Organisers of the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages are proud to celebrate a remarkable member of the rallying community. Andrew Farrington, who served as scrutineer during the 2024 edition of our event, has been awarded the FIA Outstanding Official of the Year / Specialist Award; one of the most prestigious honours given by world motorsport’s governing body.
The accolade recognises Andrew’s extraordinary actions at our rally in September 2024 that truly captured the spirit of this award. When a competitor suddenly collapsed in the scrutineering bay, Andrew sprang into action without hesitation. Remaining calm and focused under immense pressure, he helped to perform life-saving CPR and managed the situation until emergency services arrived. His quick response and unshakeable professionalism were widely praised by everyone on-site and beyond.
This award is not just a celebration of one man’s actions, it’s a powerful reminder of the vital role volunteers and officials play in keeping our sport running safely.
From everyone at the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages, Congratulations, Andrew and thank you.
Image credit: British Rally Championship
he Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally will remain in its new home of Newtown, Powys, in 2025, following the successful transition from Ludlow last year.
The 30th August event will once again embrace the iconic Welsh forests, but this time with an even more exciting stage line-up featuring world-renowned tests made famous by Wales Rally GB; in mid-Wales.
First run in 1983, the rally is backed by Phil Price Rally School and continues to evolve while staying true to its heritage. The move to Newtown in 2024 marked a turning point for the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club-organised event, as the unavailability of traditional English Marches stages such as Haye Park and Hopton forced a relocation across the border. That move proved successful, and the rally is building on that momentum.
The 2025 edition will feature a brand-new format centred around the spectacular forests of mid-Wales. Crews will contest around 45 competitive miles through iconic gravel stages, including rarely-used fast and flowing roads.
Technical challenges will form the nucleus of the event, with a popular forest complex hosting three of the event’s four tests in the morning loop.
To keep road miles to a minimum and enhance the rally experience, servicing will be located at Llanidloes Rugby Club, offering the perfect location for access back into the forests for the afternoon run.
Meanwhile, the rally headquarters, pre-event documentation, start and finish celebrations will all be based at the Britpart facility in Newtown, as in 2024.
Chairman of the Organising Committee Alan Corns is excited about what’s in store.
“After a great response to the 2024 edition, we’ve taken another step forward for this year,” Corns said.
“The stages we have planned are some of the most respected gravel stages in the world, and we’re thrilled to be bringing them into the heart of the Woodpecker Rally. We’ve worked closely with Natural Resources Wales and our stakeholders to create a route that combines world-class rallying with the accessibility and friendly atmosphere our event is known for.
“Britpart coming on board last year to host the rally base has really elevated what we can offer this year, and with Llanidloes Rugby Club supporting service, we’ve been able to streamline logistics for crews and make it a better experience all round. While we still hope to return to Ludlow and the English stages one day, Newtown has welcomed us with open arms, and we’re proud to call it home again for 2025.”
Named in memory of respected rally driver and coach Phil Price, who passed away in 2021, the event will continue to host top-level UK championships. These include the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, TCS Plant Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship, Celtic Micra Challenge and the MINI Challenge.
Further event information, including entry and spectator details, will be released in the coming months.
More information on the event can be found on the event website www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk
Ollie Mellors took the second Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally win of this career at the weekend [7 September], overcoming tricky conditions to take his Proton Iriz R5 to top spot against an impressive field.
Mellors was able to add to his 2019 victory after a progressive afternoon which saw him and co-driver Max Freeman take a convincing win over Elliot Payne and Patrick Walsh in their Fiesta Rally2, with Russ Thompson and Steve Link rounding out the podium.
Over 125 crews headed for a revised Woodpecker Rally which was held entirely in Wales. Based in Newtown due to the unavailability of the English borders stages that have been used on the event for decades, a lineup of mid-Wales classic stages such as Hafren, Ceri and Sweet Lamb were on offer to test the crews.
To add a further dimension to the day, thick mist and fog descended on the region, making the already difficult stages an altogether tougher proposition. Setting the pace in the opening Ceri test, Matthew Hirst showed no sign of needing to bed into his new Skoda Fabia Rally2, which he would be using for the very first time.
Hirst went two seconds faster than Ludlow driver Perry Gardener with Mellors nine seconds shy of the lead. But Hirst’s glory was short-lived as he went off the road on the very next test, losing almost 5 minutes trying to extract the Fabia. Mellors would be the one to benefit and the fastest time saw him take the lead; a position he wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the day.
Behind Mellors, a feverish battle was unfolding between Gardener and Payne, not only for the podium but also for the chance to catch Mellors. Sadly, Gardener exited the rally after getting stuck after a spin with just two stages to go, leaving Thompson to capitalise and move into third in his Mitsubishi Evo. Hirst would go on to set several fastest times during the afternoon, but the damage was done earlier in the day and the podium was secure.
Icelandic crew Daniel Sigurdarson and Asta Sigurdardottir continued to bed into their new VW Polo R5 and an impressive stage time over the final stage saw them take a last-gasp fourth place, pipping Liam Clark, and Emily Easton Page’s Fiesta Rally2 to fourth.
The National category would house the best of the British Historic Rally Championship crews, and it was 2023 category winners George Lepley and Dale Bowen who opened out an early lead in the Mitsubishi Galant VR4. However, Ludlow driver Joe Price, with Chris Brooks alongside hauled their Ford Escort MKII out front in spectacular fashion, enjoying a comfortable cushion over the chasing pack.
Sadly, their effort ended on the sixth test when they went off the road, handing the lead to Seb Perez. The Porsche 911 driver was locked in a tussle with former British champion Mark Higgins in his Triumph TR7 V8, but Perez and co-driver Gary McElhinny did all they needed to secure the win. Higgins claimed second in the category whilst Nick Elliott and Dave Price claimed third in their FIAT 131 Abarth.
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 welcomed a variety of top-line championships, including the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Reis Motorsport Insurance UK English Rally Championship, TCS Plant Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR West Wales rally Spares Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
First run in 1983, the rally was supported for a third year by Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School and organised by Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club.
A sensational lineup of 130 crews will head for Newtown this weekend [7 September], as the revised Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally takes place across some of the most famous forest stages in the world.
Moving from its traditional Ludlow rally base to Powys, the popular gravel rally will welcome an exciting mix of modern and historic machinery to the event, as a host of top-line drivers aim for glory in a bid for event honours and in their respective championships.
Traditionally offering stages in the English Marches, the Woodpecker Rally has been forced to relocate for 2024 due to the unavailability of some of the forests. However, now on the billing is an exciting ensemble of world-famous stages in the heart of Wales, such as Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Ceri.
First run in 1983, the rally will be supported for a third year by Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School and the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club event will now enjoy its home at the Britpart facility on the outskirts of Newtown. The impressive location hosts the pre-event formalities and the start ceremony before crews head out for eight thrilling stages. They return later that day for the champagne spray and finish celebrations.
Wearing the coveted number one on the doors is last year’s runner Elliot Payne with Patrick Walsh in the co-driver seat of their Ford Fiesta Rally2. Payne is chasing yet another Protyre BTRDA Rally Series title but will have some stiff opposition in the race for the rally win.
The challenge will come in the form of three-time Pirelli Welsh Rally champion Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear in their Fiesta R5. The Woodpecker has never been too kind to Hirst, failing to finish the rally on multiple occasions so the rapid charger is hoping for a shift of fortunes this time around.
The Icelandic pairing of Daniel Sigurdarson and Asta Sigurdardottir step into R5 machinery this season and start at three in their VW Polo GTi whilst former Woodpecker winner Ollie Mellors returns to the gravel in his Proton Iriz R5 with Max Freeman alongside. Ludlow’s Perry Gardener and Jack Bowen bring their Fiesta R5 to round out the top five.
A battle royale is promised across the top twenty, with a host of contenders all able to take the top spot on the day if they can conquer the tricky mid-Wales stages. As well as a host of national and regional championships heading for this year’s event, the prestigious Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship adds a fascinating dynamic with the classic machinery often a favourite with the fans.
Heading up the National event are Ludlow’s Joe Price and Chris Brooks in their Ford Escort MKII but will be chased hard by the Mitsubishi Galant VR4 of George Lepley and Dale Bowen. The BHRC title is taking shape and that will likely see a duel between Seb Perez and Gary McElhinney in their Porsche 911 RS and former British champion Mark Higgins and Carl Williamson in their rumbling Triumph TR7 V8.
Nick Elliot and Dave Price add further variety with their FIAT 131 Abarth. Other interesting entries come from Belgian rally star Stefaan Stouf in his Ford Escort MK1 with Dai Roberts on the notes, and five-time former winner of the rally Richard Gough in his Ford Escort with Les Forsbrook alongside.
Fans will be able to witness the pre-event checks on Friday [6 September] at the Britpart facility in Newtown from 15:30 with free entry. The location also hosts the start on Saturday morning from 08:30 and there are two dedicated spectator areas to enjoy the action.
The Britpart Ceri test, just outside of Newtown offers the first opportunity to see the cars flat out, starting at 08:59 on Saturday morning. Crews return to the stage once again at 13:28 later that afternoon for a repeat run.
The Xlerate Sweet Lamb test is a fan favourite and offers prime viewing at the Sweet Lamb Complex just outside of Llanidloes. Cars will contest the stage at 11:17 and 15:47 on Saturday before returning to the Newtown finish just before 17:00.
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 Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Reis Motorsport Insurance UK English Rally Championship, TCS Plant Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR West Wales rally Spares Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
Leading online rally reporting platform Xlerate.net will join forces with the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally in 2024, becoming a partner of the popular forest event.
Xlerate.net is a free-to-view online website dedicated to covering some of the UK’s top national stage rally Championships. It is run by a small group of like-minded, passionate enthusiasts who all give up their own time out of their love for rallying; be that photographing the events, writing post-rally reports, or creating content across its channels.
The outlet will become headline stage sponsors for the iconic Sweet Lamb stage on the event, a venue which is etched in the memory banks of many fans and competitors alike. The test will be known as Xlerate Sweet Lamb.
“At Xlerate.net we have always enjoyed the Woodpecker Stages Rally over the years and we are excited to be supporting this year’s event by sponsoring the Sweet Lamb Stage” said Xlerate’s Andy Cook.
“The Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally is a part of three national Championships that we cover on Xlerate.net; the Protyres BTRDA Rally Series, the FUCHS Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, and the Pirelli Welsh National Rally Championship.
“This year’s Woody will offer up around 45 competitive stage miles over 8 stages in Ceri, Hafren and Sweet Lamb; it has already attracted a strong entry across both National and Interclub events and we can’t wait for the action on 7th September.”
There is a chance for motorsport fans and creative writers to get involved too.
“Xlerate.net is always looking for like-minded rally-enthusiastic volunteers to get involved in keeping the content flowing to our platform. We would particularly welcome with open arms any would-be writers or content creators who are looking for a platform to showcase their own talents.“
If you think you can help, contact: team@xlerate.net
Check out their latest news at: https://xlerate.net/
Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club, organisers of the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally are making final preparations for their move to a new home of Newtown on 7 September, as the popular rally moves from its traditional Ludlow rally base.
Due to the unavailability of several forests which have traditionally formed the route for the event, organisers elected to ensure the event could still go ahead and opted to reinvigorate the format for the 2024 running.
With a route centring around former Wales Rally GB classic stages such as Hafren, Sweet Lamb and a competitor favourite of Ceri, a new home was sought and thanks to leading independent Land Rover parts wholesaler Britpart, Newtown was secured as its new hub for the September rally.
The brand-new format will see cars gather at the impressive Britpart facility on the outskirts of Newtown on Friday 6 September for pre-event checks before crews are flagged away from the venue the following day to head out into the stages.
Around 45 miles of competitive action is planned, with the popular Sweet Lamb venue providing the event service area mid-way through the day before crews head out of a repeat loop of the stages. The Britpart facility back in Newtown will host the ceremonial finish and champagne spray.
And take up for the new-look Woodpecker Rally has been positive, with almost 100 crews entering after the first week of opening and with many more expected in the coming days. The rally has also been selected to run under the 2025 Motorsport UK National Competition Rules, one of only a handful of events that will trial the new regulations planned to come into force next season.
Rally Manager Alan Corns is pleased to see uptake has been strong, with competitors embracing the relocation of the event.
“It’s great to see entries are coming in from the championships and competitors who just want to sample some world-class stages,” he says.
“We have been working very hard behind the scenes to put together a superb route for everyone and we are excited by the move to Newtown this year. It has opened up some new possibilities and we would like to extend our thanks to our continuing title sponsors in Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School, as well as Britpart for providing an excellent venue and to our supporters who include Xlerate.net, the popular online motorsport magazine.”
More information on the event can be found on the event website www.woodpecker-rally.co.uk
Event sponsors Phil Price Rally School and Presteigne Tyre Services will continue their support for the Woodpecker Rally on 7 September, as the popular forest event moves to Newtown in 2024.
Due to the unavailability of stages in the English Marches, the rally moves west and will take in world-class stages such as Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Ceri. Whilst stages such as Haye Park and Hopton are not available for use, event organisers Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club have devised a refreshed event in a new location, whilst ensuring it has all the hallmarks of a traditional Woodpecker Rally.
Renamed in 2022 to honour rallying personality and rally school owner Phil Price who passed away in 2021, the Woodpecker began a collaboration with the new owner of the Phil Price Rally School John Caine, and family-run business Presteigne Tyre Services. That partnership continues to this day and both businesses are delighted to be part of the event once again this year.
This year’s Woodpecker rally will offer around 45 stage miles, with the popular Sweet Lamb venue providing the event service area and the start and finish venue will be in Newtown.
The Rally will again welcome a variety of top-line championships, including the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Reis Motorsport Insurance UK English Rally Championship, TCS Plant Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR West Wales rally Spares Stage Masters Rally Challenge.
More information on the event will be released in due course.
The Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally will move from its traditional Ludlow rally base to Newtown, Wales in 2024, in a radical shake-up of one of the UK’s most popular forest stage events.
The 7 September event, has been forced to relocate to the Powys market town, due to the unavailability of stages in the English Marches which the event has historically used for decades. Tests such as Haye Park and Hopton will not feature for 2024, as the rally shifts west, utilising a host of world-famous stages in the heart of Wales, such as Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Ceri.
First run in 1983, the rally will be supported for a third year by Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School and the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club organised event had faced several complications in 2023 when attempting to put together the route that both fans and competitors have enjoyed for many years.
Thanks to the hard work of the event organising team, its popular Haye Park and Hopton stages, located in Shropshire were retained, but other stages, further away in mid-Wales were drafted in to ensure the event was able to run to its usual high standards.
However, for 2024, the England-based tests are not available for use, meaning its traditional rally base of Ludlow Racecourse is located too far away from the available stages, meaning a move to Newtown ensures the event can go ahead as planned.
The brand-new format will see cars leave Newtown on Saturday (7 September) morning and centre around the Hafren and Sweet Lamb forest plantations with a trip into Ceri Forest, complete with short closed-road sections to ensure longer stage mileage for competitors. Around 45 miles are planned, with the popular Sweet Lamb venue providing the event service area and a return to Newtown for the ceremonial finish.
Rally Manager Alan Corns is eager to unveil the new format of the rally and to reassure competitors that the event will have all the hallmarks of a traditional Woodpecker Rally.
“It’s been a tough few months behind the scenes for the organising team and the club faced some pretty big decisions” he explains.
“The English stages that we all know and love have been a staple of the Woodpecker Rally for decades so we had a choice to either run the event, or provide crews and fans with a high quality, fun, and exciting rally that has long been associated with the event. We are rally fans at heart so we decided to press on and look at alternatives, and we would like to thank the stakeholders in Wales and Newtown, as well as our supportive sponsors for allowing us to put together a rally that I believe we can all enjoy.
“We haven’t given up on the stages surrounding Ludlow, but for this year we are where we are and of course, we will be working hard towards 2025 in the meantime.
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 Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship, Reis Motorsport Insurance UK English Rally Championship, TCS Plant Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR West Wales rally Spares Stage Masters Rally Challenge. More information on the event will be released in due course
The organisers of the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally were grateful to event supporters Phil Price Rally School for they will be providing us with prizes for our marshals / radio person / signed on stage personnel draw for the 2023 event.
Two draws took place for a FULL DAY experience at the Phil Price Rally School and in addition, one marshal / radio person signed on stage personnel from each of the three stage venues could win a high speed rally car experience at the Phil Price Rally School.
These prizes were made possible by John Caine of Phil Price Rally School, and like Phil Price had been, he is a regular marshal on the Woodpecker himself.
Winners of the Full Day experience at Phil Price Rally School
Dan Timmins – Marshal – Haye Park
Volunteer A – Marshal – Post 5 – Ceri
Winners of the ride experience at Phil Price Rally School
Dylan Strong – Marshal – Hopton
Volunteer B – Marshal – Cwmysgawen
Volunteer C – Marshal – Post 5 – Ceri
All Rally School vouchers will be delivered by post to the lucky winners.
Thank you for all your continued support!
#ThanksMarshal
Arron Newby kept his MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series title hopes alive by taking a closely fought Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally victory on Saturday [9 September].
Newby and co-driver Jamie Edwards had been embroiled in a battle all-rally long with Elliott Payne and Tom Woodburn, but it was the Skoda Fabia R5 driver that would come out on top after eight intense stages, with just three seconds in hand over the second-placed crew. Rob Wilson and Richard Crozier rounded out the top three in their battle-scarred Mitsubishi EVO VII.
The searing late summer sun would add an extra dimension to the weekend’s action as the Ludlow-based event would see rising temperatures and hanging dust making the right forest stages on both sides of the English and Welsh border. Supported for a second year by Presteigne Tyre Services and Phil Price Rally School, the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club organised forest event ran for the 40th year and attracted an impressive list of contenders who would face tackle eight stages and around 44 competitive miles throughout the day.
A revised route for 2023 saw brand new stages introduced and offered the chance for some of the UK’s fastest gravel drivers to prove their pace and secure the overall rally win, whilst also keeping one eye on their championship hopes.
But it was an early drama for one of the pre-event favorites Matt Hirst who was forced to withdraw the night before the event with engine issues in his Fiesta R5, leaving the likes of Payne and Newby to battle it out.
Newby held the early lead but just for one stage as Ludlow’s Perry Gardener stamped his mark on the timesheets to go fastest on the second test, Ceri and move ahead. Gardener and Jack Bowen then set another scratch time on the Hopton stage, before a sad early bath in Haye Park – just a stone’s throw from the family business, their Fiesta R5 suffering suspension issues.
That promoted Newby back into the lead and after a slow start from Payne, he was just 12 seconds shy at the mod-point service back at the Racecourse. But the blistering heat would take its toll and Payne was evidently suffering as he returned Ludlow, and it would be a tall order to overhaul Newby over the remaining four stages.
But Payne gave it everything – winning three stages over the afternoon loop to eat into Newby’s lead; but it wouldn’t be enough and Newby was elated to secure the overall win, ensuring he could take the BTRDA title fight to the next round.
“That’s an unbelievable weekend,” said Newby.
“We have been really consistent all day and the car has been mega. We went on a hard tyre to make sure it lasted and we came to that last stage with Elliot just six seconds behind. I said to Jamie [Co-driver], let’s just give it everything but it was so difficult in the dust, we couldn’t see a thing for the first two miles.
“But honestly I didn’t expect to be stood here with the champagne in first, it’s a really surprising win”.
Whilst Payne took second, it was Wilson who took the maximum score in the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, hauling his Mitsubishi to an impressive result despite the more modern machinery around him, and rounding out the podium in the process.
Russ Thompson enjoyed a day-long battle for the podium but was forced to settle for fourth in his Mitsubishi Evo IX with Steve Link on the notes, whilst Alistair Ginley and Craig Thorley rounded out the top five in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.
The National section of the event would house the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship contenders and it would be a victory for home hero Joe Price and Chris Brooks in their Ford Escort MKII. The lead swapped three times over the opening three stages with stage one winner and FIAT 131 driver Nick Elliott being shunted down the order by George Lepley’s Mitsubishi Galant on the next.
But by the third test Price moved into the lead and from there he had full control of the pack and despite a late charge from Lepley, Price held his own to take the National victory on home turf. Lepley grabbed the runner-up spot on the Galant’s full rally debut whilst it was Herefordshire’s Roger Chilman who took third with Patrick Walsh on the notes in their Ford Escort MKII. The podium was also enough to hand Chilman maximum points in the British Historic Rally Championship – his third BHRC win of the season.
The event was a qualifying round of the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship, the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, the Pirelli Motorsport UK Welsh Rally Championship and the Seacon UK English Rally Championship. Other regional series included the Welsh Historic Rally Championship, IPS Paints Rally Challenge, ANWCC Forest Stage Rally Championship and HRCR Stage Masters Rally Challenge.