Rally aces rev up for action in memory of Phil

Supported for a second year by Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School, the event will see a top quality list of contenders tackle eight stages and around 44 competitive miles in forests on both sides of the England and Wales border.

With a fresh new format for the 40th anniversary running, the rally will take in stages never used previously by the event, as well as reigniting some old favourites and retaining the crowd-pleasing stages that both fans and drivers have come to enjoy.

Ludlow’s Perry Gardner will lead the local charge as he makes only his second outing of 2023.

Gardner took the runner-up spot in the rally last year but with all new stages this time around, it could well be a tough ask to repeat that result.

He wheels out his Ford Fiesta R5 with Jack Bowen in the co-driver’s seat.

And the lure of a new challenge has attracted a bumper entry to the Ludlow Racecourse rally base this weekend, bolstered by being a round of a host of top-drawer championships, including the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship and Seacon UK English Rally Championship. Other regional series include the Welsh Historic Rally Championship, IPS Paints Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge making the trip.

Last year’s podium sitter Elliott Payne and co-driver Tom Woodburn will enjoy number one on the doors of their Ford Fiesta Rally2 after taking third overall in 2022.

Ludlow’s Henri Grehan, Robert Gough, Richard Gough and Joe Price will also be in action.

The action starts at Ludlow racecourse at 7.31am on Saturday morning.Spectators will get plenty of chances to see the cars at close quarters and in action during the weekend too, with opportunities to view the cars as they arrive at Ludlow Racecourse on Friday [8 September] from 14:00.

The Racecourse also hosts the start at 07:31 on Saturday [9 September], as well as the mid-point service halt from 12:05 and the ceremonial finish from 17:30 that day.

The action can be found in the Ceri stage, located just south of the Village itself and that test runs twice, at 09:52 and 15:17. The popular Haye Park stage returns just outside of Ludlow and is also run twice, at 11:38 and 17:03. Parking at each location is £10 per car including a guide and entry to Ludlow Racecourse is free of charge.

More information for spectators can be found on the event website www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk

The latest updates can be found on the event’s social media feeds.

Payne and co-driver Tom Woodburn are in the pound seat for the BTRDA title fight and a good result here will certainly boost their chances of a back-to-back title.

Also in contention are Matt Hirst and Declan Dear and the pairing starts at number two seeds in the Fiesta R5. Hirst hasn’t managed to finish the Woodpecker since 2018, so is hoping his luck will change this time around and is another to be looking at points in the championship fight.

Tackling his first gravel rally of 2023, Hugh Hunter brings his Ford Fiesta Rally2 to the event with Mark Glennerster calling the notes. Hunter has been out of action for much of the season but will use the rally as a reintroduction to the forests.

Arron Newby and Jamie Edwards break up the Ford chain with their Skoda Fabia R5 at car four and are another pairing to be concentrating on the BTRDA title chase. Wins at the Malcolm Wilson Rally and Rallynuts stages means they have impressive form already this year and another victory is on the cards.