Max McRae claimed a dramatic victory at the Get Jerky Rally North Wales, denying home favourite Meirion Evans.
Based again in Welshpool and organised by the Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club, the rally was held across six stages through the iconic Aberhirnant and Dyfnant forests, with mixed weather adding an extra layer of challenge throughout the day. The Seven Stars Car Park played host to a midday regrouping, before the finish celebrations and champagne spray brought the event back into the heart of the community to round out the rally in style.
Evans, partnered by Dale Furniss in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, looked to be in complete control for much of the day. The Welshman stamped his authority immediately, going 5.2 seconds quicker than McRae on the opening stage, with Elliott Payne a further four seconds adrift. Across the opening loop of three stages, Evans was authoritative, returning to the midday service with a commanding 16-second lead and looking firmly in control.
McRae had other ideas. The young Scot, representing a rallying dynasty that includes father Alister, grandfather Jimmy and uncle Colin, threw caution to the wind in the afternoon loop, clawing back 12 seconds over the second pass of Aberhirnant and Dyfnant North. In a spectacular final stage showdown, Evans suffered a time-consuming spin, enabling McRae and co-driver Cameron Fair to take the win in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 by just 2.3 seconds.
For Evans, second place was bittersweet. His pace throughout was arguably the standout performance of the entire event, and while the win slipped away at the final hurdle, his runner-up finish still earned him maximum Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship points.
Elliott Payne and Patrick Walsh rounded out the overall podium in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, their third-place finish also securing the top Protyre BTRDA Rally Series score of the event with a strong result. Last year’s winner Matthew Hirst took fourth in his Skoda Fabia R5 with Jack Bowen alongside, after a challenging day, with Alex Vassallo and Chris Lees completing the top five in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.
National Historic
The National Historic event, which catered for the Fuchs British Historic Rally Championship contingent, was won by the fan-favourite Irish crew of Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell in the spectacular BMW E30 M3. After early leader George Lepley suffered driveshaft failure in his Mitsubishi Galant, McCormack capitalised, winning four of the six stages to take victory by almost 24 seconds from fellow Irishman Paul Barrett, with Rory McCann in the co-driver’s seat of their Ford Escort MkII.
The FIAT 131 of Nick Elliott and Dave Price claimed third, though the podium would have looked rather different had Tom Cave and Dale Bowen not suffered a puncture on the penultimate test. Running third for much of the day, the Aberdyfi driver was making his debut in a Ford Escort and was firmly on course for the podium before the flat tyre ended his hopes. The HRCR Mini Cup, which ran ahead of the field and completed the opening three stages, was won by Clive Kind and Anton Bird in their Mini Cooper S.
Organiser’s View
Club chairman Guy Weaver was delighted to see the rally return to Welshpool after the 2025 edition was cancelled due to storm damage. Weaver expressed his thanks to sponsors and partners, in particular title sponsor Trailhead Foods Get Jerky, for their continued support.
Images courtesy of ©Jack Lane
