By Paul Evans

Competitors in the 2019 Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Forest Rally Championship reach the halfway point in the series this Saturday (11 May) when they take on the 53rd running of the Plains Rally, organised by Knutsford and District Motor Club.

Two of the youngest drivers in the Championship currently share the overall series lead – 2018 junior champion Matthew Hirst (who took his first outright rally win on the second event of the series, the North Wales Rally) in his Mitsubishi Evo VI and 18-year old Tom Llewellin in his less powerful historic spec Ford Escort Mk2.

Llewellin also leads the strongly supported two-wheel drive class (followed by Chris Powell and Hywel Davies), the junior driver category (from Gethin Price and Zak Hughes) and the Ravenol Welsh Challenge (with Hywel Davies second and Josh Taylor third).

There is a tie at the top of the Group N table, Scott Faulkner sharing the lead with Wug Utting, while Rhydian Price trails them by just a single point.

Around 120 competitors will set out from the Wynnstay Hotel in Oswestry from 8.00am to tackle five classic Welsh forest stages in Dyfnant, Aberhirnant and Llangower. After the 42 stage miles have been completed, the finish will be in Welshpool at 3.45pm.