THORBURN’S BTRDA RIVALS PREPARE TO POUNCE
Champion set to sit out of Woodpecker Stages opening door for a new winner
This year’s Woodpecker Stages represents a golden opportunity for Euan Thorburn’s BTRDA rivals as his absence this weekend opens the door for a new winner this season.
Thorburn clinched the title at the previous round, the Nicky Grist Stages, having won all five rounds of the championship so far this season and has decided to sit out the Woodpecker.
At the front of the queue to capitalise is Stephen Petch in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Petch’s season got off to the worst possible start with two retirements on the Cambrian and Malcolm Wilson rallies, but his form recovered to finish second behind Thorburn on the last two rounds.
“It’s been a difficult campaign this year again unfortunately. Euan [Thorburn] has been in great form this season so it’s been hard to compete with him,” Petch told Motorsport News.
A previous winner on the Woodpecker in 2016, Petch is targeting his first BTRDA victory since the 2017 Nicky Grist Stages.
“Our focus is definitely on securing second in the championship now. I like the Woodpecker Stages and, all going well, we should be competitive. I think if we stay out of trouble, we can fight for victory with the likes of Ollie [Mellors] and Charlie [Payne] so we’ll see what happens.”
Mellors is looking forward to seeing where he slots in with a “radically improved” Proton Iriz R5 on his first rally since the Rallynuts Stages in April.
“I think to be honest a lot of people could have a good run [but] it all depends, rallying is a funny game,” he told MN.
“It’s getting later in the year and I know [Stephen] Petch and others will be wanting a win, so it’ll be interesting. It would have been nice if Euan was there so we could see where we are compared to him but either way I’m sure we’ll have a good day out.”
Payne returns for his first event since the Rallynuts too, and is armed with a Ford
Fiesta R5 for the first time.
Ian Bainbridge and George Lepley are also unknown quantities in new machinery. Bainbridge has acquired a Skoda Fabia R5 (see below) as Silver Star champion Lepley switches to a Mitsubishi
Lancer E10.
Sam Bilham is hoping to back up his Nicky Grist Stages podium (also below), while Matthew Hirst, Pat Naylor, Russ Thompson and Scott Faulkner will tussle in their Lancer E9s.