13 May).

Edwards wins closely fought Nicky Grist Stages

Matt Edwards and co-driver Darren Garrod won a very closely fought Nicky Grist Stages in their Swift Group Ford Fiesta R5, after turning a two second deficit at halfway into a 58 second winning margin at the finish. Victory on the Quinton MC organised event sees them take the lead of the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series.

The Mayor of Builth Wells, Cllr. Paul McNiffe, flagged the large field away from outside Strand Hall, in the centre of Builth Wells, with two loops of the super-smooth Llyn Login (5.02 miles), Route 60 (5.10 miles), Halfway (5.11 miles) and Crychan (7.25 miles) stages awaiting competitors.

Edwards was immediately in a titanic battle with Tom Cave/James Morgan (Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage R5) as the lead swapped three times in six stages, with just a few seconds separating them as they traded fastest stage times. A big push on the final two stages gave the Llandudno driver what he thought was a 14 second victory, but that winning margin was substantially increased when a very rare co-driving mistake contravened event regulations and saw Cave disqualified from the results.

Luke Francis hurt his back after hitting a big compression at speed on the bridge in Route 60, and then picked up a front puncture on the last stage. Co-driven by John H Roberts, the 2016 event winner was therefore pleased to finish second in his Melvyn Evans Motorsport-tuned Ford Fiesta WRC to keep his Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship title hopes alive.

Rory Young’s first attempt at the Nicky Grist Stages resulted in an excellent third place finish overall. Co-driven by Allan Cathers, he recovered from two overshoots on SS2 to move from fifth at the midday service halt at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd to a podium finish in his Fiesta R5.

Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson couldn’t repeat last year’s Nicky Grist Stages win after suffering a puncture on SS1 and, more frustratingly, rear differential problems throughout the day, which made their Fiesta WRC very difficult to control. It was amazing they only encountered two spins and did well to finish fourth.

Martyn England/Dawn England enjoyed another great run in their Fiesta R5+, but dropped two places to fifth after sliding off the road on the final stage – which was their only mistake of the day. Former BTRDA Gold Star Champions Charlie Payne/Carl Williamson finished sixth in their Ford Fiesta after struggling to find the right settings to give them the grip and confidence they wished for.

Ian Joel/Graeme Wood were happy with seventh overall and first in class B13 in their Ford Escort Cosworth, while Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy finished first in the Production Cup NR4 class and eighth overall in their Mitsubishi Evo 9. They are now equal on points at the top of the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, with only rally wins separating them from Edwards.

Stephen Simpson/Patrick Walsh had to fix and oil pump issue with their Fiesta at service and were pleased to finish ninth overall, while Keith Parry/Eryl Evans survived a big moment on the last stage to complete the top 10 in their Subaru Impreza.

Class winners included Sam and Liam Johnson (RF1.4 – SEAT Arosa), Guy Butler/Jamie Mactavish (RF2.0 – Toyota Corolla), Chris Powell/Jim Lewis (1400S – Talbot Sunbeam), Joe and Michael Evett (1400C – MG ZR), Baz Jordan/Paul Wakey (H1/2 – Hillman Avenger), Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard (H3 – Escort RS), Zac Hughes/Tom Wood (N3 – Fiesta ST), Max Utting/Mike Ainsworth (B11 – Fiesta ST Max) and Allan McDowall/Gavin Heseltine (Escort Mk3). George Lepley/Tom Woodburn won the B10/R2 class and in doing so clinched the BTRDA Rally R2 Cup title in their Fiesta ST, while Geoff Cottrill (Mitsubishi Evo 9) and Abi Haycock (Escort Mk2) were the top placed Quinton MC driver and co-driver respectively.

Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence were hoping for a good result in their Mitsubishi Evo 9, but they punctured a tyre in Route 60 in the morning and again right at the start of the same stage when it was repeated in afternoon, dropping them to 35th at the finish.

Tom Llewellin, the 17-year old son of double British Rally Championship Dai Llewellin, enjoyed an excellent first gravel rally. Together with Dale Bowen, he finished fourth in the B10/R2 class, only missing out on a podium after hitting a bump on SS6 and suffering a loss of power when it upset the ECU connection on his Peter Gwynne Motorsport Suzuki Swift. He still finished a magnificent 46th overall, out of 113 starters.

There were 40 non-finishers. Sacha Kakad/James Aldridge rolled their Ford Fiesta on SS4, Layton Waters/Tudor Jenkins broke the differential on their Proton Satria on SS1 and Bob Morgan/Adie Williams suffered a fuel tank leak with their Winner Garage ŠKODA Fabia vRS. Emma Morrisson started first on the road in her first rally as a driver, but a snapped wishbone in her VW Lupo GTi on SS1 forced her and co-driver Jon Quintrell into retirement. Fancied 1400 runners Perry Gardener/Steve Link (Vauxhall Nova) and Steve Black/Paul Morris (Suzuki Swift) both retired with engine related problems, while Steffan and Claire Williams (Nissan Micra) went off on SS2.

Dylan Davies/Llion Williams continue to lead the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, despite retiring their smart self-built Subaru Impreza when a ball joint broke on the penultimate stage. They are, however, now tied on points with Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe, who finished 13th overall in their Impreza N12b.

Matt Edwards said: “We made a steady start but soon got back into the rhythm and took a pair of fastest stage times before being caught up in dust on stage four, after the car in front of us unfortunately spun. We decided to have a go and push hard to see what we could do in the afternoon, and with our Pirelli K4s hanging on well, we were able to set some good times on the following stages to take a twelve second lead into the final stage. Again dust was causing us some issues throughout, but our pace on the clear sections was enough to limit the damage and take victory! The stages were fantastic, loose in places but that adds to the challenge, and well done and thanks to the organisers for running a slick event despite the heat.”

Cllr. Paul McNiffe, Builth Wells Mayor, said: “It’s the second time I’ve been involved with the Nicky Grist Stages – last year as Deputy Mayor and this time as Mayor, and it’s great to see the event come into the town centre and for the people of Builth Wells to come out and see the rally cars and drivers. The start ceremony outside Strand Hall and the finish in Groe Park, on the banks of the River Wye, show what a beautiful place Builth Wells is, and it’s another major event for the town. Having flagged the cars away, I went up to the Epynt stages to watch the cars in action and saw many people from Builth Wells who were enjoying the rally, so hopefully the Nicky Grist Stages will come back to Builth Wells next year.”

Nicky Grist said: “What a great weekend – close competition, wonderful weather and a nice breeze that helped to clear the dust away. The pace at the front of the rally was fierce, with Matt Edwards showing his class with some stunning stage times in the afternoon to win the event comfortably. Many thanks to Neil Cross, the Clerk of the Course, to Quinton Motor Club and to all the many volunteers without whom we would not have been able to run the rally. See you all next year!”

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “Quinton Motor Club would like to congratulate Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod on a fantastic win and all those who finished a tough day of rallying. The event ran very well and we dealt with a few incidents over the day that caused a few delays. We would like to thank our army of volunteers for all their efforts in the hot and dusty conditions. I’d like to thank Nicky Grist for his continued support of the event and for also supplying the much appreciated water to the crews and officials.”

2018 Nicky Grist Stages – Top 10 Finishers

  1. Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod (Ford Fiesta R5): 42mins 09secs
  2. Luke Francis/John H Roberts (Ford Fiesta WRC): +58s
  3. Rory Young/Allan Cathers (Ford Fiesta R5): +1m 39s
  4. Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson (Ford Fiesta WRC): +1m 47s
  5. Martyn England/Dawn England (Fiesta R5+): +1m 59s
  6. Charles Payne/Carl Williamson (Ford Fiesta): +2m 22s
  7. Ian Joel/Graeme Wood (Ford Escort Cosworth): +3m 06s
  8. Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy (Mitsubishi Evo 9): +3m 15s
  9. Stephen Simpson/Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta): +3m 22s
  10. Keith Parry/Eryl Evans (Subaru Impreza): +3m 33s

Over 120 BTRDA and Welsh Rally crews head to Builth Wells for this Saturday’s Nicky Grist Stages

Over 120 crews will contest this Saturday’s Nicky Grist Stages (14 July), with the very best competitors from the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, MAXXIS MSA English Rally Championship, MRF Fiesta ST Trophy, FMP Rally Challenge and the Swift Shining Stars Rally Series battling it out over 45 classic Welsh forestry stage miles on the Carmarthenshire and Powys border.

The Quinton MC-organised event will be the first in Wales to run to the new split-seeding rules, whereby lower-powered cars will run first on the road and in reserve order (and be eligible for special Mr Tyre (Motorsport) prizes) – followed, after a short gap, by the more powerful four-wheel drive cars. With all four separate stages – Llyn Login, Route 60, Halfway and Crychan – (which are ran twice) in excellent condition, it should be a fantastic event for all.

Tom Cave/James Morgan are seeded at number one in their Spencer Sport Mitsubishi Mirage R5, but it’s Paul Bird/Jack Morton who arrive at the event leading the BTRDA Rally Series, with the Focus WRC driver aiming to score his third win of the 2018 season – and a hat-trick of victories on the Nicky Grist Stages, having won in the same car in 2014 and ‘15. He’ll have a tough fight on his hands against the likes of Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod, who have also won two BTRDA rounds in their Fiesta R5, and Russ Thompson/Andy Murphy who have an excellent finishing record in their Mitsubishi Evo 9.

Last year’s Nicky Grist Stages winners Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson also reappear in their Fiesta WRC, while 2016 event winners Luke Francis/John H Roberts hope their luck will improve this time out in their Fiesta WRC. 2016 Gold Star Champions Charlie Payne/Carl Williamson have repaired their Fiesta following a crash in Kielder, while Sacha Kakad/James Aldridge continue their inaugural season in a similar B14 car. Martyn and Dawn England (Fiesta R5+) were fourth on last year’s Nicky Grist Stages and the rapid husband and wife team return in an attempt to improve on that excellent result. Dylan Davies/Llion Williams will be aiming to extend their lead in the Welsh Rally Championship in their Subaru Impreza.

Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard (Escort) and Tom Coughtrie/Ian Fraser (Mitsubishi Galant VR4) resume their battle in the BTRDA Historic Cup, as will Matthew Baddeley/Yan Griffiths, Guy Butler/TBC (both Toyota Corollas) and Sam and Liam Johnson (SEAT Arosa) in the Rally First category. Zak Hughes/Tom Wood are the top seeded Fiesta ST Trophy competitors, followed by Kalvin Green/Osian Owen and series leaders James Giddings/Sion Cunniff, while George Lepley/Tom Woodburn arrive at the event leading the BTRDA Juniors in their Fiesta R2.

2018 marks the 38th running of Quinton Motor Club’s forest stage rally and the eighth year of title sponsorship from Nicky Grist Motorsports. The event will start from outside Strand Hall (the newly-renovated Edwardian building having been officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall just 10 days before) in the centre of Builth Wells at 09.01, when the lower-powered cars will be first away in reserve order, followed by the more powerful four-wheel drive cars.

Crews will head to the brand new 5.02 mile Llyn Login stage, which will be used for rallying for the very first time. Route 60 (5.10 miles), Halfway (5.11 miles) and Crychan (7.25 miles) follow, before mid-day service at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd. Then, in the afternoon, the 22.48 mile loop of four stages will be repeated – before the most successful crews will attend the champagne-spraying finish ceremony in Groe Park, on the banks of the River Wye, with the landmark 18th Century bridge in the background. The party atmosphere will be enhanced with local DJ Mark Weller on the decks, together with VIP guests and well-known faces. The finish ceremony will take place from approximately 16.00 onwards.

Spectators are welcome in designated areas with car parks manned by local charities and all monies raised going directly to the Tirabad Village Hall and the Brecon Rotary Club. Full spectator information is available at nickygriststages.co.uk.

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “We are delighted with the depth and quality of the entry for this year’s Nicky Grist Stages. The top twenty is amazing and predicting a winner will be very difficult indeed. The changes in running order have had a very positive impact on the event. To have thirty cars in the first field is incredible, and a positive step to bring back some of the lost competitors.”

Regulations and entry forms are available in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk

2018 Nicky Grist Stages – Top 10 Seeds

  1. Tom Cave/James Morgan – Mitsubishi Mirage R5
  2. Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson – Ford Fiesta WRC
  3. Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod – Ford Fiesta R5
  4. Paul Bird/Jack Morton – Ford Focus WRC
  5. Luke Francis/John H Roberts – Ford Fiesta WRC
  6. Charles Payne/Carl Williamson – Ford Fiesta
  7. Sacha Kakad/James Aldridge – Ford Fiesta
  8. Rory Young/Allan Cathers – Ford Fiesta R5
  9. Martyn England/Dawn England – Ford Fiesta R5+
  10. Martin Cairns/Gary McElhinney – Ford Fiesta WRC

Tom Llewellin to make forestry rally debut on the Nicky Grist Stages

The famous Llewellin name will return to the forests of Crychan, Halfway and Route 60 on Saturday 14 July, when Tom Llewellin makes his forestry rally debut on the Nicky Grist Stages, driving a 1.6-litre Suzuki Swift Sport.

Tom, the 17-year old son of double British Rally Champion Dai Llewellin, has rallied for the past three years in the all-asphalt Junior 1000 Championship, winning the last two rallies he did.

He also won the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship title last year, and is driving a Peter Gwynne Motorsport Suzuki in this year’s Swift Sport Rallycross Championship.

Tom will be the third member of the Llewellin family to contest the Nicky Grist Stages – following in the footsteps of his father, who contested the event in the 1980s, and brother Ben (who is an Olympic shooter, who won silver in the Men’s skeet at the 2018 Commonwealth Games) who contested the event in 2015 in an Escort Mk2.

Tom Llewellin said: “The Nicky Grist Stages is going to be my first ever forestry rally and I’m really looking forward to it. I did three years in the Junior Championship, but of course that’s all asphalt events. I did score two wins at the end of 2017 at Pembrey and Caerwent, which I was very pleased about, and now it’s time to get into the forests this year. I hope to have a small test before the Nicky Grist, but the Suzuki Swift I drive in the British Rallycross Championship is pretty similar to the car I’ll drive on the rally.

“After the Nicky Grist Stages we’re going to pick and choose what events to do for the rest of the year – go to the rallies we fancy doing and whatever doesn’t clash with the rallycross. I’ve got about four or five events in mind that I’d like to do, but we’ll see how the Nicky Grist goes first.”

Nicky Grist said: “Tom is a seventeen year old driver who is far more advanced than a lot of young drivers of the same age, because he’s had a lot of success in the Junior Championship and in rallycross. He has already proven that he has a lot of car control on both asphalt and gravel surfaces and he has a great opportunity to do his first forestry rally and showcase his potential. I’m sure he’s going to be fast, you can guarantee that, and it will be interesting to see how he takes in all the pace notes, because that is something that is going to be relatively new for him. I’m sure he’ll go well – and I certainly wish him all the very best.”

Organised by Quinton MC, this year’s Nicky Grist Stages takes place over 45 stage miles in the forests of Halfway, Route 60, Crychan and a brand new smooth, fast and flowing stage which has never been used for rallying before.

Regulations and entry forms are available in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk

Operation SNAP in action on the Nicky Grist Stages as rally joins forces with the GoSafe Partnership for a fifth year

The Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 14 July) is proud to continue its association with GoSafe – the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, which is encouraging rally fans to help make Wales’ roads safer by getting involved in Operation SNAP.

The event – which is a round of Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, Fiesta ST Trophy, FMP Rally Challenge and the Swift Shining Stars Rally Series – is also proud to help raise awareness of the Fatal Five, a road safety initiative by the Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The Nicky Grist Stages, GoSafe Partnership and Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service came together for a special event, along with Osian Pryce and Nicky Grist, at the GoSafe headquarters this week. Spencer Sport kindly brought a Mitsubishi Mirage R5 to be displayed with GoSafe vehicles, with Team Principal Charlie Jukes and Team Co-ordinator James Morgan also in attendance.

Operation SNAP is a response to increasing submissions of video and photographic evidence relating to driving offences that members of the public have witnessed. Until now, these reports have been submitted to the police in all sorts of ways and so a streamlined on-line process has now been developed to deal with them – dramatically reducing valuable police time by making it easier to collect and assess evidence.

The ‘Stay alive, get to know your Fatal Five’ is an initiative by three Welsh Fire and Rescue Services, in partnership with neighbouring local authorities, Road Safety Wales and the four Welsh Police forces, focussing on the five main causes of fatal road traffic collisions in Wales – which are speeding, driving while impaired with alcohol and/or drugs, use of mobile ‘phones, non-use seat belts or careless driving.

The Quinton MC organised Nicky Grist Stages has an excellent road safety and driving standards record, with no increase in road offences registered in recent years, despite the event contributing to an increase in traffic around rally route. This proves that raising awareness of GoSafe Partnership activity in the area where the rally takes place does have a positive effect, making the roads a safer place for all to be – whether it’s rally traffic or the general public going about their unrelated business. This is why the Nicky Grist Stages is keen for the GoSafe team to maintain its presence at the event, as the association is clearly working extremely well.

Teresa Ciano, Chair of Road Safety Wales and GoSafe – the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership Manager, said: “We have worked with the Nicky Grist Stages now for five years and the vast majority of people who follow this fantastic event obey the rules of the road and drive legally – but we still want to work with the event to get that message out there that the rally is for everyone to enjoy and enjoy safely. This year we have also teamed up with the Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service to promote the Fatal Five, and to raise awareness of the five main reasons people die on the roads in Wales. One of those reasons is careless driving, and we want to encourage people to drive safely when they travel to and from the event, and between stages.

“We will also be promoting Operation SNAP during this year’s Nicky Grist Stages, which is a GoSafe initiative that allows members of the public who have captured footage of illegal driving on their dash cams, or from the side of the road on their mobile ‘phones, to take that digital footage and upload it onto gosafe.org. Ultimately, we all want to go out and enjoy ourselves and not be subjected to other people driving irresponsibly. Operation SNAP has been very successful, and it’s the most effective and efficient way of reporting and dealing with motoring offences for the public.”

Nicky Grist said: “The association with GoSafe is a very important one for us at the Nicky Grist Stages, because we can emphasis to the public that we are responsible competitors, officials and spectators. Rally cars tend to be a little bit more noisy and a bit more colourful than your average car, so tend to stand out and sometimes get a little unfair attention on road sections, so this association spreads a good message for other people who are on rally route that we do drive on road sections within the speed limits and that we do obey the rules of the road. Dyfed Powys Police have always been very supportive of rallying and the Nicky Grist Stages has a long and successful relationship with the GoSafe Partnership, and we all benefit from the association.

“I’ve been very lucky to go behind the scenes and look at some of the Operation SNAP footage and I’ve been quite shocked at some of the road offences that have been committed. I drive a lot, and I’ve seen the quality of driving getting worse in recent years. Drivers who drive as badly as some of the ones I’ve seen on Operation SNAP deserve to get booked, because it’s completely irresponsible – so it’s a very good initiative. Operation SNAP will, undoubtedly, make our roads safer.”

Osian Pryce said: “It’s been an eye opener to see what the GoSafe Partnership does and the work that goes on behind the scenes. It’s interesting to see how much effort is going into keeping Welsh roads safe and how Operation SNAP has streamlined the way the police collect and deal with motoring offences that have been captured by motorists on dash cams. It’s not just about raising awareness to rally spectators – competitors use road sections and have to abide by the rules of the road too, and it’s been a very good reminder that speeding or driving irresponsibly is more and more likely to get you into trouble with the police. The Nicky Grist Stages is a big event, contributing to extra traffic on the roads, so it and the GoSafe Partnership go hand-in-hand and it’s a great way for rallying to help promote better, safer, driving.”

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “Our relationship with GoSafe is unique within the rallying community and this is something Quinton Motor Club is immensely proud of. Helping to promote initiatives such as Operation SNAP shows that we take road safety very seriously, spreading the message amongst our competitors, officials and spectators alike. Taking this forward we welcome the Fire and Rescue Services and are keen to help promote the Fatal Five initiative too.”

 

 

Photo caption (from left to right): Andrew Rees, (Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service), Teresa Ciano (GoSafe Partnership Manager), Emyr Davies (Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service), Osian Pryce, Nicky Grist, Sergeant Ian Price (Go Safe Partnership), PC Roger Jones and PC Peter Williams (Go Safe Partnership Enquiry Officers).