Category: News

A star-studded entry, made up of competitors from six major UK championships and several of the top Probite British Rally Championship drivers who are using the classic mid-Wales stages as a gravel test, will gather in Builth Wells this weekend for the Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July).

The quality of the Quinton Motor Club-organised event’s entry has been enhanced by the Castrol MEM Rally Team, with the 2019 FIA European rally champion Chris Ingram (co-driven by Alex Kihurani) making his competition debut in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 alongside stablemates Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson. Four-time British rally champion Keith Cronin (co-driven by Shane Buckley) also contests the event in his Ford Fiesta Rally2, as do Kyle White/Anthony Nestor (Hyundai i20 R5) and Alan Carmichael/Dale Bowen (Hyundai i20 N Rally2).

Seeded at number one are last year’s Nicky Grist Stages winners Elliot Payne/Tom Woodburn. They arrive leading the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star Rally Championship and will be aiming to extend their points advantage in their Amigos Ford Fiesta Rally2.

They’ll face stiff opposition from the likes of Matthew Hirst. Co-driven by Decland Dear, the Doncaster ace also leads the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship (and is on course for a record-breaking fourth title) and is always a force to be reckoned with in his Delta Salvage/Witham Group Fiesta R5.

Also aiming for top BTRDA points are Liam Clark/Emily Easton Page (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Vivian Hamill/Lorcan Moore (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5), Scott Renshaw/Bonnie Papper (Citroën DS3 R5) and Patrick Naylor/Ian Lawrence (Mitsubishi Evo 9).

Dan O’Brien/Mark Glennerster will be targeting top Pirelli Welsh points in only their second event in a Fiesta Rally2 and will be up against the likes of Carmarthen’s James Giddings (co-driven by Aled Davies in a Mitsubishi Evo 9), Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (Mitsubishi Evo 9), Daniel Moss/Samuel Davies (Mitsubishi Evo 10), Steve Hollis/Tim Currie (Volkswagen Golf V R32), the 2023 Welsh Challenge champions Martyn Andrews/Steve Greenhill (Subaru Impreza) and Quinton MC members Paul Walker/Geraint Thomas (Subaru Impreza) and Geoff Cottrill/Nathan Crewe (Mitsubishi Evo9).

Steve ‘Korky’ Ward (co-driven by Phil Sandham in his Escort RS1800) lead the Protyre BTRDA Silver Star Championship and resumes his close title battle with Michael Jenkins (co-driven by Jordan Joines in his Fiesta R2) and Nick Dobson (co-driven by Steve Pugh in an Escort Mk2).

The event is also a round of the HRCR Rally Master Challenge (the largest historic rally car registration of its kind), the TCS Plant Rally Challenge (which raises funds for the Wales Air Ambulance), the ANWCC Rally Championship (which has over 120 member clubs) and the Defender Rally Series UK Championship – with series leader Mark Thomas and Boyzone singer Shane Lynch driving two of the nine Bowler Defender 90s.

Former Pirelli Welsh R2 champion Matthew Jackson will drive the course opening zero car. He’ll be co-driven in the Bowler Motorsport supplied Defender 90 by Paul Morris, whose long list of achievements includes a second overall finish on the 2008 Nicky Grist Stages (co-driving for Damian Cole in a Hyundai Accent WRC3) and more recently a BTRDA Silver Star section win on the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages with Robert Gough (Escort Mk2).

Thanks to the magnificent support of Powys County Council, Builth Wells Town Council, Builth Wells Rugby Football Club and the businesses and residents of Builth Wells, the 2024 Nicky Grist Stages will once again be based in the very heart of the picturesque market town.

The start of the event will be held in Strand Street, outside the wonderful Strand Hall which will play host to rally headquarters. The first car will leave the start at 09:00 and be flagged away by Cllr. Gwyn Davies, Builth Wells Mayor.

The smaller capacity 1400cc and H1/2 Historic class cars will run first on the road and in reverse order (as normal), followed by the BRC crews and then a three-minute gap before the top-seeded BTRDA and Welsh Rally Championship crews (running in seeded order).

A 50-minute mid-day service halt will be located in Groe Park, home to Builth Wells RFC (with the first car arriving at 11:45), and the finish ceremonies will be on the banks of the River Wye (with Builth Wells’ 18th Century bridge and surrounding rolling hills providing one of the most scenic podium finish backdrops in British rallying) from 15:20 onwards.

The rally action will take place on mostly gravel roads in and around the famous Epynt military range and feature two loops of four classic mid-Wales forest stages totalling 44.48 stage miles. Llyn Login will host the opening morning and afternoon stages, followed by Monument (run in the reverse direction to last year), Halfway (also run in the reverse direction and with a new section towards the end) and a new configuration through Bowlsey (formerly called Crychan and renamed in honour of the late Pete Bowles, a long time Quinton MC committee member, previous Nicky Grist Stages event winner and Clerk of the Course).

To limit the environmental impact and to safeguard Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), spectator areas have been carefully agreed with the landowners, Natural Resources Wales and Defence Infrastructure Organisation Wales. These are easily accessible, have dedicated off-road parking and other facilities and give some of the best viewing locations at the event. Spectator information is available at nickygriststages.co.uk.

The Nicky Grist Stages has teamed up with Carbon Positive Motorsport for a third consecutive year and incorporate a Welsh carbon project for the first time as part of the event’s environmental roadmap. The event will feature the leading BTRDA and multiple Welsh Rally championship winning crew of Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear, who join Carbon Positive Motorsport’s group of ambassadors for the first time as event enviro ambassadors. The pair will be supporting the event to highlight the inclusion of a new carbon project in Abergavenny. This project will be used for the first time to help mitigate the event’s unavoidable carbon emissions and supports the planting of over 1,500 sequioa and 6,000 native broadleaf trees. It repurposes a former monocultural commercial tree planting site and will bring significant improvements to biodiversity on the site.

The event is also proud to continue its association with GoSafe – the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership and its Operation SNAP programme and help raise awareness of the Fatal Five road safety initiative by the Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Mobile units will be operating in the area on Saturday 13 July.

Action from the Nicky Grist Stages will be streamed live and free-to-view on the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series and Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship social media platforms and the Special Stage TV Facebook page during the event.

The 2024 Nicky Grist Stages is also part of Motorsport UK’s National Motorsport Week and more information can be found at motorsportweek.org.

“The quality of the entry is going to make this year’s Nicky Grist Stages one of the very best, with a host of top drivers using the event to test – including Chris Ingram making his Toyota Yaris debut – and all the leading competitors from six major championships,” says Nicky Grist.

“Add that to some of the best stages mid-Wales has to offer and Builth Wells geared up to welcome us into town, and it’s all set to be a fantastic day’s rallying.”

2024 Nicky Grist Stages – top 10 Seeded Entries
1. Elliot Payne/Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
2. Chris Ingram/Alex Kihurani (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)
3. Keith Cronin/Shane Buckley (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
4. Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)
5. Kyle White/Anthony Nestor (Hyundai i20 R5)
6. Alan Carmichael/Dale Bowen (Hyundai i20 N Rally2)
7. Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear (Ford Fiesta R5)
8. Niall McGonigle/Caolan McKenna (Ford Fiesta R5)
9. Liam Clark/Emily Easton Page (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
10. Vivian Hamill/Lorcan Moore (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)

The full Seeded Entry List can be found here:

https://www.rallies.info/webentry/2024/nickygrist/entries.php?type=s

Matthew Jackson, the 2022 Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship R2 champion, will drive a Bowler Defender as course opening zero car on this year’s Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July).

The 32-year old driver from Stratford-upon-Avon works for Jaguar Land Rover as a product engineer in its interior trim department, and his rallying experience has been called upon in recent years to give Bowler Defender Challenge driver tuition and special off-road driving experience days.

Matthew has contested the Nicky Grist Stages six times and as he’s still in the process of building a new rally car for himself, he will undertake this important safety role for the Quinton Motor Club organising team.

This year’s Nicky Grist Stages will be something of a family affair for Matthew, as his father Tony will be driving the Motorsport UK Safety Delegate Kevin Dawson around the route in another Bowler Defender (Bowler Motorsport supplying the vehicles as part of its commitment to supporting the safety of events) and his brother Jonathan will be co-driving for Meirion Evans in a Castrol MEM Rally Team Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

Matthew will be accompanied in the zero car by Paul Morris. Paul won the BTRDA Silver Star section on the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages with Robert Gough (Escort Mk2), won the BTRDA Bronze Star award with Steve Black (Suzuki Swift) in 2021 and finished second overall on the event in 2008 co-driving for Damian Cole (Hyundai Accent WRC3). He is also the co-ordinator of the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship, a title he won as a co-driver in 2016 with Damian Cole (Fiesta RS WRC).

This year’s Builth Wells-based Nicky Grist Stages is a round of six major championships, including the Defender Rally Series UK Championship. Nine Bowler 90s will contest the event, including series leader Mark Thomas and Boyzone singer Shane Lynch.

The event is also proud to be part of Motorsport UK’s National Motorsport Week (motorsportweek.org) and is in partnership with Carbon Positive Motorsport – which provides carbon offsetting for all competitors and organisers event vehicles, as part of a long-term roadmap and commitment to mitigate the events carbon footprint – and GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership.

“I haven’t contested a rally since winning the Welsh R2 title in 2022 as the new Micra Kit Car I’m currently building is taking a bit longer than I’d planned, so I’m looking forward to getting out on the classic mid-Wales forests on the Nicky Grist Stages driving the zero car,” says Matthew.

“It’s quite a responsibility driving the zero car. There is a lot going on, as I’ll have the organisers’ radio plugged into the intercom as well as listening to the route instructions, but it’s nice to do something for the event and to give something back to rallying.

“Since I sold my Fiesta R2T I’ve done more rally miles in a Bowler Defender than any other rally car. I’ve done a fair bit of driver tuition and given media and guests rides and it’s a fun vehicle to drive. I’m also looking forward to teaming up with Paul Morris. I’ve known him a very long time and this will be the first time that we’ve sat in a rally car together.

“With my father Tony driving the Safety Delegate around and my brother Jonathan competing it’s going to be a fun Jackson family day out, and we’re all very much looking forward to this year’s Nicky Grist Stages.”

Shortly after last year’s Nicky Grist Stages, long time Quinton Motor Club committee member, previous event winner and Clerk of the Course Pete Bowles passed away.

Pete’s love of rallying and the event was infectious, and those that knew him would be entertained by his many stories of rallies won and lost.

In tribute to our much-missed friend ‘Bowlsey’, the Nicky Grist Stages will honour his memory in these ways:

Firstly, the award for the best-placed co-driver who is a Quinton Motor Club member on the Nicky Grist Stages is hereby renamed the Pete Bowles Shield.

Secondly, all event rally plates will carry this logo (see picture).

Thirdly, the Crychan stage, which has been a constant ever since the event moved to the Builth Wells region, will be renamed Crychan Stage Bowlsey as a lasting tribute.

In fact, in 2024 Crychan will be called the Wilderness Signs Bowlesy Stage, thanks also to our stage sponsor Wilderness Signs.

Chris Ingram to make Toyota debut on the Nicky Grist Stages as Castrol MEM Rally Team runs two GR Yaris Rally2s for the first time

Chris Ingram will make his Toyota rally debut on the Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 13 July) when he contests the event in a GR Yaris Rally2 – joining his Castrol MEM Rally Team stablemate Meirion Evans, who will also contest the mid-Wales event as a gravel test ahead of the next round of the Probite British Rally Championship (BRC).

Chris and co-driver Alex Kihurani started the BRC in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 and were always scheduled to switch to a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 as soon as a second car arrived in the UK. Having led the series after the first two rounds, the Suisscourtage/Michelin-backed driver goes into the second half of the BRC lying a close second in the points standings. The Nicky Grist Stages will therefore be an important first outing in the Yaris, as Chris prepares for the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally (9 August).

Meirion now has four rallies under his belt in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – three BRC events and the Carlow Stages Rally which he contested as an asphalt shakedown. Co-driven by Jonathan Jackson, he will return to Ireland to contest the Wilton Recycling Donegal International Rally (21-23 June) before turning his attention to preparing for the next round of the BRC and tackling the Nicky Grist Stages as a gravel test. The last time Meirion contested his local Builth Wells-based gravel BTRDA/Welsh Championship event was in 2017, when he finished fifth in the BRC Junior section in a Peugeot 205 R2.

Chris Ingram said: “I am thrilled to finally have the chance to take the wheel of the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 on the Nicky Grist Stages. The Toyota has been showing strong performances at the hands of my team-mate Meirion Evans and in WRC2 taking victory in Portugal and Sardinia. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve with the car and to be able to work more closely with Meirion and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC engineer Lewis Allen. The Nicky Grist Stages is a rally I have always wanted to do. I have never driven those stages before, but I know how iconic they are having spectated on many of them in the past watching Wales Rally GB as a child. I’ve also really benefitted from Nicky’s support and expertise, so to be able to do his event is truly fantastic.”

Meirion Evans said: “I’m looking forward to having a good test run on the Nicky Grist Stages because I haven’t got that much experience of rallying on gravel and the more I do the more competitive I’ll become. The event is only half an hour drive away from home, so it’s nice to support both a local event and Nicky [Grist]. It contains some iconic mid-Wales stages that will provide a good challenging test, and it takes place four weeks before the next gravel round of the British Rally Championship, so it’s the perfect event in so many ways. It will also be great to run two Castrol MEM Rally Team Toyota GR Yaris Rally2s for the first time, so it will be something very special for us and the spectators too.”

Nicky Grist said: “It is fantastic to have the Castrol MEM Rally Team in its entirety competing on the Nicky Grist Stages this year. While Meirion is looking to expand his experience on gravel, I know that Chris wants to get to grips with his new Yaris Rally2 car on gravel before the next BRC round in August. With the second Yaris arriving at Melvyn Evans Motorsport later this month, our rally is perfectly positioned to allow the guys the opportunity to test in competition. I am sure this will be a great spectacle and I am looking forward to seeing them in Builth Wells on July 13th.”

This year’s Builth Wells-based Nicky Grist Stages on Saturday 13 July will be the first multi-venue stage rally to run as a 2025 National Competition Rules test event.

NCRs represents a move by Motorsport UK towards modernising and improving the accessibility of the rules that govern the sport. The transition to the 2025 NCRs primarily represents a format overhaul with minimal material amendments to the existing regulations. While the essence and standards of the sport remain unchanged, the adoption of a digital-only format and the introduction of discipline-specific ‘Yearbooks’ aim to enhance clarity, accessibility, and navigability for all participants. The revisions ensure that all participants can easily access and interpret the regulations while maintaining the integrity of the sport.

This year’s Quinton Motor Club-organised event celebrates the 15th consecutive year of title sponsorship from Nicky Grist Motorsports and will host six major UK rally championships – the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, HRCR Rally Master Challenge, TCS Plant Rally Challenge, ANWCC Rally Championship and the Bowler Defender Challenge.

The event also continues its collaborations with Carbon Positive Motorsport – to provide carbon offsetting for all competitors and organisers event vehicles, as part of a long-term roadmap and commitment to mitigate the events carbon footprint – and GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership.

This year’s compact route bordering the counties of Powys and Carmarthenshire will feature 43 stage miles and just 90 road miles, with two loops of four classic mid-Wales forestry stages. Llyn Login will host the opening morning and afternoon stages, followed by Monument (run in the reverse direction to last year), Halfway (also run in the reverse direction and with a twist towards the end) and a new configuration through Crychan.

Thanks to the magnificent support of Powys County Council, Builth Wells Town Council, Builth Wells RFC and the businesses and residents of Builth Wells, the 2024 Nicky Grist Stages will once again be based in the very heart of the picturesque market town.

As in recent years, the start of the event will be held in Strand Street, outside the wonderful Strand Hall which will play host to rally headquarters. The mid-day service halt will be located on the nearby Builth Wells RFC pitch and the scenic finish ceremony will be in Groe Park, on the banks of the River Wye.

Scrutineering will take place the day before the event (Friday 12 July) at North Road Garage; the local Toyota dealership (owned by Eian Pritchard and his family) is located within sight of the service area on the other side of the River Wye.

“Fifteen years of sponsorship of the rally is a tremendous milestone, and I am delighted to carry on my support of the Quinton Motor Club event and all the great team of people that run the rally so well year-on-year,” says Nicky Grist.

“It will be interesting for a lot of people to learn about the new way in which the event will run under the new National Competition Rules. Things have to move on and change for the better, and I am delighted that Motorsport UK has chosen us as one of its events to introduce the new system before implementation in 2025.

“We once again have some great special stages in perfect condition for the crews to compete on, and hopefully some nice weather to benefit the spectators also. We may have a couple of surprise entries into the event this year, which I am sure will make the spectators very happy!

“I certainly look forward to welcoming everyone to Builth Wells again in July.”

“We look forward to welcoming competitors from six championships to Builth Wells in July and are extremely grateful to the councils and local business who continue to support us,” adds Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course.

“We have always tried to be innovative and lead by example on the Nicky Grist Stages, so trailing the new National Competition Rules is a logical step to take.”

Further information on the 2024 Nicky Grist Stages is available on the Sportity app (password: QMCNGS24) and nickygriststages.co.uk.

2024 Nicky Grist Stages – Important Dates and Times
Wednesday 1 May – Rally Guide 1 published
Friday 17 May – Regulations published
Monday 20 May – Entries open for registered championship contenders and Quinton Motor Club members
Monday 27 May – Entries open for all competitors
Friday 28 June – Seeded entries close
Monday 1 July – Final Instructions and route details announced
Wednesday 3 July – Final entries close
Friday 12 July, 15:00-20:30 – Scrutineering at North Road Garage
Saturday 13 July, 08.31 – First car starts
Saturday 13 July, 15:30 – First car finishes

The Nicky Grist Stages has won the prestigious Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship’s ‘Rally of the Year’ award, as voted for by registered competitors.

The Speedsports Shield was presented to event organisers Quinton Motor Club at the annual Welsh Association of Motor Clubs gala prize giving.

Based in the centre of Builth Wells, with a ceremonial start on Strand Street, the service area on the Builth Wells RFC pitch, a champagne podium finish on the banks of the River Wye and gravel stages in the nearby forests of Llyn Login, Monument, Halfway and Crychan (allowing for minimal road mileage), the Nicky Grist Stages is a well-established and much liked round of the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship – attracting one of the biggest championship entries of the season.

“The Nicky Grist Stages is one of those events you see in the calendar and can’t wait for it to come around,” says triple and reigning Pirelli Welsh Rally Champion Matthew Hirst.

“It really rewards commitment right from the outset. The rally has started for the last few years on the Llyn Login stage, which features some of the biggest crests and jumps you will come across in British rallying. You sit on the start line of it looking in awe at the scale of the first jump, and it does focus the mind. The rest of the stage is quite open with good sightlines, which gives you confidence.

“Crychan has a more traditional Welsh forest stage feel to it, with quite a few junctions and a nice flow. It’s also got some technical narrow bits under the trees which can bite. I find it helps to have some good pace notes and previous experience of Crychan – me and Dec [Declan Dear, co-driver] try to spend some extra time on the notes in here.

“Halfway is a stage of two parts. The first section of the stage runs through a quarry which is quite wide, giving you confidence to move the car around and use all the space available. The stage then moves onto a stunning hillside section – at least to look at in photographs and less so as a crew focusing on the drop on the outside! Still, what a pleasure Halfway is to drive at speed, right on the edge at points it can feel a bit like being on a downhill ski slope. One corner just flows into the next and you can push properly hard all the way to the finish.

“The last stage Monument was a highlight for me last year. We were fastest through here on both runs by a decent chunk. There are a few corners where you can take some interesting lines. The profile of the road tends to work for you with quite a lot of camber in places which means you can carry an extra few miles an hour. The icing on the cake was the much-anticipated return of the jump after the crossroads. I think as photos and videos show, it was a welcome return for both spectators and drivers. I spent quite a lot of time before the event discussing how I was going to attack it and to be honest it was just a case of seeing how it felt on the day. I think in hindsight we actually took it quite well with just a small lift on the approach and then back to full power before take-off to keep the nose up. The problem wasn’t with the landing, it’s stopping in time for the hairpin left 120 metres down the road with a small right kink just on the approach.

“We had a great battle with Elliot Payne for the overall rally win on last year’s event. Fair play to him, he was on some pace and took the win by eight seconds. This didn’t detract from the day and I’m thoroughly looking forward to 2024’s running of the event.”

“Quinton Motor Club and the team behind the Nicky Grist Stages are delighted to be awarded the prestigious Best Event Award in the 2023 Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship,” said Neil Cross, Clerk of the Course for the Nicky Grist Stages.

“We strive to put on the best event possible and knowing it’s been appreciated makes all the effort worthwhile.”

“I am very pleased to learn that the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages has won the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship Rally of the Year Award,” said Mark Hammond, Mayor – Builth Wells Town Council.

“There can be no bigger accolade than to be recognised by the actual competitors themselves. It’s well deserved.

“The organisers readily acknowledge that having the rally based in the centre of Builth Wells was a big contributing factor to this award, and from the town’s perspective it is wonderful to have this acknowledged.

“The rally at Builth is a vibrant and stunning event, which makes the relationship between the town and the Nicky Grist Stages a real two-way partnership. The event draws in many visitors who make good use of all the shops, pubs, cafes and other great amenities that Builth has to offer, as well as the natural beauty of the town, particularly as it is situated on the banks of the River Wye.

“What I have also found equally impressive is their positive attitude to liaising with the Town Council, and particularly with the Town Clerk. The organisational skills and clinical attention to detail, especially where the safety of competitors and those watching are concerned shown by the Nicky Grist team, reflects the high-level professional approach needed where an event like this is concerned. It also keeps the disruption in the town to a minimum.

“Builth was really pleased to host the rally in 2023 and we are not only looking forward to this year’s event, but all those in the years to come as well.”

“It is always a difficult task choosing the best Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship event because all of the organising teams in the championship do such a fantastic job and very often there is little to choose between events,” explains Dave Evison, Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship Secretary.

“In recent years the organising team from Quinton Motor Club have made small but effective changes and it’s made the difference with a lot of very positive feedback from our contenders.”

The 2024 Nicky Grist Stages will take place on Saturday 13 July.

Elliot Payne spun backwards into a ditch on stage four of the Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 8 July) but still went on to win the Quinton Motor Club-organised event for the first time in his Mango Go Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Co-driven by Tom Woodburn, the young Harrogate driver took a jump in the Monument stage flat-out and couldn’t slow down enough for the following corner – but despite the time loss, Payne won the event by 7.9 seconds to extend his lead in the MRF Tyres BTRDA Gold Star Series.

In a big field of 127 starters, Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear finished second in their Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5 to maintain their BTRDA title challenge and also extend their lead in the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship.

Arron Newby/Jamie Edwards completed the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages top three after a good run through the challenging Llyn Login, Crychan, Halfway and Monument stages in their Tatham Tyre Services-backed Škoda Fabia R5.

Local driver Jason Pritchard and co-driver Phil Clarke were the top placed two-wheel drive finishers, coming home a magnificent 10th overall in their Trailhead Get Jerky Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2.

Robert Gough/Paul Morris (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) won the BTRDA Silver Star and BTRDA Historic awards, Nigel and Kaz Jenkins (Vauxhall Nova) came out on top in the BTRDA Bronze category, Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance (Ford Escort RS1800) won the HRCR Rally Master Challenge section, David Tomlin/Keith Ashley (Ford Fiesta R5) were the top-placed ANWCC Rally Championship crew, Kristjan Kajakas/Ari Tiukkanen (Land Rover Bowler Defender 90) triumphed in the Bowler Defender Challenge and Rob Wilson/Richard Crozier (Mitsubishi Evo 7) were the first IPS Paint Rally Challenge registered crew home.

There was a magnificent atmosphere in the host town of Builth Wells, with the start ceremony on Strand Street, the service area on the Builth Wells RFC pitch and the podium ceremonies on the Groe – on the banks of the River Wye, with Builth Wells’ 18th Century bridge and surrounding rolling hills in the background. All this was made possible thanks to the magnificent support of Powys County Council, Builth Wells Town Council, Builth Wells Rugby Football Club and the businesses and residents of Builth Wells.

Local Toyota dealership North Road Garage kindly provided a hi-tech workshop for scrutineering.

“This year’s Nicky Grist Stages has gone really well, and everything has run to plan,” said Nicky Grist.

“It’s been a bit of a change this year, because normally we have hot dry weather and we’ve had a bit of rain thrown in this time to make the challenge a little greater for the crews. That said, all the competitors that I’ve spoken to have had a wonderful time.

“As event organisers, the Nicky Grist Stages sets itself a challenge to provide good roads and we want competitors to enjoy themselves. I was watching at the end of one of the stages and seeing all the smiling faces coming out is testimony to what the event is trying to achieve.

“Having one hundred and twenty-seven starters shows how popular the event is. Although we keep on hearing that rallying is dying in the UK, this event proves that rallying isn’t dying but in fact it is thriving and vibrant – and you can see on this event that we’ve had depth and breadth right the way through our entry. This event proves that rallying is a very positive thing in the UK still.”

“Quinton Motor Club would like to thank everyone who has supported this year’s event, from Nicky Grist, the landowners and local authorities, the championships and competitors, the marshals and officials, the local businesses, and the local residents,” said Clerk of the Course Neil Cross.

“Without their support we could not put on such a spectacular event.”

The 2024 Nicky Grist Stages will take place on Saturday 13 July.

2023 Nicky Grist Stages – top 10 finishers
1. Elliot Payne/Tom Woodburn (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….43mins 04.4secs
2. Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear (Ford Fiesta R5)….43mins 12.3secs
3. Arron Newby/Jamie Edwards (Škoda Fabia R5)….44mins 23.2secs
4. Russ Thompson/Stephen Link (Mitsubishi Evo 9)….44mins 46.1secs
5. Alistair Ginley/Craig Thorley (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….44mins 56.4secs
6. Ian Bainbridge/Will Atkins (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….45mins 15.2secs
7. Rob Wilson/Richard Crozier (Mitsubishi Evo 7)….45mins 18.3secs
8. Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Škoda Fabia R5)….45mins 59.6secs

9. Gavin Edwards/Caron Tomlinson (Ford Fiesta R5)….46mins 19.7secs
10. Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2)….47mins 02.7secs

Matthew Hirst will lead a star-studded field away at the start of the Nicky Grist Stages on Saturday 8 July, as the Doncaster rally ace is seeded at number one in his Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5.

Co-driven by Declan Dear, Hirst won the Nicky Grist Stages Interclub event last year and will be looking to close in on the MRF Tyres BTRDA Gold Star Series lead (he currently lies third, just four points behind the leader) and also extend his advantage at the top of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship points table.

Arron Newby/Jamie Edwards are second in the BTRDA Gold Star Series and start at number two in their Tatham Tyre Services-backed Škoda Fabia R5, having won a rally in the nearby mid-Wales forests already this year.

BTRDA Gold Star Series leaders Elliot Payne/Tom Woodburn start at number three in their Mango Go Ford Fiesta Rally2. This will be the young Harrogate driver’s third attempt at the Quinton Motor Club-organised event – having finished sixth on his debut in 2021 and seventh (and second in the BTRDA section) last year.

Ian Bainbridge last contested the event in 2021, scoring a top 10 result in a Škoda Fabia R5. Together with Will Atkins, he returns this year in a new Ford Fiesta Rally2, seeded at number four.

Alistair Ginley/Craig Thorley start at number five in their Fiesta Rally2, Russ Thompson/Stephen Link have been seeded at number six in their Mitsubishi Evo 9, Rob Wilson/Richard Crozier start at seven in their Ravenol Mitsubishi Evo 7, Eddie Lewis/Sion Cunniff start at eight in their Ford Fiesta R5, Niall McCullagh/Martin Brady are at nine in their Fiesta Rally2 and Simon Rogers/James How round off the top 10 in their Mitsubishi Evo 6.

There is plenty of quality seeded outside the top 10, including Martyn Andrews/Steve Greenhill (Subaru Impreza), Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Škoda Fabia R5), Peter Baylis/Paul Godden (Mitsubishi Evo 9), Daniel Moss/Samuel Davies (Mitsubishi Evo 10), Colin Minton/Bonnie Papper (Ford Fiesta R5), Richard Ceen/Dylan Thomas (Ford Fiesta R5), Steve Hollis/Tim Currie (Volkswagen Golf V R32) and Quinton MC members Paul Walker/Geraint Thomas (Subaru Impreza STI N11) and Geoff Cottrill/Nathan Crewe (Mitsubishi Evo 9).

The event is also a round of the HRCR Rally Master Challenge (the largest historic rally car registration of its kind), IPS Paint Rally Challenge (which raises funds for the Wales Air Ambulance), the ANWCC Rally Championship (which has over 120 member clubs) and, for the first time, the Bowler Defender Challenge.

This all brings an incredible variety of cars to this year’s Nicky Grist Stages – with 18 manufacturers and 38 different models on the 2023 entry list – with everything from an Alfa Romeo Alfasud to a Porsche 911 taking part.

Thanks to the magnificent support of Powys County Council, Builth Wells Town Council, Builth Wells Rugby Football Club and the businesses and residents of Builth Wells, the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages will once again be based in the very heart of the picturesque market town.

The start of the event will be held in Strand Street, outside the wonderful Strand Hall which will play host to rally headquarters.

The smaller capacity 1400cc, Rally First and H1/2 Historic class cars will start first, leaving Strand Street at 08:30, followed by the rest of the field in numerical order.

The mid-day service halt will be located on the Groe, home to Builth Wells RFC, and the finish ceremonies will on the banks of the River Wye, with Builth Wells’ 18th Century bridge and surrounding rolling hills providing one of the most scenic podium finish backdrops in British rallying.

Scrutineering will take place the day before the event (Friday 7 July) at North Road Garage; the local Toyota dealership (owned by Eian Pritchard and his family) is located within sight of the service area on the other side of the River Wye. Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke are contesting the event in their magnificent Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2 and will be the local favourites.

All the rally action will take place in the nearby gravel roads of Llyn Login, Crychan, Halfway and Monument – with a 22 stage mile loop run in the morning and repeated after midday service in the afternoon.

To limit the environmental impact and to safeguard Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), spectator areas have been carefully agreed with the landowners, Natural Resources Wales and Defence Infrastructure Organisation Wales. These are easily accessible, have dedicated off-road parking and other facilities and give some of the best viewing locations on the event, and more spectator information is available on nickygriststages.co.uk.

The 2023 Nicky Grist Stages has once again teamed up with Carbon Positive Motorsport to provide carbon offsetting as part of a long-term roadmap and commitment to mitigate the event’s carbon footprint. A special discount code (CPMNG2023) has been created to use on the Carbon Positive Motorsport online sales platform, which is available for all competitors and spectators to use to carbon offset their event-related travel: https://www.carbonpositivemotorsport.com/purchase-offsets

The event is proud to continue its association with GoSafe – the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership and its Operation SNAP programme and help raise awareness of the Fatal Five road safety initiative by the Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Mobile units will be operating in the area on Saturday 8 July.

“I am delighted to see such a strong and competitive field that will be battling hard to win the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages,” says Nicky Grist.

“Not just a strong field but also such a wide range of different rally cars are right the way through the entry list. The BTRDA, Welsh and other national rally championships offer such a spectacle that it makes these national events the must-see rallies in the UK. The crews and cars in this year’s event shows that UK rallying is strong and vibrant.”

“Quinton Motor Club are overwhelmed at the level of support shown again this year for the event,” adds Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course.

“We have put together a route that we think will challenge everyone and we look forward to welcoming all competitors and spectators to Builth Wells.”

2023 Nicky Grist Stages top 10 seeded entries
1. Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear….Ford Fiesta R5
2. Arron Newby/Jamie Edwards….Škoda Fabia R5
3. Elliot Payne/Tom Woodburn….Ford Fiesta Rally2
4. Ian Bainbridge/Will Atkins….Ford Fiesta Rally2
5. Alistair Ginley/Craig Thorley….Ford Fiesta Rally2
6. Russ Thompson/Stephen Link….Mitsubishi Evo 9
7. Rob Wilson/Richard Crozier….Mitsubishi Evo 7
8. Eddie Lewis/Sion Cunniff….Ford Fiesta R5
9. Niall McCullagh/Martin Brady….Ford Fiesta Rally2
10. Simon Rogers/James How….Mitsubishi Evo 6

Nicky Grist says that this year’s Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 8 July) route will be ‘more challenging’ than ever before – while the stages through Llyn Login, Crychan, Halfway and Monument have passed a significant number of environmental requirements that will make this year’s event more eco-friendly than ever before.

The stages running through the Crychan and Halfway forests and the Military Training Area over Eypnt are classics. An important consideration when planning the route is the environmental impact the rally has on Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) as these areas are the most important sites for Wales’ natural heritage. They are highly protected to safeguard the range, quality and variety of habitats, species and geological features in all parts of Wales. They are the cornerstones of conservation work, protecting the core of Wales’ natural heritage.

There are more than 1,000 SSSI sites in Wales, covering about 12% of the country’s surface area.

Working with the landowners, local councils and Natural Resources Wales, the Nicky Grist Stages take its responsibilities to protect these sites seriously. This is a fundamental reason for asking spectators to keep to the spectator areas, as roaming through a SSSI could cause untold damage.

The picturesque backdrop to the event’s post-rally podium celebrations sits on the banks of the Rive Wye in Builth Wells and is in fact on the edge of a SSSI. To help protect the wildlife some of the grass may appear uncut and wild, and this is deliberate to protect the local wildlife.

Further information on SSSIs can be found here.

The Nicky Grist Stages is fortunate to have the use of the Groe as its service area venue. It is also the Builth Wells Rugby Football Club pitch and to ensure damage is limited competitors must service on groundsheets, have spill kits available and report damage to the event. Working with the Builth Wells RFC, there will be pre- and post-rally pitch inspections and remedial work carried out to return the pitch to the condition that it was handed over to the event in.

Once again the Nicky Grist Stages is proudly partnered with Carbon Positive Motorsport. This provides carbon offsetting for all competitor, organiser and spectator event vehicles and is part of a long-term roadmap and commitment to mitigate the event’s carbon footprint and reduce the sport’s environmental impact.

This year’s Nicky Grist Stages is a round of six major UK rally championships, namely the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, HRCR Rally Master Challenge, IPS Paint Rally Challenge (which raises funds for the Wales Air Ambulance), the ANWCC Rally Championship and, for the first time, the Bowler Defender Challenge.

Nicky Grist, whose Nicky Grist Motorsports operation has sponsored the event for 14 consecutive years, says that the variation to this year’s 44 stage mile route will make it one of the most challenging Nicky Grist Stages ever.

Here Nicky goes through the four stages one by one, starting with Llyn Login which will be the first stage of the event.

“Llyn Login is a great stage to start the event,” says Nicky.

“It’s a lovely smooth, fast and flowing gravel stage, with a short asphalt section in the middle, and definitely not a stage for the faint hearted. It has been the scene of some drama, most notably Ollie Mellor’s accident on the big jump near the start a few years ago. It’s still a spectacular jump, but at least now everyone knows about it!

“The following road section takes crews down through Beulah and towards Llandovery and enters Crychan forest on the western side for a new variation of a fantastic stage. The longest stage of the 2023 event throws everything that a Welsh forest can at a competitor. It’s tight and twisty in places, fast and flowing in others and there are a lot of junctions. With a hard and abrasive surface, tyre management will be important – and it’s fair to say that the rally would be won or lost in Crychan.

“Next up is Halfway, which again is a slight variation to previous years but with many of the classic sections that make this stage so famous remaining. There are narrow bridges, gateways and cattlegrids to negotiate, so plenty to catch crews out if they’re not one hundred percent focused.

“The final stage of the loop is Monument, which is the last stage before midday service in the morning and the last stage before the finish in the afternoon. This is a favourite stage to many, thanks to its lovely cambered corners, tight junctions and a very scenic finish.

“Overall, this year’s route is a little more challenging than last year, so the winners will have to have driven extremely well to come out on top. If conditions are dry, choosing the correct tyres will be paramount to doing well on the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages.”