Giddings wins, Tindall gearbox woe

James Giddings has been crowned Fiesta ST Trophy champion following the withdrawal of main title rival Ewan Tindall from this weekend’s Trackrod Rally.

Tindall, the reigning Junior Formula 1000 champion, has had a successful season, not finishing off the podium in his first season in the forests.

But a broken gearbox and low-funds means he misses this weekend’s event, handing Giddings the title and the prize on offer, a year in the series’ Castrol Ford Fiesta R2 car.

Welshman Giddings and co-driver Sion Cunniff bounced back from retirement on the Nicky Grist Stages to take their second win of the season on the Woodpecker Stages earlier this month, having stepped up to a first season of closed-road rallying in the forests from the Gwynnespeed Challenge title in 2016.

“It’s been a tough season with some really close battles and the stage times going back and forward all year,” Giddings said.

“I’ve had three rallies where I had some bad luck: at Plains I had a gearbox problem while third, Carlisle I had a puncture and on the Nicky Grist I slid off.”

While Giddings has secured the use of the car, he still has to pay for the running costs, something he says he is working on.

“We have to consider the running costs [for the R2] and we are working towards getting the funds for next year,” he added. “It’s leading towards it happening.”

The prize car would be eligible to compete in the R2 Rallye Trophy in the BTRDA, won this year by George Lepley.

Most of the major titles are wrapped up heading into the weekend. Matt Edwards and Lepley have topped the Gold and Silver Star titles. Russ Thompson sealed another Production Cup title, while Giddings takes the ST trophy and Dave Brick has sealed the 1400 crown.