2025 Cambrian Report: To the Max!
Report: 2025 Lewis & Hunter Cambrian Rally. Words by James Downie/Photography by James Downie, Paul Marshall and Gary Bray/Video shot by Michael Whiteley and Nikolay Nedelchev for Rally Media UK.
To the Max!
McRae takes first international win as Creighton secures BRC title, whilst Hirst takes BTRDA Gold Star crown
Max McRae and Cameron Fair took a sensational win.
You’re 21, your father was a former British Rally Champion, your grandfather a five-time British Rally Champion, and your uncle was the most famous rally driver of all time. You’re carrying the weight of the McRae name on your young shoulders - do you hide away and choose a different career path or do you go all in for a full frontal assault in the sport that has made your bloodline famous? Max McRae has chosen the latter and last weekend in North Wales he smashed it, adding a 3rd generation of the McRae family to the list of BRC rally winners…
This year’s Cambrian was the final round of the BRC, and the penultimate round of both the BTRDA and Pirelli Welsh Championships.
Starting and finishing as usual on the coast at Llandudno, the route was similar to last year, with 7 challenging and varied forest stages on the classic rally terrain of North Wales.
British Rally Championship favourite William Creighton, partnered by regular co-driver led almost 150 cars away in the MEM Toyota Yaris Rally2, knowing that a decent finish was all that was needed to land the title from M-Sport’s Romit Jurgenson and MEM team mate Meirion Evans.
William Creighton and Liam Regan clinched the BRC title with measured 4th place.
Starting at 7 were Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear. Although registered for all three of the major championships that were part of the Cambrian, a first BTRDA Gold Star title was the priority; the pendulum having taken a huge swing their way at the last round in Yorkshire when season long rivals Elliot Payne and Patrick Walsh’s Fiesta Rally2 caught fire.
Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear were crowned BTRDA Gold Star Champions in North Wales.
The first stage was Elsi, a demanding tight and twisty stage in the Gwydyr Forest complex, high above Betws-y-Coed. As it turned out, the stage was too demanding for some… a nasty crash involving one of the early runners forced its cancellation and the rally moved on to the Clocaenog Stages. The first of which was an 11.5 miler that started in the east and made its way west towards the Brenig Reservoir via the windfarm, the photographer’s favourite huge jump, and various surface changes onto tarmac and back.
The late October weather was predictably unpredictable. Bright sunshine really lit up the beautiful Autumn colours in the forest first thing before it gave way to heavy showers and greyness just as the BRC crews were about to start Clocaenog.
McRae was out of the blocks quickly, surprising everyone with a time almost 6 seconds faster than annyone else. Creighton was next, with Jurgenson a further 3 seconds back. Evans, Hirst, and Swede Kalle Gustafson, on his first visit to Britain, made up the top 6. With Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop dropping a minute with a puncture, there was already big gap to the rest.
Romit Jurgensen/Slim Oja were 2nd on the Cambrian and 2nd in the BRC.
Icelandic Siblings Daniel Sigurdarson and Asta Sigurdardottir clouted a gate post and damaged the rear wheel and suspension too badly to continue on this stage, and James Williams’ Pirelli Welsh Championship hopes took a big blow when he too clouted a gate post. Although the Evo made it to service, all chance of a good result was gone and the decision was taken to retire in order to save budget for the final round at the Wyedean.
The next stage was Brenig. It didn’t use the famous Rally GB section down the eastern bank of the reservoir this year, instead starting in the forest before skirting round the south face of the dam wall. It was tricky with tight junctions, sweeping bends, blind crests and surface changes.
Jurgenson turned the heat up here. Taking fastest time and closing the gap on Creighton and McRae. Tom Williams with Michael Gilbey alongside and Pearson got themselves amongst the top 6 times on Brenig. Hirst was next and still well ahead in the BTRDA race. Nigel and Kaz Jenkins already let the 1400cc Bronze Star category by 30 seconds in the green Nova from Dylan Fowler-Bishop’s Micra…
Elliott Payne/Patrick Walsh were unable to stop Hirst taking the BTRDA title.
Final stage of the Morning loop was over the road in Alwen. Although the stage was usable, the damage done by Storm Darragh was still evident and it was not deemed safe to allow spectators in. It started in the usual place but doubled back into the forest instead of running along the bank of the reservoir, then came back down to stop near the usual spectator point. Meirion Evans went quickest here in the Yaris; the 3rd different stage winner in the three stages but it was tight. McRae was only a second back and Creighton was third.
Service was at Ruthin Cattle Mart. McRae led the rally by 8 seconds from Creighton. The Irishman did not need to win to take the championship and was driving slightly within himself to ensure a finish, whereas McRae just wanted to win the rally and Jurgenson HAD to win it. In 5th overall, ahead of Gustafson, Hirst appeared to have the BTRDA Gold Star title in the bag at this stage, barring misfortune. Payne was over 30 seconds back, with Liam Clark and Alex Vassallo over a minute down on him.
Meirion Evans and Dale Furniss took another solid finish and secured 3rd in the final BRC table.
The next stage was a repeat run of Clocaenog. The rain was now heavier, and the tracks more slippery than the morning run. Knowing he needed to do something special if he was to get into a winning position, Jurgenson wound himself up to set a phenomenal time on this stage. Fastest by 7 seconds, 14 seconds faster than his time on the morning run at the identical stage, and 13 seconds faster than the rally leader, Romit blasted the M-Sport Fiesta up from 4th to 1st, albiet 0.1 seconds ahead of McRae. Creighton dropped to 3rd and Evans 4th. Gustafson and Hirst were next. Garry Pearson was 7th in the second M-Sport car and struggling to improve on that.
Kyle McBride took over the lead in the BRC Junior category on this stage, whilst Robert Proudlock led his class and was now just outside the overall top 10 in his Rally3 Fiesta. Rob Cotton lead the BRC open super cup, James Ford the BTRDA Silver Star, and the Jenkins’s the Bronze Star.
A puncture prevented Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop from making an impression on the Cambrian.
Brenig 2 saw Jurgenson’s charge continue. Another Fastest time and another 3.4 seconds taken off McRae. But with Creighton’s calculated drive maintaining 3rd place, the title was in the Irishman’s own hands.
The final stage was a repeat of Alwen and the tables were emphatically turned. McRae took 9 seconds off the Estonian to put himself back on top at the finish. It was a stunning performance and a well deserved, if unexpected victory. Jurgenson was just over 5 seconds behind at the finish but Creighton cruised through the last stage, even allowing team mate Evans through into 3rd, but 4th was all he needed to become the 4th driver from the Republic of Ireland to win the British Rally Championship after Billy Coleman, Daniel McKenna and Keith Cronin.
After being pipped to the title at last year’s Cambrian by Chris Ingram, Creighton has been extremely impressive all season. He has shown real pace with two wins, but has also been smart enough to know when to throttle back and take the points, especially when faced with an extremely talented young adversary in Romet Jurgenson.
Kyle McBride held on to claim the BRC Junior title.
It perhaps hasn’t been a classic BRC season, and the tragic loss of Dai Roberts at the Jim Clark was a real low point, but there were great performances and great battles and the title race did go down to the wire, so we can’t complain too much…
Nigel and Kaz Jenkins took another win in the BTRDA Bronze Star category.
A steady and trouble free run into 6th overall allowed Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear to secure their first BTRDA title with one round still to go. There have been occasions this season where they looked determined to hand it to Elliott Payne but their pace has been irresistible since moving to Skoda. They have taken 4 wins in 6 rallies in 2025 and on stage times alone it would have been 6 out of 6. Nobody can really deny that they deserved this…
Kyle McBride and Daragh McMullen were crowned BRC Junior Champions.
Nigel and Kaz Jenkins took another comfortable Bronze Star win and James Ford the Silver Star with Evans, Hirst and Liam Clark taking the top 3 places in the Pirelli Welsh Championship with the title set to be decided at the Wyedean.
The Cambrian delivered another exciting climax to the BRC battle and is becoming firmly established as the traditional season closer. Llandudno is a pleasant host town and the stages are always excellent with the changeable autumn weather adding to the challenge. Let’s hope it is back for 2026.
Check out the Rally Media UK videos of the event. Links below…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kpKqbq0KM1E&pp=ygURbXcgcmFjZSBhbmQgcmFsbHk%3D
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c9D_P7Mh8iI&pp=ygULcmFsbHkgdmliZXM%3D
