A busy few weeks for the WWRS Stage Masters Challenge
Rali Ceredigion
A very busy few lay ahead for the West Wales Rally Spares Stage Masters Challenge contenders with Rali Ceredigion, the Woodpecker Stages and the Hills Ford Stages on consecutive weekends.
Rali Cerdigion is a round of the European Rally Championship this year and is arguably the biggest rally event in the UK. Only a handful of crews have taken up the chance for a double points scoring weekend, and they are in a good position to collect high scores. Hywel Davies will lead the pack with unregistered Dorian Evans reading the notes in his D5 Escort RS1800. Lee Ashberry is in a similar car, but Ian Jones isn’t with him for this rally, and he will have to acclimatise to a new co-driver. Finally, Paul Holmes and Elizabeth Beesley will make the journey to Aberystwyth in search of more class D3 points in their Escort RS2000.
Woodpecker Stages
The week after we have 14 crews assembling for the Woodpecker Stages which is based in Newtown this year and using Ceri, Hafren and Sweetlamb. Main Challenge protagonists Rudi Lancaster and Guy Weaver will be out in their gravel class D5 Escort RS1800 and will be joined by six other class contenders, namely Lee Ashberry and Ian Jones, Rob Dennis, Steve Ward and Phil Sandham, Charles Hopkinson and Alan Jones, Phil and Mick Squires and finally Gareth Bevan and Jordan Jones. Lancaster should be the pick of the crop but Lee Ashberry especially could be knocking on the door if anything untoward happens as he will be at Rali Ceredigion with a huge opportunity to score points. On his third rally in as many weekends will be Hywel Davies who will aim to score more class D3 points.
Jonathan Brace and Paul Spooner will be quick in class C5 and have frustrated Andy Stokes and Jonny Tad Evans all this season and last with their pace but Stokes and Evans currently lead the class and will be doing everything in their power to stay ahead. Jeremy Wells is also in the class and, although not on the pace of the other two crews, will be there to gratefully accept any points going. Graham Thatcher and Tim Samuel wheel out the mighty TR7 V8 once again and will no doubt be good for a quote or two throughout the day on their charge to bag class D4 honours. Bill Douglas and Dave Tearl begin a busy two weeks in the big Volvo 244 and will be hoping to push Thatcher all the way in the class. Finally class C2 is represented by Freddy Camp and Stephen Spear who make their first appearance on a Challenge event since the Severn Valley Stages early in the year, the Devonian couple will be steady but will undoubtedly enjoy their day out.
Hills Ford Stages
With the woodpecker out of the way it is straight into the Hills Ford Stages the following weekend, the event based at Much Marcle in Herefordshire and using closed road asphalt stages in the locality. Much activity will again centre around class D5 and Baz Wheeler and John Pickavance should lead the charge although Lee Ashberry and Ian Jones have been increasing their pace this season and could spring a surprise. Dark horses are Mike Simpson and Dale Gibbons, this is Mike’s local event but what knowledge of the stages he has we don’t know. Regardless, it looks as if there could be a good battle and don’t discount Hywel Davies either as 3 previous weekends of rallying will have given him plenty of confidence boosting seat time. John Morgan and Llinos Jones Edwards are back too and are well capable of mixing it with the top crews if everything comes together.
Class C5 will be interesting too with Tob Adam and Ian Meakin making an appearance in their Mk1 Escort, the pair being asphalt specialists who should have the measure of Andy Stokes and Jonny Tad Evans.
In the other classes Eric Davies and Russell Joseph will be hoping for some luck in their C2 class Mini Clubman, Bill Douglas and Dave Tearl will have to adapt to asphalt after the previous weekend on gravel in the Volvo, Steve Powell will be topping up the petrol tank of his Hillman Avenger regularly after his Epynt adventure and Roger Holder makes his Challenge debut in his D3 Escort RS2000 to give Paul Holmes and Elizabeth Beesley some class competition. Another welcome debutant is Geraint Thomas who brings variety in the shape of a Sunbeam Imp in the B1 class.
