2025 Trackrod Report: Hirst’s Winning Tip/Lepley’s Galant Victory
Matthew Hirst took his 2nd successive Trackrod win
Words by James Downie, photography by Amber Laybourne, Paul Marshall and James Downie.
The last weekend in September is Trackrod time in the rally world. With the picturesque Yorkshire seaside town of Filey once again playing host to the 167 starters, the 2025 Trackrod stuck to the now traditional format of a stage in Dalby Forest on the Friday night for the Trackrod Historic Cup plus Landrover and mini challenges, followed on Saturday by 5 familiar but classic stages in the Yorkshire Forests with the BTRDA championship regulars joining in for the Trackrod Forest Rally.
Much of the talk in the lead up to the event had centred on the wild fires which had hit the North York Moors and had got dangerously close to the forests which make up the Trackrod’s heartland. Indeed, it was deemed too risky in the end to run the Langdale Stage, so those very fast 10 plus miles had to be pulled from the final route. A second run at nearby Staindale was added to make up some of the lost competitive mileage.
The historic series had already been won by Baz Jordan but with the Roger Albert Clark just 2 months away there was still plenty of spice. Three time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards joined the fray in Richard Jordan’s immaculate Carr-Prep Escort in search of seat time ahead of the big one, and Yorkshire legend Matthew Robinson brought out his Subaru Legacy RS to battle championship regulars out to end the season on a high, as well as some of his quick fellow Yorkshire folk.
George Lepley finished the BHRC season with a dominant win
After scrutineering and noise test in the beautiful surroundings of the Filey Brigg Country Park, followed by a start down on the sea front, it was off to that 11.53 mile opening stage in Dalby as the September night drew in. Although it was turning cooler, a long dry summer was still in evidence and hanging dust was a problem, exacerbated by the stage being run in darkness. Some rain had actually fallen just prior to the event and there was mud on some of deceptive square junctions under the thick foliage at either end of the long Riggs. The stage would be testing.
Keen to put a season of bad luck and disappointment behind them, George Lepley and Dafydd Evans made the power and traction of the Galant VR4 count and took a full 12 seconds off the next crew, which happened to be Edwards and Sion Williams. Dan Mennell and John Roberts were next and quickest local crew, with fellow Yorkshiremen Robinson and Paul Thompson completing the top 5. Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmonds were 6th with Matthew Stroud/Josh Car and Jack Matthewson/Tom Spencer making it 5 Yorkshire crews in the first 8…
Matthew Stroud produced his best result to date with 5th in the BHRC
The 8.30am restart on Saturday morning saw the route head west for the ultra fast Cropton and scenic Gale Rigg stages. The BTRDA crews started their rally here. Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear had to win after handing certain victories to Elliott Payne and Patrick Walsh at the Woodpecker and Border Counties with penalties. The battle for honours was expected to be between Hirst and Payne once again, but other quick crews were present. Icelandic siblings Daniel Sigurdarson and Asta Sigurdardottir plus locals Liam Clark, Alex Vasello, Alistair Ginley and Joe Cunningham would be pushing hard behind them.
Matt Edwards was the fastest Escort driver on his return to the BHRC scene
These opening two stages were dusty but thankfully there was a breeze which stopped it hanging and causing serious problems for competitors. True to recent form, Hirst was quickest out of the blocks and took over 4 seconds off Payne in Cropton with Sigurdarson a distant third, whilst Liam Clark and Chris Williams dropped over 30 seconds with a frustrating spin. Nigel and Karen Jenkins were fastest bronze star crew by a large margin.
In the historics, Lepley took another 6 seconds off Edwards to extend his lead to 18. David Henderson and Chris Lees were 3rd quickest and going much better in daylight with Friend, Mennell and Stroud next.
A fire ended Elliott Payne’s Trackrod
Onto Gale Rigg next, a much more open stage on higher ground and the breeze ensured that lingering dust was not an issue. Payne turned the tables on Hirst here and blasted into the overall lead by 2 seconds from his fellow Yorkshireman. Siguardson maintained a comfortable 3rd overall ahead of yet more Yorkshiremen, Alistair Ginley and Joe Cunningham.
Lepley was again untouchable in the historic class with Robinson also quick, but the most impressive time here was from Matthew Stroud, 3rd quickest and best 2 wheel drive historic on the stage. It isn’t every day that a driver who only began rallying 18 months ago beats a triple BRC champion on a stage in a similar car, so this is well worthy of note.
Daniel Sigurdarson profited from Payne’s misfortune to take 2nd
Although some logging has taken place in Staindale recently, the vast majority of the 6.68 miles is narrow, overgrown and dark but still mostly very quick, with a jump to draw the photographers. Hirst stole back 1.5 seconds from Payne on this one, but the Ripon man just held onto his lead. Alistair Ginley lost time, allowing Joe Cunningham and Liam Clark ahead into 4th and 5th respectively. Sigurdarson remained 3rd and the only non-Yorkshire driver in the top 6 at this point, albeit over 30 seconds behind the leader.
Lepley was again fastest historic on this stage, although the Escorts of Edwards and Mennell were able to get a lot closer to his time on Staindale. Sadly Nick Elliott and Dave Price departed the rally here with gearbox failure in the stunning Fiat 131 Abarth. Matthew Robinson dropped almost 3 minutes with turbo failure on the Legacy, which allowed most of the field to move up a place. Setting a top 10 time in Staindale was multiple former Trackrod winner Steve Bannister with Kevin Rae alongside, in the iconic white with red stripe mark 2. Banner has celebrated both his 75th birthday and his 50th year in rallying this year. The word “Legend” doesn’t even begin to describe him.
Tom Constantine won the Silver Star category on home ground
If ever one stage potentially changed the course of this years btrda championship, let alone the rally, it was Dalby. The only running of this stage in daylight this year saw Matthew Hirst’s luck change for the better, in a big way. As Payne’s Firsta entered the Woodyard, smoke was visible from the back of the car. As the Fiesta Rally2 pulled over, the flames started to show externally and although smart fire extinguisher work by Marshall’s saved the car from complete destruction, there was enough damage from the turbo fire to end Payne and co-driver Patrick Walsh’s rally there and then. Thankfully the only harm they suffered was to their championship chances and bank balance. Soon afterwards though Hirst got even luckier… misjudging a cut to a tight right hander round the notorious little “island”, a couple miles further along the stage, the Fabia went up on 2 wheels and tipped onto its side. Again, smart work by Marshall’s restored it to its wheels, with minor damage and they were on their way again in under 30 seconds… and ended the stage in the lead of the rally… Sigurdarson emerged from the mayhem with a fastest time and closed the gap on Hirst to 5 seconds, with York’s Alex Vassallo getting amongst the top times, beating Cunningham, Clark (who disappeared up a deceptive fire break at one point), and Ginley. Behind Hirst, these crews now made up the top 6 overall.
Alex Vassello moved into 2nd in the btrda championship with a solid points haul
The chaos that Dalby brought to the btrda lead battle was contrasted by the uneventful passage of the historic field… there being not one single positional change amongst the top 10 crews. Lepley still led by a large margin from Edwards, Mennell, Henderson and Stroud.
With nobody wanting to create any further drama on the final stage, Hirst was unchallenged and able to take a win which in the end looked comfortable on paper but had been far from it in reality. By his own admission he’s certainly driven a lot better for a lot less reward this season. Siguardson was happy with second and taking no risks. Joe Cunningham claimed 3rd and Ginley 4th at the finish.
Elliott Payne’s absence from the final leaderboard and more time loss for Clark on the final stage meant that others gained as well as Hirst. None more so than Alex Vassello and codriver Michael Gilbey, who’s controlled run netted 5th overall and a btrda points haul which was good enough to promote Alex to second in the championship ahead of Payne.
There were no late heroics in the historic field, the order having been settled for some time, although Edwards was fastest on the last stage to deny Lepley a clean sweep. Mennell finished a solid 3rd overall, Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmonds a somewhat subdued 4th by their own standards. Matthew Stroud and Josh Carr sealed a superb 5th place finish in the end, ahead of David Henderson and Paul Thompson. It was a cool headed and dominant win for George Lepley though to end a frustrating BHRC season on a high.
Tom Constantine took a fine Silver Star win from Lewis Hooper, who holds 4th on the overall championship leaderboard, whilst Nigel and Karen Jenkins won the Bronze Star category by the massive margin of almost 3 minutes.
Nigel and Kaz Jenkins took bronze star victory by almost 3 minutes…
For Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear this win was something of a redemption after self inflicted disasters robbed them of dominant wins on two earlier rounds. Yes, luck played a key part this time, but you make your own sometimes and nobody could argue that they have been the quickest crew in the chsmpionship all year. That said, one must have some sympathy for Elliott Payne and Patrick Walsh. To see a car catch fire like that is heartbreaking at any time, but having grabbed the lead at a crucial time prior to that it seems even more cruel. I’m sure they’ll be back though and with a much simpler mission goal for the final two rounds: win.
The 2025 Trackrod overcame the organisational difficulties served up by Mother Nature in the lead up to deliver another superbly run, popular and challenging event. The Dalby stage on Friday night remains a highlight of the rally season and Filey provides a lovely, friendly base whilst catering for the logistical needs of the organisers and large entry. The stages are classics going way back to the 1960s and as Matthew Hirst and Elliott Payne can testify, you still need luck as well as ability to succeed on them.
Trackrod Forest Rally Result
Hirst/Dear 37m28.8s
Sigurdarson/Sigurdardottir +16.7
Cunningham/Beer +29.7
Ginley/Gray +48.1
Vassallo/Gilbey +54.7
Petch/Wilkinson +1.02.9
Clark/Williams +1.02.9
Hiorns/Fagg +1.15.3
Pawson/Whiteley +2.20.3
Naylor/Lawrence +2.52.6
Trackrod Historic Cup Result
Lepley/Evans 52m01.2
Edwards/Williams +35.7
Mennell/Roberts +53.0
Friend/Simmons +1.17.6
Stroud/Carr +1.34.7
Henderson/Lees +1.40.1
Thompson/Davison +2.20.4
Hill/Cooper +2.28.0
Walster/Atkins +2.35.9
Matthewson/Spencer +2.40.2
BTRDA Standings after round 5 of 7
Matthew Hirst 132
Alex Vassallo 120
Elliott Payne 116
Lewis Hooper 113
David Henderson 98
