Elliot Payne and Patrick Walsh would produce an impressive debut drive aboard the In Sport Skoda Fabia RS to claim overall Woodpecker Stages Rally victory for the 2nd successive year as Ben Friend and Osian Owen topped the Historic category.
The Woodpecker Stages Rally has gradually re-located over the border and into Wales in recent years following the continued unavailability of the English Marches stages traditionally used by event, often straying into territory more associated with other Mid Wales based events. But, with a completely new route for 2026, it felt like the Sixty & Worcestershire Motor Club organised event had re-created an individual identity for the much loved rally.
Moving away from the Hafren Forest complex used for the last couple of years and now free from National championship pressures the organisers were able to create a compact route featuring just over 38 competitive stage miles largely within Radnor Forest in addition to 2 runs through the very fast Cwmysgawen. And, with servicing based just outside New Radnor, the rally would contain relatively low road mileage also.
2025 winner Elliot Payne would top the entry list but surprisingly not in the Ford Fiesta we have all become accustomed to. Making a late switch to an IN Sport prepared Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 for the Woodpecker the young Yorkshireman was straight on the pace despite limited seat time; sharing fastest times with the similar machine of Irish crew Mark Donnelly and Martin Brady over the morning loop and taking a 6 second lead into the mid rally service.
It was however the afternoon loop where Payne and co-driver Patrick Walsh would fully get to grips with the new car. Indeed, with conditions also taking a turn for the worse, Payne would brush off a small time loss in Cwmysgawen 2 with fastest time on all three remaining tests through the Radnor Forest complex to claim an impressive 12 second victory.
Irish Forestry regulars Mark Donnelly and Martin Brady were making a rare appearance on the UK mainland aboard their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 and were well in the mix for victory after a rapid run through Cwmysgawen 2 left them just 3 seconds off top spot. Payne was however sublime through final three tests leaving the Irish visitors having to settle for a well earned second.
Skoda Fabia’s seem to be the car to have in British National Rallying at the moment with the VAG Group owned brand filling 6 of the top ten positions on the final time sheets. Rhys Yates, making a rare outing with Dale Bowen alongside, would however buck the trend with a fine drive to third aboard his Ford Fiesta R5. An impressive drive in its own right, but even more so when considering it is well over 2 years since the Chesterfield man last competed in four wheel drive machinery!
Behind, the top 6 would be completed by 2 more Skoda Fabia RS machines in the hands of Daniel Sigurðarson / Ásta Sigurdardottir and further Irish visitors in the form David Kelly / Shane Buckley in 4th and 6th respectively with the MEM built Proton Iriz R5 in the hands of Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress finishing 5th.
The battle for historic victory would prove a close run affair with Ben Friend and Osian Owen just having the edge on the opposition to claim category victory by a mere 6 seconds with 16th position overall aboard their Ford Escort Mk2. The Anglo / Welsh pairing continuing their strong recent form to claim a second Historic category victory in as many rallies following success on the RSAC Scottish Rally in mid July.
In fact the top 5 historic runners would be covered by less than 20 seconds at the mid event service as the Ford Escorts of Robert Gough, Andy Davies and Rudi Lancaster as well as the Porsche 911 of British Historic Rally Championship leaders Ben and Steven Smith looked to take the fight to Friend and Owen.
Fresh from a strong result on Rali Ceredigion Andy and Owain Davies were lying third after the morning stages but would excel on the wet and murky afternoon loop, jumping ahead of the similar machine of Robert Gough and Jez Rogers with 2 fastest historic stage times to end the day just 6 seconds behind Friend and Owen.
Gough and Rogers meanwhile appeared less comfortable in the treacherous afternoon conditions and would have to settle for third aboard their Viking Motorsport built Ford Escort Mk2; as did Ben and Steven Smith who would end the day 5th in the historic category with 23rd position overall but with the consolation prize of top spot in the combined H1-H5 class.
Elsewhere class honours would go the way Russ Thompson and Steven Link (Class 2 & 4) with a fine drive to 7th overall in their Ford Fiesta whilst the Ford Fiesta ST Maxx crew of Callum Griffiths and William Lewis would land the class 6 spoils with an excellent 22nd. Boyd Kershaw and Keegan Rees would claim Class 3 victory aboard their Ford Escort MK2 with 26th overall whilst just 1 place further back, Baz Jordan and Arwel Jenkins would be first home in Class H15 & 16 aboard their Mitsubishi Evo 6.
Finishing 28th overall would be the class 5 winning Ford Fiesta Rally 4 of Dylan Fowler-Bishop (Co driven by Dan Evans) having made the step up from the Nissan Micra for the event whilst another former BTRDA Bronze star champ, George Thomas (Co driven by Mark Ammonds), would claim class 9 top spot with 30th overall in his Vauxhall Nova. The remaining class wins would head the way of Oliver & Phillip Luxton (MG ZR), Colin & John Evans (BMW 318 Ti) and Michael Jenkins & Jordan Joines (Ford Fiesta R2).
GALLERY
Paul Commons Motorsport 