Wyedean Finale
The final round of the West Wales Rally Spares HRCR Stage Masters Challenge is the Wyedean Stages, the one occasion in the year that the great roads of the Royal Forest of Dean can be used. Despite being the final Challenge round a great entry has amassed although we have lost Jonathan Brace/Paul Spooner and Ian Ashberry/Ian Jones, both late withdrawals.
Leading our crews away are Baz Wheeler and John Pickavance in the familiar Metric Services RS1800 and they have Jack Thorne just behind them in a similar car. Behind them Jack’s usual co-driver, Dan Morefield, is sitting with unregistered Damian Cole for the day in another Escort. Another unregistered driver is behind them, Mike Simpson has given up his seat to son Andrew who makes his debut on gravel with Dale Gibbons guiding him. Rob Dennis and Gareth Bevan follow them in their respective Escorts with Steve Ward and Phil Sandham a little further back.
Class C5 is now the domain of Andy Stokes and Jonny ‘Tad’ Evans with the withdrawal of Brace, this possibly being the swansong event for Andy in his RS1600 but we will wait and see!
Hywel Davies brings his pinto powered Escort to the Dean and will be favourite for the class win as Paul Holmes will be nursing his car through the stages to make sure of the co-driver’s Challenge title for Liz Beesley. Charles Hopkinson and Alan Jones are relatively local and will be hunting down a good result in their nicely turned out RS1800.
Graham Thatcher and Tim Samuel in the glorious TR7 V8 are even more entertaining off the stages and no doubt Graham will be regaling people with tales of his recent international navigating debut on the Costa Brava Rally, safe to say that Graham is more suited to the driver’s seat!
Freddy Camp and Steven Spear are back too and look likely to lift class honours in their 1600cc Escort. Rounding off our contenders is Russell Joseph co-driving the Mini of Craig King. Sadly Eric Davies is unable to compete this year but hopefully will be able to get out again next year.
Spectator information is available on the organising club’s website and the service area is at Ross on Wye cattle market should you be minded to come out and have a look.
Photo by Ben Lawrence