NIGEL Jenkins and co-driver Jack Walby, just 17, took top local honours in a frostbitten Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally, with superb drive to 14th overall, second in class and third 1400 car home.

Negotiating the the Calico Interiors/ PVC Fabrications.com 16v Vauxhall Nova round the slip-slide conditions, The duo also took a selection of other awards with Walby picking up the prestigious Michael "Beef" Park co-driver award.

The opening round of the REIS/Get-Connected.Com BTRDA series saw 179 crews leave Chepstow Racecourse on Saturday morning for 45 miles of treacherous ice and snowbound stages, with the opening six mile test in Sallowvallets particularly bad.

In his first gravel event for 18 months, Jenkins made the right choice taking snow tyres. This saw them quickly into their stride, catching and passing two cars on the opening test and a further three cars on the 12 mile Speech House stage, arriving at Service fifth in the 1400 class.

With clear blue skies overhead and temperatures rising, Jenkins had a difficult choice to make with four afternoon stages remaining – should he stick with his snow tyres or switch to gravel tyres?

In the event he stuck with the former option and climbed up to an amazing tenth overall and third 1400 with just one stage remaining.

He then made his only mistake of the day, switching to gravel tyres. This nearly proved his undoing when he went off in Serridge, stalled and dropped more than two minutes.

"I am really pleased with the result. I made a bad tyre call for Serridge 2 and this could have cost me dear, but it's a good way to start the year, and Jack did a cracking job on the notes," said Jenkins.

His 17 year old co-driver added: "I really enjoyed it conditions were difficult but Nige drove so well. To win the "Beef" Award is a big honour. A big thank-you to Pauline Nash at Calico Interiors, Josh Corbin at PVC Fabrications, mum and dad for all their support, and also thanks to everyone connected with the event for putting on a first class rally."

Having retired from the event in 2011, Charlie Payne and co-driver Craig Thorley returned this time to win the Wyedean in their Ford Focus WRC.

The Yorkshire crew arrived back at the Chepstow Racecourse finish more than three minutes ahead of runners-up Shaun Gardener/Ben Innes (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO5.9).

The ice-covered terrain not only made power a distinct disadvantage at times but it was also responsible for the demise of a number of top runners. Julian Wilkes, partnered by Will Rutherford, had a fabulous run to finish third overall in his Vauxhall Nova which was more than enough to give the Taunton driver victory in the 1400cc category on the event for the fourth year running.

The Subaru Impreza of Nigel Griffiths/Jon Scott was fourth while the World Rally Car version of Roger Chilman/Bryan Thomas climbed back from a lowly 30th place after the opening stage to take an eventual fifth.

Wyedean 2007 winners Hugh Hunter/Andy Marchbank (Ford Focus WRC) set fastest time through the opening stage, Sallowvallets, and looked on course for another victory – that is until they had to stop and change a puncture on the fifth of the seven stages, and then suffered two more before they reached the end. Having no more spare wheels, they had no choice but to retire.

Having been absent last year, 2010 victors Steve Perez/Paul Spooner were also in trouble. Running as high as second overall at one point, their Ford Focus WRC left the road midway through the event, damaging its suspension and removing a front wheel. Game over!

Paul Davy/Roger Allan's Subaru Impreza was the first Group N 'production' car home in sixth place overall while Dave Bennett/Alistair McNeil, returning to the sport after a sabbatical in 2011, were one place behind in their 1400cc Vauxhall Corsa.

After the first stage of the day, 2010 and 2011 BTRDA Rally First Champions Ash Slights/Tom Hughes were lying fourth overall in their Toyota Yaris but, later in the day, the car left the road forcing the crew into their first retirement in more than two years.

The wintry conditions were not suited to those two-wheel drive cars contesting the 'Historic' category. However, the overall winners were Peter Smith/Paul Wakely whose Ford Escort was 52nd overall. Bob Gibbons/Stuart Cardell were next, also taking a class win in their Ford Cortina Mk2.

The 37th Wyedean Forest Rally proved to be a very stern test of man and machine, leaving the 122 crews who were classified as finishers with plenty of stories to tell!