LAST year’s runners up Callum Black and co-driver Elliott Edmondson returned to this year to claim the top step of the podium on the Winner Garage Skoda Wyedean Stages. 

The SBG-run Ford Fiesta R5 never missed a beat over eight treacherous stages and, after holding a slender six second lead at halfway, Black got his head down on the afternoon loop to extend his winning margin to 53 seconds.

Second overall were local duo Nick Elliott with Dave Price on the notes in the familiar Kellands-backed RS1800, the historic flyer put on yet another fantastic display but on the faster final two tests the superior power and suspension of the modern car paid dividends.

“In the end modern technology got the better of me on the final two stages, but congratulations to Callum he drove very well, yet again another fantastic Wyedean,” said Elliott.”

The event, run in association with KGD, Hereford, was again based at the Vantage Point Business Centre in Mitcheldean and offered the 107 entries, 40 miles of slippery forest roads with many left with bent cars and panels to repair.

There was a large local entry and many walked away with silverware – with event sponsors Bob Morgan and Ade Williams taking sixth overall and first in class in the Winner Garage Subaru Impreza.

Jason Gardner and Graham Cox in the Brecon View Plumbing Escort RS took 13th overall second in class.

Andrew Stokes, who did the very first Wyedean in 1975, had Ade McNally on the notes, finishing 18th overall and fourth in class in his Escort RS1600 and with it clinched the HRCR Stage Masters crown.

Jeremy Easson with Mike Reynolds in the Datsun 240Z took 20th sixth in class while Jason Morgan and Jack Bowen were 22nd and fourth in class in the GJM Impreza despite have a strut come up through the wing on the final two stages.

Tim Phelps and Elwyn Manuel finished 25th and second in class in their Escort RS and husband and wife duo Nigel and Karen Jenkins finished 26th and second in class in the NJ Autos 1400 Nova, despite losing the brakes on the first run through Speech House and dropping a minute on the afternoon stage with gearbox problems.

Ed Robinson had Matt Rogers on board in the Gloucestershire Rally School-backed Citroen C2 Max finished 27th and first in the up to1600cc class.

In 28th was Ross duo Scott Partridge and Mike Jode who enjoyed the slippery conditions in the Bullit Polish Impreza.

Just behind them in 29th and third in class was Richard Cole and Matt Nicolas in the Richard Cole Contracting 1400 Escort.

One of the drives of the rally came from Coleford garage owner Shawn Baldwin together with new co-driver Keegan Rees, back after two years to take the Autofix Escort RS to 32nd and third in class

Charles Hopkinson and Gavin Haycock finished 39th and 10th in class in the Dave Jenkins Motorsport Escort RS

Newent’s Geoff Phelps and Pete Wilson were 40th and fourth in class in the Drenth-backed Escort RS while James Dunkley and Dan Sayce took the Winner Garage Vauxhall Nova to 50th and seventh in class.

Keith Bounds and Kevin Watkins swapped their Ford Sierra for a 1600 VW Polo to finish 51st and eighth in class.

Eric Davis and Russ Joseph in the Dennis Motorsport 1380 Mini took a very popular class win and 52nd overall.

A penalty saw Nigel Drew with Pauline Nash in the Calico Interiors-backed Subaru Impreza lose 10 minutes and drop from 11th to 57th overall.

Paul Simmonds, in his first gravel rally in 35 years, had Mark Wheeler on board the Signs by Samurai two-litre Mk1 Escort, and won the prestigious Rex Paddock award for the best prepared car.

Just one place behind in 65th and sixth in class were Chris Lane and Boyd Cox in the Belfitt’s Coaches Escort RS.

Mark Christopher and Pete Littlefield took 68th and14th in class in their Citroen C2 with

Lee Truman and Beth Harris in the ME Damsell-sponsored Impreza were 72nd and 10th in class

Graham Elsmore’s former mechanic Jim Dunkley, in his first rally, had Paul Barbet on the notes taking a superb class win and 73rd overall in a new Hyundai i20

Another first-timer, Tim Truman, with Dave Troughton, lost first, third and fifth gears at one point but came back for 74th third in class.

The only female driver, Maureen Lane of Steam Mills, and co-driver Simon Cox finished 75th and 17th in class in the Escort Mexico despite early front wing damage.

John Collins and John Smart in the Opel Manta landed some 30 feet off the road on the Blaize Bailey stage.

Last year’s winning co-driver Jack Walby teamed up with Rallycross star Ollie Bennett in the Exite Subaru Impreza had a high-speed spin and impact with a bank at Speech House which snapped the cambelt.

Spencer Price had his dad John – whose last rally was in 1971 – in the hot seat in the TPS Doors Landrover but gearbox issues in Speech House saw them arrive at a corner with no gears which ended with a hard impact into some logs ripping off the front suspension.

Report: Paul Willetts.