After a long absence due to the devastation caused by Storm Darragh, loose-surface rallying made its welcome return to the forests of Wales last weekend, as the Quinton Motor Club hosted the highly anticipated Nicky Grist Stages.

With support from title sponsor Builth Wells Town Council, the event brought a festival atmosphere to the town as rally fans gathered to witness high-octane action.

The event was based in the heart of Builth Wells, with kind permission from Builth Wells RFC allowing the rally to use the Groe rugby ground as the central service park. Stand Street was closed to traffic on Saturday to host the ceremonial start and the mid-day regroup. The competitive timed stages were held on the gravel roads around Mynydd Epynt.

The Groe provided an excellent central base for the rally service park
The Groe provided an excellent central base for the rally service park (Mark Griffin)

Builth’s Mayor, Cllr Mark Hammond, flagged off the 142 starters outside the Strand Hall. Eight forest stages awaited the crews, covering 45 competitive miles to determine the overall winner.

Top seeds William Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan, competing in a Team Castrol/Melvyn Evans Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, were looking to gain additional gravel experience ahead of the next British Rally Championship round. Creighton led the cars away, while teammates Meirion Evans and Dale Furniss were seeded car four.

Benefitting from a dust-free run but clearing the loose gravel, Creighton set the pace by winning all four stages in the morning loop. Evans/Furniss kept the pressure on, with Pirelli Welsh Championship contenders Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear also in close pursuit in their Škoda Fabia R5.

Pushing hard on the Monument stage about Cefn Gorwydd: Meirion Evans and Dale Furniss finished a close second
Pushing hard on the Monument stage about Cefn Gorwydd: Meirion Evans and Dale Furniss finished a close second (Mark Griffin)
Third overall and taking maximum Pirelli Welsh Championshio points, Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear had a good weekend in the Skoda Fabia R5
Third overall and taking maximum Pirelli Welsh Championshio points, Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear had a good weekend in the Skoda Fabia R5 (Mark Griffin)

After a mid-day service break in Builth, the afternoon saw a repeat of the morning’s four stages under sweltering conditions. Evans set the fastest time on the Monument stage, while Creighton (Route 60) and Hirst (Halfway) took the next two. Evans launched a huge push on the final test - Bowsley (Crychan) - clocking a time nearly 11 seconds quicker than Creighton, closing the gap to just 2.7 seconds by the finish.

A 12-second loss due to a spin on the opening stage, and issues engaging reverse gear, ultimately cost Evans and Furniss the win. Still, the Welsh duo were delighted with their performance, with Evans describing it as his best ever drive on gravel.

Meanwhile, 2022 Nicky Grist Stages winner and former British Rally Champion Osian Pryce returned with experienced co-driver Phil Pugh in a newly built Mk2 Escort. Using the event as preparation for the prestigious Roger Albert Clark Rally later this year, Pryce drove safely and consistently to secure victory in the Historic section.

Pentrefelin’s Dai Jones and Glyn Price enjoyed a solid run through familiar territory in their BMW, finishing 50th overall. Talgarth’s Martin Pendlebury and Lucie Gutteridge collected silverware with a strong performance in their VW Polo GTI, finishing first on the road and third in class.

It was a dust-free run to third in class for Martin Pendlebury and Lucy Gutteridge from Talgarth
It was a dust-free run to third in class for Martin Pendlebury and Lucy Gutteridge from Talgarth (Mark Griffin)
Rallying in their backyard, Dai Jones and Glyn Price get to grips with the Halfway stage
Rallying in their backyard, Dai Jones and Glyn Price get to grips with the Halfway stage (Mark Griffin)

Both Brecon and Epynt motor clubs provided volunteer marshals who endured the extreme heat of the day, allowing the event to run smoothly and safely.

Top 5 finishers - 2025 Nicky Grist Stages:

1. William Creighton / Liam Regan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) – 44m 11.9s

2. Meirion Evans / Dale Furniss (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) – 44m 14.5s

3. Matthew Hirst / Declan Dear (Škoda Fabia R5) – 44m 21.5s

4. Jason Mitchell / Paddy McCrudden (Škoda Fabia R5) – 44m 56.8s

5. Callum Black / Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta Rally2) – 45m 13.8s