Wyedean Rally Hat-trick Secures Matthew Hirst And Declan Dear Their Third Title

Matthew Hirst And Declan Dear in their Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5. Pic: Paul Mitchell Photography.

Wyedean Rally Hat-trick Secures Matthew Hirst And Declan Dear Their Third Title

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By Paul Evans

Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear clinched the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship title for a record-equalling third time after winning the Wyedean Stages Rally in their Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5.

Recent heavy rain had left the Forest of Dean stages very wet and slippery, and despite a cautious start Hirst admitted to a few overshoots on the morning’s loop of three stages.

He still led the Pirelli Welsh section and took over the overall lead of the event on the afternoon’s repeat run through the stages.

Whilst the drivers’ title was pretty much secure, maximum points were required for Dear to clinch the co-driver’s title.

With that in mind, and the desire to end the 2023 season on a high after a recent run of bad luck, Hirst made no mistakes as he took an impressive 17 second win.

“I’m delighted to have won my third Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship with my third win in a row on the Wyedean, particularly as it was such a tricky event this year,” said Hirst.

“We’ve had a bad run recently and we needed this result to go into the winter break at peace and at one with rallying again. In sport you have good runs and bad runs and we’ve had both this year.

“We came to the Wyedean with the mindset of taking it steady and not making any mistakes, and to do that and win feels great. We’ve ended the year on a high, which is what we wanted, and I’m over the moon.”

“It was a little more difficult for me to clinch the co-driver’s title, but we knew what we had to do on the Wyedean,” added Dear.

“Matt drove a great event, really measured in very tricky conditions, and it all came good in the end.”

Rob Wilson put in another very impressive drive in his Mitsubishi Evo 7 to finish second on the Wyedean.

Co-driven by Martin Haggett, the 2022 Welsh Junior champion was a lot happier once he’d changed tyres for the afternoon stages and never put a foot wrong in the challenging conditions.

Nik Elsmore admitted that Lady Luck had been his salvation in the morning, as he’d been off the road and well into the undergrowth twice on SS3.

Co-driven by Pauline Nash, the local Coleford driver had a gear linkage come loose on his CDS Taxis & Private Hire Mitsubishi Evo 9 in the afternoon, making downshifts difficult – all of which made finishing third all the sweeter.

Bob Morgan’s Winner Garage Škoda Fabia R5 fell onto three cylinders off the start line of the opening stage, costing him a lot of time.

He and co-driver pressed on after that, wrestling the car through the muddy stages as it attempted to swap ends at every opportunity. After a pretty hard work out, Morgan was happy to finish an unscathed fourth.

Simon Rogers was delighted to secure the runner-up spot in the Pirelli Welsh drivers’ championship.

He and co-driver James How lost time with an overshoot on SS1 – and from then on it was a case of survival in the tricky conditions.

“It’s so slippery, it feels like you just can’t do anything right,” said the MacWhirter Motorsport-prepared Mitsubishi Evo 6 driver.

He certainly did do a lot right, coming home a solid sixth – and clinching the class W13 and Seniors’ titles.

Colin Minton ended an excellent season with a top 10 Pirelli Welsh result.

Partnered by Bonnie Papper, the 2023 Welsh Junior co-driver’s champion, the Swindon driver was able to find more grip in the afternoon as he put in another very good performance in his Ignition Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5.

The end of season icing on the cake was the 4WD Witham Group special award, presented by Witham Group Sales Director Richard Scarbrough.

The live streamed coverage from the Wyedean Rally remains available to view on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship and Special Stage TV Facebook pages.

The opening round of the 2024 Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship is the Get Jerky Rally North Wales on Saturday 16 March.

Further details on the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship can be found online at: wnrc.wamc.org.uk.

2023 Wyedean Rally – top 10 Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship finishers:

1. Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear (Ford Fiesta R5)….42mins 04secs
2. Rob Wilson/Martin Haggett (Mitsubishi Evo 7)….42mins 21secs
3. Nik Elsmore/Pauline Nash (Mitsubishi Evo 9)….43mins 49secs
4. Bob Morgan/Ade Williams (Škoda Fabia R5) ….44mins 16secs
5. Iwan Roberts/Daniel Jones (Ford Escort G3)….45mins 42secs
6. Simon Rogers/James How (Mitsubishi Evo 6)….46mins 06secs
7. Callum Griffiths/William Lewis (Ford Fiesta ST)….46mins 53secs
8. Ricky Crone/Ifan Devine (Ford Escort Mk2)….47mins 08secs
9. Jonathan Brace/Paul Spooner (Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1)….48mins 32secs
10. Colin Minton/Bonnie Papper (Ford Fiesta R5)….48mins 57secs

2023 Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship Overall drivers’ points after Round 7:

1. Matthew Hirst….150pts CHAMPION
2. Simon Rogers….117pts
3. Russ Thompson….111pts
4. Martyn Andrews….111pts
5. Rob Wilson….107pts
6. Iwan Roberts….97pts

Overall co-drivers’ points after Round 7:

1. Declan Dear….125pts CHAMPION
2. Steven Greenhill….115pts
3. Stephen Link….111pts
4. Ade Williams….103pts
5. Daniel Jones….102pts
6. James How….100pts

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