The famous Route 60 stage returns to the Nicky Grist Stages (Saturday 12 July) this year after a seven-year break – and it’s a favourite stage for the four-time and reigning Pirelli Welsh Rally champion Matthew Hirst, who says that ‘whoever sets the fastest time through Route 60 will have had to earn it.’
The most successful driver in the history of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship has contested the Nicky Grist Stages seven times, each time co-driven by Declan Dear. Having made his event debut in 2017, Matthew enjoyed five consecutive finishes – culminating in a career-best second place overall in 2023.
The last time that Route 60 was run on the Nicky Grist Stages was in 2018, when Matthew finished 14th overall in a Mitsubishi Evo IX.
This year’s stage won’t be exactly the same as it was run then, but the Doncaster ace still plans to study some in-car footage to remind himself of the character of the fast and flowing gravel test, which meanders across the spectacular Mynydd Epynt military range.
And having contested the Nicky Grist Stages four times in a Mitsubishi and three times in a Ford Fiesta R5, Matthew will contest this year’s Quinton Motor Club organised event in a Delta Salvage/Witham Motorsport Škoda Fabia R5.
“It was a great surprise to see that the organisers have shaken things up again this year by bringing back one of my favourite stages, Route 60,” says Matthew.
“I must admit, it’s been a few years since I last drove it, so I’ll revisit some onboard footage to refresh my memory before the event. On that note, I highly recommend searching on YouTube for the 2012 onboard of Craig Breen and Dai Roberts attacking the stage; the mid-stage chatter between them definitely brought a smile to my face.
“As for the stage itself, much like the one it’s replacing [Llyn Login], Route 60 is a high-speed, high-commitment challenge. However, it offers a bit more room to play with through the faster sections, thanks to its wider profile. That said, it’s still a stage that demands serious respect. Large boulders line the inside of many corners, and the optimal line often skirts perilously close to them, making precise driving essential.
“Watching onboard footage never truly captures the sheer speed and commitment required for this stage – but take my word for it, whoever sets the fastest time through Route 60 will have had to earn it.”
Based in Builth Wells – with the start ceremony on Strand Street, the service area on the Builth Wells RFC pitch and the champagne finish on the banks of the River Wye – this year’s Nicky Grist Stages will feature a compact route with minimal road mileage and 45 stage miles in Halfway, Crychan (named Bowlsey, 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), Monument and Route 60.
This will be the 16th consecutive year of title sponsorship from Nicky Grist Motorsport and the event will be a host round of five major championships – the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, HRCR Rally Master Challenge, TCS Plant Rally Challenge and ANWCC Rally Championship.
The event will also continue its collaboration with Carbon Positive Motorsport, which last year supported the planting of over 1,500 sequioa and 6,000 native broadleaf trees in Abergavenny, as well as GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, and be part of Motorsport UK’s National Motorsport Week.
The seeded entries close on Friday 27 June, with final entries closing on Wednesday 9 July. rallies.info
