We are delighted this year to be celebrating the 40th Woodpecker with the launch of a new book, The Famous Woodpecker Stages Rally. Written by Club historian Dood Pearce, there are over 300 pages packed with write ups of every Woodpecker Rally since 1983.
Plenty of photos, results and interesting facts. If you’ve ever competed on the Woodpecker,
you’re in the book! For details on how to buy this limited edition see below.
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF WOODPECKER RALLIES
- SOME NEVER BEFORE SEEN PHOTOS
- SPECIAL BOOK LAUNCH OFFER – £30 (RRP £35)
- 336 PAGES
- LIMITED EDITION
- FULL RESULTS
ORDER YOUR £30 COPY AND COLLECT FROM RALLY HQ OR ADD £7.50 POST & PACKING
E-MAIL YOUR ORDER TO PHIL MACDONELL: phil_mac60@hotmail.com
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
PAYMENT BY BANK TRANSFER TO:
SORT CODE: 20-98-61 ACCOUNT NO. 5099 3778
SIXTY AND WORCESTERSHIRE RALLY CLUB LTD
The Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally will have a very different look in 2023, as the 9 September event introduces a brand-new format for the popular Ludlow-based forest rally.
Supported for a second year by Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School, the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club organised loose surface stage rally will continue its theme of progression and diversification by revamping the entire route of the rally and utilising little-used forests on both sides of the Welsh and English borders.
As one of the most popular events on the British rallying calendar, many of the popular features have been retained, including its traditional Ludlow Racecourse base and eight special stages. But a radical shakeup in the route will see some new tests included on the roster, bolstered by the return of forests not used for decades by the rally.
Introduced to the Woodpecker Rally for the first time this year will be the Cwmysgawen forest complex, just west of Knighton in Powys. Only now used for one other event per year, the introduction of the test will be the opening stage of the event and like all others, used twice.
Another little used forest and brand new to the event will be the Ceri test. Situated just outside of Newtown, the stage will provide an exciting high-speed test for crews before they begin to return to more familiar ground in the shape of Hopton. Despite not being used for several years, the short blast is a firm favourite with drivers and makes a welcome return to the schedule.
The rally will also retain its highly popular double run through Haye Park, just outside of Ludlow. Traditionally attracting many spectators from the town and surrounding areas, the blast through the forest on the English side of the border provides a fitting climax to the event before the return to the racecourse for the champagne spray finish celebrations.
Clerk of the Course Graham Hopewell is excited to introduce the new changes to the rally for this year.
“We are delighted to reveal our new look for the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally this September and believe that it creates one of the most exciting formats for many years,” he says.
“With some of the Radnor complex unavailable we have been working hard in the background to come up with an alternative approach and this new route utilises some Woodpecker classics as well as world-class stages across the region. It’s important for events to keep evolving whilst retaining some characteristics that are key to its success and we believe we have done just that this year. It’s an exciting phase of the Woodpecker Rally’s history and we would like to thank to continued support of our sponsors Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School”.
The event was renamed in 2022 in memory of the highly regarded rally driver and coach Phil Price, who sadly passed away in 2021 and will once again welcome a variety of top-line championships, including the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Seacon UK English Rally Championship, IPS Paints Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
More information on the event will be released in the coming weeks and 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.
Callum Black ensured his first rally in nine months was a memorable one, by storming to the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally win on Saturday [3 September].
The Brackley based driver had only just taken delivery of a brand-new M-Sport Ford built Fiesta Rally2 but settled into the new steed perfectly, as he and co-driver Jack Morton took five from six stage wins and secured victory by fifty-four seconds from Ludlow driver Perry Gardner in second. Elliott Payne rounded out the all-Ford podium in third.
After being forced to run behind closed doors in 2021, the Woodpecker Rally well made welcome return to full strength last weekend as spectators were welcomed back into the forests to witness the action in both Haye Park and Radnor Forest in the Welsh Marches.
Re-named in memory of the highly regarded rally driver and coach Phil Price, the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club organised event was supported by Presteigne Tyre Service and Phil Price Rally School for its return and had attracted a variety of top-line championships and a bumper entry to boot.
Black was on-form from the off, setting the fastest time by a slender two seconds from number one seeds Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear in their Fiesta R5. Local ace Gardener and co-driver Jack Bowen were third but already some 14 seconds shy after the opener.
The move into Radnor Forest offered two tests within the complex and Hirst retaliated on the first, taking back three seconds from Black to move into the lead. But the tide turned on the very next and Black headed into service with just one second in hand.
But a broken rear control arm in the second pass of Haye Park put Hirst out of the fight and Black was left to his own devices, taking the scratch time on each of the final three stages to seal an impressive win on his rallying return. His rally win also gave him maximum points in the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series.
Gardener couldn’t quite live with the newer machinery of Black but was first Ludlow driver home and was a delighted second overall. He was also first in the Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship behind the wheel of his Fiesta R5, his father Shaun a two-time winner of the rally in 2006 and 2009.
British Rally Championship regular Elliot Payne enjoyed the final podium spot in his borrowed Fiesta Rally2 from Dad Charles, as his was already in Aberystwyth ready to start the next round of the BRC. With Patrick Walsh on the notes, he went on to finish fifth in Ceredigion after a busy weekend for the young ace.
The Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship would make its first trip to the event and with it, a titanic battle for top spot which thrilled the crowds during the day.
And there was more success for Ludlow as hometown hero Henri Grehan kept his title hopes alive by taking a thrilling BHRC and National event win.
Grehan and co-driver Dan Petrie would hurl their Ford Escort MKII into a gripping battle with the FIAT 131 Abarth pairing of three-time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards and co-driver Hamish Campbell.
Swapping seconds all day, the fight for the win went down to the wire as they headed into the final stage of the event tied for the lead. However, Edwards failed to emerge, breaking the rear suspension on the FIAT, allowing Grehan to claim a home victory.
Fellow Ludlow man Robert Gough took the runner up spot with Sam Collis on the notes in their Escort MKII whilst Nick Elliott and Dave Price upheld the FIAT honours with third and the final podium spot.
The event was a qualifying round of the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Ravenol Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Seacon UK English Rally Championship, Welsh Historic Rally Championship, IPS Paints Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
A capacity entry will head to Ludlow next weekend as the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally blasts back into action on Saturday 3 September.
Supported by Presteigne Tyre Service and Phil Price Rally School, the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club organised loose surface stage rally is one of the most popular events on the British rallying calendar and has attracted a bumper entry as it returns to its traditional Ludlow Racecourse base.
Forced to run behind closed doors in 2021 due to COVID restrictions, the rally returns to full strength with stages in both England and the Welsh Marches, as over 160 cars tackle the one-day forest event, renamed for 2022 in memory of the highly regarded rally driver and coach Phil Price, who sadly passed away in 2021.
The event’s popularity has been boosted by a variety of top-line championships, including the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship which makes the trip for the first time. They will be joined by the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Ravenol Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Seacon UK English Rally Championship, Welsh Historic Rally Championship, IPS Paints Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
Carrying the coveted number one on the doors will be BTRDA series leaders Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear in their Fiesta R5 who have already taken two maximum scores so far this season. But the fight will be a tough one as British Rally Championship regular Elliot Payne embarks on a mammoth weekend of competition, kicking off at the Woodpecker.
Payne and co-driver Patrick Walsh will tackle Saturday’s event in a Fiesta Rally2, before hot footing it to Aberystwyth to take on the next round of the BRC which starts later that evening, aiming to score valuable points in both championships in the process!
Equipped with a brand-new Ford Fiesta Rally2, Callum Black and Jack Morton make a spectacular return to rallying, armed with the latest specification machine from M-Sport World Rally Team. Whilst they may take a few miles to get up to speed, Black pace is well proven and could well take a victory on his debut in the car.
Stephen Petch last won the event in 2016 and rounds out a trio of Fiesta Rally2’s at number four. He and Michael Wilkinson are adapting to the new car this year and will need to be on form to keep up with the leading pack.
Local hero Perry Gardner rounds out the top five in his Fiesta R5. The Ludlow driver has impressed onlookers with his pace in older specification machinery this year and with jack Bowen on the notes, could well use their local knowledge to secure a top result.
But you need to look well down the top twenty if you are betting on a winner this year with names like Russ Thompson/Steve Link and Richard Hill/Patrick Cooper sitting outside of the top five seed, it will be tough to predict a winner.
To enable all cars to enjoy the best road conditions, two-wheel drive crews will run first on the road in reverse seeded order before the heavy-hitting four-wheel drive’s and that’s where you will find the battle for the British Historic Rally Championship.
Heading that charge will be three-time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards in his FIAT 131 Abarth who has enjoyed a sensational return to historic rallying with Hamish Campbell on the notes. Edwards has hauled the FIAT to multiple event wins in 2022 and aims to continue that winning way at the Woodpecker.
Nick Elliot/Dave Price will be in the sister car aiming to hunt them down, whilst Hereford’s Roger Chilman leads the Ford Escort MK2 charge. The local honours could well be the strongest battle of the two-wheel-drive brigade as Ludlow’s Henri Grehan and Joe Price go head-to-head for top spot, both in Ford Escorts.
Ludlow is well represented outside of the Historic crews with Neil Weaver wheeling out his impressive Opel Corsa S1600 with co-driver Jamie Edwards alongside. Weaver is just behind Robert Gough on the road in his immaculate Ford Escort MK2 which was once owned by WRC ace Ari Vatanen.
Fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch the cars, crews, and the action over the weekend as they are welcomed back to the event for the first time since 2019. Ludlow Racecourse hosts pre-event technical checks on Friday 2nd September, from 14:00 to 19:00 and the venue will then host the Ceremonial Start [08:31], mid-event service [11:39] and ceremonial finish [from 15:58] during rally day itself.
Those looking to watch the cars in action can head to Haye Park just outside of Ludlow or Radnor Forest in Powys, with four chances to view during the day. Haye Park runs twice and takes place at 08:55 and 13:09 whilst Radnor also enjoys a double run at 10:10 and 14:24. Car parking is £10 per car with Spectator Information provided and can be used as a pass across any other event spectator car park.
More information can be found on the event website www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk and the latest updates can be found on the event’s social media feeds.
-ENDS
One of the most popular events on the British rallying calendar has seen its new name and format widely praised by the motorsport fraternity as the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally launches ahead of the 3 September event.
Supported by Presteigne Tyre Service and Phil Price Rally School, the forest stage rally has been renamed in memory of the highly regarded rally driver and coach Phil Price, who sadly passed away in 2021.
Organised and promoted by Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club, the rally will also see a return to its popular base of Ludlow Racecourse in Shropshire after being forced to run behind closed doors last year due to the pandemic restriction in place.
Held entirely in the Radnor forest complex last September, the rally will now go back into the much-loved Haye Park forest and with the addition of Radnor, will offer over 44 miles of competitive action for crews.
Opening its doors last week, the rally has already seen the maximum number of entries received as a host of competitors strive to contest the ever-popular rally which can finally return to full strength for the first time since 2019.
The event has also attracted several top-flight championships in 2022, with the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship making the trip for the first time. They will be joined by the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Ravenol Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Seacon UK English Rally Championship, Welsh Historic Rally Championship, IPS Paints Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
Graham Hopewell, Clerk of the Course is delighted by the response to this year’s event.
“The organising team are very happy indeed to see such a positive response to the Woodpecker Rally this year, especially as we dedicate the event to the memory of Phil Price,” he says.
“Phil was well known for his Rally School which still runs today and along with Presteigne Tyre Services, wanted to commemorate his work by re-naming the Woodpecker in his honour, which of course we are delighted to do. I`d like to thank Vaughan Allcock at EventSigns for his support as title sponsor over the years and we are excited to see the rally return to its roots in 2022”.
Supporting the rally for the first time, Phil Price Rally School’s John Caine is honoured that the rally has taken Phil’s name.
“The legend maybe gone, but his legacy continues” he says.
“We have strived hard to continue the rally school to the highest standard, especially after such a hard couple of years for everyone! It’s great to see his spirit is still very much amongst us all in the rally community, now with the Woodpecker being held in his memory. I know his wife Sheila is thrilled to have such a tribute to Phil. I look forward to a growing relationship with the Woodpecker team! – I just hope I can do Phil proud on the day!”
Arguably the spiritual home of the Woodpecker Rally, Ludlow Racecourse will once again house the pre-event formalities on Friday 2 September, as well as hosting the rally start, mid-event service and finish celebrations the following day.
Spectators will also be welcomed back into Haye Park and Radnor Forest after a year away, with the chance to catch the action at a variety of locations during the day.
More information will be released closer to the event and updates will be posted on the rally’s social media and website feeds.
Scottish rally driver Garry Pearson secured a dominant victory at last weekend’s Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally [4 September], winning four of the event’s five stages outright in the process.
Pearson and co-driver Niall Burns took their Skoda Fabia R5 to the win with almost a minute in hand to their nearest challengers George Lepley and Tom Woodburn in their Mitsubishi Evo X. Ian Bainbridge and Will Atkins rounded out the podium places in third.
Organised and promoted by Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club, the event saw a shift in format for 2021 with all of the competitive stages taking place entirely within the Radnor Forest complex in Powys, Wales. The event base would also shift from its traditional Ludlow base to Badlands Farm near Kinnerton and 120 competitors would line up to take the start of the popular annual event with five stages and 44 miles of competitive action ahead.
Fresh from a category win at a British Rally Championship qualifier in Aberdeen just a few weeks previously, Pearson would show his hand early, stopping the clocks six seconds faster than number one seeds Callum Black and Jack Morton in their Ford Fiesta R5. However, stage two saw Pearson move into a class of his own with a 14-second lead heading into the first service of the day.
The second loop saw the chasing pack begin to close in on the Scots stage times but it would be too little, too late and Person was left to celebrate not only the event overall win on his first visit to the rally but also scooping maximum points in the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series and Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship to boot.
“It feels really good to win here,” he said at the finish.
“I’m quite surprised in a lot of respects to be honest. This morning I didn’t feel fully at the races, but the times were there and then this afternoon it was a case of getting through and we did it; I`m very happy, over the moon.”
“It was a challenging day all round, of course, it was a shame for Callum [Black – to retire] but the stages were great, full credit to the organisers as the stages held up very well and they were really enjoyable. Delighted with the day to be honest”
Black was looking like the closest challenger to the Skoda driver over the morning loop and would sit in third spot after the third test. However, he would not emerge from the fourth, clipping a log pile and breaking the steering in his Fiesta.
Stepping into that position would be Lepley who was throwing his ageing Mitsubishi through the gruelling and super-fast Radnor tests in impressive fashion. His pace early in the day ensured he took a worthy second place overall.
Bainbridge struggled early in the day with set-up issues in his Skoda R5 but after changes in the first service halt, would start to make progress up the leader board to become Pearson’s nearest challenger towards the end of the rally. After finding himself in a lowly 17th overall after the opening test, he climbed through the ranks to finish a notable third.
Elliot Payne has only a handful of gravel events under his belt but set a blistering early pace to sit third after the opener. Payne and co-driver Cameron Fair were never outside of the top three times in their Fiesta R5 during the day, aside from the second test when they were stuck behind a slowing competitor’s dust, dropping well over a minute in the process. They fought back to fourth by the close of play.
Arguably the drive of the day came from local ace Perry Gardener and co-driver Jack Bowen. Gardener, from Ludlow and son of previous event winner Shaun, would make his four-wheel-drive debut in a Fiesta R5 and instantly took to the new machine; rounding out the top five.
Paul Barrett and Gordon Noble made the trip over from Ireland a worthwhile one, to take top two-wheel-drive and Historic in their Ford Escort Mk2. Herefordshire’s Roger Chilman would be fighting for Historic honours through the day, before succumbing to a double puncture on the very last test in his Escort MK2.
The Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally was forced to run behind closed doors in 2021, but it is hoped that the popular event will return to a more traditional format in 2022.
Image: Rallysport Media
Event regulations for the 2021 Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally will be available on 21st July.
Entries will open online on 28th July at 7pm.
The entry list will open at 7pm on Wednesday 28th July and close for normal entries as per programme. All
entries must be made on line using the rallies.info service, there is a link on the Woodpecker web site
(www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk), under the Competitors tab. Payment can only be made by bank transfer.
The website will automatically issue an e-mail acknowledgement of receipt, which will provide the Woodpecker bank
account details, this e-mail is NOT an acceptance of your entry. Your entry will only be accepted once payment
has been received and will be confirmed by a further e-mail. Entries will be accepted in order of receipt with
preference given to fully completed entry forms, except that 80 entries will be reserved for registered competitors
in the championships listed in SR5 until 7pm on Friday 30th July (D14).
One of the most popular events on the British rallying calendar, the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally will see a major shift in format in 2021 to secure the best possible chance of the event going ahead on 4th September 2021.
Organised and promoted by Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club, the event will see each of the competitive stages take place entirely within the Radnor Forest complex in Powys, Wales, whilst the event service moves from its traditional Ludlow base to a new location near Kinnerton.
As a round of the the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship and Seacon UK English Rally Championship, the event will still provide over 44 stage miles of competitive action spread across five tests within Radnor as forest stages in England remain out of bounds for motorsport events until at least October.
Having been forced to cancel the 2020 running of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stage rallying has seen a staggered return since the easing of some restrictions across the UK. However, many local government limitations remain and the event organising team have been working hard to secure the running of the 2021 event.
Clerk of the Course Graham Hopewell said “We have been looking at all options available to us to ensure we can run an Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally worthy of our traditionally top-quality event. With the likes of Haye Park unusable due to Forestry England restrictions, we had to look at alternatives and of course moving entirely into Wales was the logical choice. We have completed a recent route and venue survey and are delighted to be able to confirm that this year’s competitive stages will be held entirely within the Radnor forest complex”.
This significant but necessary change offers the best possible chance of the event going ahead.
“We had to think outside of the box and creating a single-venue style event within Radnor was the logical step” continues Hopewell.
“Of course, September is a long way away and we are very much hoping many restrictions would ease by then but there are still a huge amount of uncertainties with venues and access so moving quickly to develop a structured plan would be the best proposition for ensuring the event could run. Ludlow Racecourse is currently a vaccine centre and of course, we have a responsibility to the local community to reduce travel and the impact of sporting events at the moment.
“We will offer over 44 miles of special stages and after a recent route survey, they look in superb shape having been rested for over 12 months. Of course, it’s very different to the ‘Woody’ we all know and love, but we truly believe this is the best possible outcome to ensure the event can go ahead as planned. Sadly we cannot permit spectators this year due to restrictions but we will be working towards a more traditional event in 2022.”
The Eventsigns Woodpecker Rally is a qualifying round of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Seacon UK English Rally Championship, Welsh Historic Rally Championship supported by Brian Dennis Motorsport and Marsh Commercial, the RACRMC Rally2 Championship and ANWCC Forest Rally Championship.
-Ends
Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club regret to announce the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally, scheduled to run on 5th September 2020 will not go ahead due to uncertainties surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Ludlow based event is a qualifying round of a host of national championships including the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship and Seacon UK English Rally Championship and is regarded as one of the most popular events on the British rallying calendar.
The event organising team have been closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation and had been in the advanced stages of planning for the event, with many tasks completed by officials from home due to the restrictions on travel and movements in Wales.
However, following the latest advice from the Welsh and UK Government and Motorsport UK, the sport’s governing body, the event committee has further reviewed the situation going forward.
With the sport posing a challenge when adhering to social distancing guidelines, and with the uncertainty of any other restrictions like access to forestry and venues, the decision has been made to cancel the rally for 2020.
Clerk of the Course Graham Hopewell said “It’s certainly with a heavy heart that Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club have to announce that the Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally will not run this year.
“We have always said, that we would only proceed with this year’s event if, before the middle of July, we could be confident that the Covid risk had passed and we could be certain of running with no risk of cancellation, and with no risk to the health of competitors organisers and the local communities.
Although we are not quite at the middle of July, it has become increasingly evident that we are not going to be in that position, it is therefore with regret that we have reluctantly decided that we cannot proceed with the 2020 Woodpecker and will instead look forward to a stronger return in 2021. We would like to thank our sponsor Eventsigns for their unrivalled support, our partners and Championships for their understanding and we look forward to seeing everyone in Ludlow next year”.
Organisers have issued a provisional date of Saturday 4th September 2021 for next year’s running of the rally.
Organisers of the 2020 Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally would like to wish everyone the very best of health in these unusual times for us all.
Just a quick note to bring you up to date with our current position in regards to the event, planned for the 5th September.
The organising team are pressing ahead with the planning for September as normal, carrying out as many of the tasks that are possible from home.
The team have put together a route which will largely be based on popular stages used on recent Woodpeckers, this is in order to prevent the need to carry out surveys and site visits during these difficult times.
In order to mitigate any financial impact of a late cancellation on both the event and competitors, and to give all competitors, volunteers and officials suitable time to plan, the organising committee will make a final decision on running the event around 6 weeks prior to the rally, this will be based on the advice of Motorsport UK and the relevant authorities at the time.
We believe this would give us suitable time to be able to carry out the necessary groundwork, PR and site visits to run the rally effectively.
Our overriding concern is to protect the safety and well-being of all involved in the rally as well as the communities through which we run.
We will update our social media feeds and website with more information closer to the event.
In the meantime, please stay safe, stay home and look after yourselves.
The Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally Organising Committee