Ollie Mellors claimed victory in the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally on September 7, marking his second win at the event. Battling challenging conditions, Mellors and co-driver Max Freeman expertly piloted their Proton Iriz R5 to the top of the leaderboard, securing a commanding win over Elliot Payne and Patrick Walsh in their Fiesta Rally2. Russ Thompson and Steve Link took the final podium spot in their Mitsubishi Evo.
This year’s Woodpecker Rally was held exclusively in Wales, with stages like Hafren, Ceri, and Sweet Lamb putting the 125 participating crews to the test. With dense fog and mist blanketing the course, the rally’s already demanding terrain became even more unforgiving.
Matthew Hirst initially dominated the opening Ceri stage in his Skoda Fabia Rally2, setting the fastest time. However, his hopes were dashed when he went off course during the second stage, losing significant time and allowing Mellors to take control. Once in the lead, Mellors never looked back, holding his advantage throughout the afternoon.
A fierce competition brewed between Payne and Perry Gardener for a spot on the podium, but Gardener’s rally ended abruptly after a spin left him stuck with only two stages to go. Thompson capitalized on the opportunity to take third place, while Hirst, despite setting the fastest times on several stages later on, couldn’t recover from his earlier setback.
Icelandic duo Daniel Sigurdarson and Asta Sigurdardottir, driving a VW Polo R5, delivered an impressive performance, securing fourth place after a strong final stage. They edged out Liam Clark and Emily Easton Page in their Fiesta Rally2, who had to settle for fifth.
In the National category, George Lepley and Dale Bowen made an early impression in their Mitsubishi Galant VR4 as leaders of the British Historic Rally Championship. However, a dramatic shift occurred when Joe Price and Chris Brooks, leading in their Ford Escort MKII, went off the road in the sixth stage. Seb Perez, driving a Porsche 911, capitalized on their misfortune to take the win, with Mark Higgins in a Triumph TR7 V8 finishing second and Nick Elliott rounding out the top three in a FIAT 131 Abarth.
