Welsh rally season starts with a bang in mid Wales forests

The event started at the Welshpool Livestock Market and used the classic stages in and around the Dyfi complex and Dyfnant.

Former British Rally champion Gwyndaf Evans from Dinas Mawddwy ended fourth alongside Llanrhaeadr co-driver Dale Furniss in a Ford Escort in the G2 class but fellow former national champion Mark Higgins from Abermule retired after three stages in a Triumph TR7 V8.

Local interest came again from Newtown's Jonny Evans who again teamed up along side Andrew Stokes in the Mk1 rs1600 with the duo finishing the event in 27th place overall and first in class.

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Keith Jones and Robbie Sandford in action. Picture by Bob Benyon.

Newtown's Chris Gittins/Chris Arnott BMW retired after the first stage with engine issues.

Keith Jones was out for the first time in 12 months in his Grooms Garage Subaru, navigated by Motorsport UK Academy and Welsh Junior Robbie Sandford, who only started co-driving last year. They were going extremely well until they went into a ditch on a tightening right hander on SS4 and broke the steering.

A mini challenge over the first four stages saw Julia Perry team up with Guy Butler for a sixth in class finish.

Gethin Price and Iwan Thomas. Picture by Oliver Smith Photography.

Gary Smith and Middletown's Clive Jones finished second in class W8 in their Escort Mk1, while defending class champions Andrew Stokes/Jonny Tad Evans were third in their Stokes Rally Team Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1 after losing time with clutch problems on the final two stages.

Peter Hinton and Newtown-based co-driver Lewis Sim stormed to Historic class W7 victory in their Escort Mk2 while Gethin Price of Cemmaes ended 32nd and first in the W2 class in a Nissan Micra.

Matthew Hirst won the Get Jerky Rally North Wales for a fourth time in a row in his Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.

Guy Butler and Julia Perry in action. Picture by Bob Benyon.

Co-driven by Declan Dear, the Doncaster ace set the fastest time through the morning’s loop of four stages through Gartheiniog, Dyfi, Dyfnant West and Dyfnant East forests.

He continued to push hard in the afternoon and crossed the line a magnificent three minutes ahead of his closest rival.

Andrew Stokes and Jonny Evans in action. Picture by Bob Benyon.

Hirst said: "I love rallying in Gartheiniog, Dyfi and Dyfnant as these are classic Welsh forest stages, and the weather made conditions all the trickier. It always seemed to rain harder once we’d left the start line, and in the last stage there were rivers running across the road – I had a bit of a moment when I aquaplaned, so that woke me up."

Round two of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship is the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages on Saturday, April 13th which is based in Llandrindod Wells with stages in Myherin, Hafren and Sweet Lamb.