Max McRae scribed his name on the Get Jerky Rally North Wales trophy alongside his father, uncle and grandad on Saturday [28 March], as he and Cameron Fair took their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 to a spectacular victory in the Welsh forests.

But it would come down to the very last stage of the event, with leaders for much of the rally Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss, suffering a cruel final stage spin in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, eventually finishing second place with the Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew of Elliott Payne/Patrick Walsh rounding out the podium spot.

Based once again in Welshpool, the Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club organised event provided six breathtaking stages in the nearby forests. Iconic tests such as Aberhirnant and Dyfnant provided the challenge, with mixed weather also making it a testing day of competition for all crews.

The rally would also return to the town centre throughout the day, bringing the event into the heart of the community. The Seven Stars Car Park played host to a mid-point re-group and the finish celebrations and champagne spray to round out the rally in style.

It was Evans who opened an early advantage, stopping the clocks 5.2s quicker than McRae, with Payne a further 4s behind. And the Welshman was unbeatable over the opening loop of three stages, heading back to the mid-point Welshpool service with an impressive 16s lead over McRae.

From the rallying dynasty that includes father Alister, grandfather Jimmy and uncle Colin, who have each won the rally in the past, McRae 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 the Scotsman to take the win by just 2.3s.

“What is it with me and final stage wins?” said an elated McRae, referencing his Cambrian Rally win in 2025, where he took victory in a similar final stage thriller.

“What a day”, he continued. “It’s great to win here, and it’s perfect British Rally Championship preparation”.

Evans was disappointed to lose out on the last stage but can take plenty of positives away from his pace during the day in the Yaris Rally2. His second place also gave him maximum points in the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship.

Payne’s third place was enough to scoop the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series top score on the rally, whilst 2024 event winner Matthew Hirst took fourth place after a challenging day in his Skoda Fabia R5 with Jack Bowen alongside. Alex Vassallo and Chris Lees rounded out the top five in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.

The National Historic event catered for the Fuchs British Historic Rally Championship contingent and 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, it was McCormack who capitalised, winning four from six of the stages to take victory by almost 24s 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 took third, although the podium would have looked much 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 on course for third before the flat.

The HRCR Mini Cup ran ahead of the field and completed the first three stages of the weekend, with Clive Kind and Anton Bird taking the spoils in their Mini Cooper S.

Chairman of the organising club Guy Weaver, was delighted to see the rally return to Welshpool.

“Two years have felt such a long time, but I’m delighted to see Get Jerky Rally North Wales return to the British rally calendar and, of course, Welshpool. Whilst the cancellation of the event in 2025 was out of our control due to storm damage, we wanted to make sure the 2026 edition was one of the best, and the feedback from the competitors and everyone involved is that we managed to achieve that”.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to all our sponsors and partners, especially Trailhead Foods Get Jerky, for their unwavering support of the rally. Plans for 2026 are already underway”.

Image: Ben Lawrence