STAR GAZING CONTINUES!...
Posted on October 22, 2025
This time last year Elliot Payne/Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2) had already secured the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star® Championship title – in Payne’s case for a record-breaking third consecutive time. As the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series heads to Llandudno on 25th October for the Lewis & Hunter Cambrian Rally, no such conclusions have been reached in the Gold, Silver or Bronze Stars and the battle is still very much ongoing! Indeed, for the first time for a number of years, the Cambrian is not the final encounter in the BTRDA Rally Series – that honour falls to the Grizedale Stages in early December – and, so, the North Wales forests will bear witness to the latest chapter in the quest for stardom – literally!
Following victory on the Trackrod Forest Stages, Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear (Fabia R5) lead the race for the Gold Star title. Thus far, the 2024 Cambrian winners have three maximum scores to their credit while Payne/Walsh, who were forced into a rare retirement on the Trackrod, are 3rd with two. Sandwiched in between them is Alex Vassallo (Fiesta Rally2) who recorded his best score of the season to-date last time out.
Daniel Sigurðarson/Asta Sigurðadóttir (Skoda RS) were runners-up on the Trackrod but, having already dropped two scores (one DNS & one DNF), now need to complete the season in similar fashion in order to reap the benefits of their proven speed. Similarly, Liam Clark (Fiesta Rally2), who was 2nd BTRDA points scorer on the Woodpecker, has no further room for manoeuvre as the BTRDA Series draws to a close, but a Top Three finish is still on the cards…
Unusually, front-wheel drive power currently holds sway in the Protyre Autocare BTRDA Silver Star® Championship, thanks to the efforts of Lewis Hooper/Rhys Edwards (Fiesta R2) and Tom Constantine/Tony Walker (Adam R2). However, lurking in 3rd spot is David Henderson (Escort MkII) who, unlike the two ahead of him, has already dropped one score. Nevertheless, with three maximums and a 2nd from the events he has finished, the application of ‘best 5 from 7’ could well put a different complexion on the leader board.
Steve Ward/John Millington (Escort MkII) are also in the Silver Star mix while, at the same time, ruling the roost in the Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Historic Cup. Here, too, they find themselves in direct competition with David Henderson and, depending on their results on the final two events, Baz Jordan/Arwel Jenkins (Mitsubishi Galant).
Whatever transpires on the Cambrian and, for that matter, the Grizedale Stages, defending champions Lewis Hooper/Rhys Edwards are already confirmed as winners of the 2025 BTRDA Rallye R2 Cup. For the first time this season, Tom Constantine/Tony Walker managed to beat them into 2nd place on the Trackrod but, with four ‘wins’ and a 2nd, Hooper/Edwards cannot now be overhauled…
A category that is definitely not done-and-dusted is the Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Bronze Star® Championship. Dylan Fowler-Bishop/Dan Evans (Micra) were top dogs on each of the first three rounds before defending champions Nigel & Kaz Jenkins (Nova) managed to find some of their magic to take the next two.
The Micra duo leads the charge from Ed James/Kevin Lane (Micra Kit Car) with the Jenkins, who have already dropped one score, a comfortable 3rd. So, once again, brace yourselves! This one is likely to go the distance and, even then, could well go either way!
