Nicky Grist Stages

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

Matthew Hirst And Declan Dear Chase Welsh Rally Championship Hat-Trick

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By Paul Evans

Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear will have another chance to clinch the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship title for a third time on this weekend’s penultimate round of the series, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally (Saturday 28 October).

In a carbon copy of last year, the Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5 crew scored maximum points on the first four rounds of their 2023 campaign, only for their Woodpecker Stages jinx to deny them a five out of five clean sweep.

Having contested the Cambrian every year since 2018, Hirst knows the event well and was the top Pirelli Welsh finisher last year – and the Doncaster ace will be hoping to wrap this year’s Welsh title up with a round to spare.

“The Cambrian Rally is an event which crews want to perform well on given the previous winners of the event reading like an A-Z of British rallying royalty,” says Hirst.

“I must admit, it was a personal highlight getting to shake Mr Hollywood himself Petter Solbergs’ hand last year on the seafront in Llandudno after Oliver [Solberg] showed us what a top line works driver can do on these stages.

“One of the things I enjoy about this event is how it reinvents itself year on year. The route tends to be unpredictable which certainly adds to the challenge with the preparation going into the event from a pace notes perspective.”

Russ Thompson/Stephen Link have finished second on all three Pirelli Welsh rounds they have contested so far this year and will be aiming for another strong podium finish this time out in their Dunnow Plant Mitsubishi Evo 9.

Martyn Andrews has been a revelation this year and has already secured the Welsh Challenge title. Co-driven by Steve Greenhill, the Welwyn Garden City pilot is also second in the overall standings, after five high scoring finishes in his Opie Oils Subaru Impreza STi N12.

Simon Rogers has also been on fantastic form this year, finishing fourth three times in his MacWhirter Motorsport-prepared Mitsubishi. Co-driven by James How, the Radlett driver will be aiming for his first Pirelli Welsh podium finish of the season in his rapid yellow Evo 6.

Colin Minton (partnered by the newly crowned Pirelli Welsh Junior co-driver champion Bonnie Papper) will be aiming for a good run in his Ignition Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5. The Swindon driver has been growing in confidence this year and his points score has increased with each round so far.

Daniel Moss/Samuel Davies will be hoping to bounce back from retiring on the Woodpecker with a strong showing in their Hurst Haylage Mitsubishi Evo 10. Like several other crews, they have effectively already dropped two scored and can count all the points they score between now and the end of the series.

Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe arrive at the Cambrian lying an impressive fourth overall in their smart Geoff Jones Motorsport-prepared Subaru Impreza N12b, while on form Paul Walker/Geraint Thomas appear in their Green Paw Subaru Impreza STi N11.

Other 4WD crews to look out for include David Tomlin/Keith Ashley in their Axon Ford Fiesta R5, Richard Ceen/Alun Hayward in their MSL Motorsport-prepared Coedwigaeth Pencelyn-backed Ford Fiesta R5, Colin Griffiths/Marc Morgan in their ex-Mikko Hirvonen/Alister McRae Subaru Impreza STi and Steve Hollis/Tim Currie in their Volkswagen Golf V R32.

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