LAST year’s runners up Callum Black and co-driver Elliott Edmondson returned to the Winner Garage Skoda Wyedean Stages this year to claim the top step of the podium.

The SBG-run Ford Fiesta R5 never missed a beat over the eight treacherous stages, and after holding a slender six second lead at halfway, Black got his head down on the afternoon loop to extend his winning margin to 53 seconds.

“We really enjoyed the event last year so to come back and win it this year is fantastic. It’s been a tough event really testing conditions, the Forest of Dean Motor Club has a great format here,” said Black.

Second overall were local duo Nick Elliott with Dave Price on the notes in the familiar Kellands-backed Ford Escort RS1800. The historic flyer put on yet another fantastic display and kept Black honest all morning in difficult conditions, but on the faster final two tests the superior power and suspension of the modern car paid dividends.

“In the end modern technology got the better of me on the final two stages, but congratulations to Calum he drove very well. Yet again another fantastic Wyedean, but god it was slippery,” said Elliott.

Just 12 seconds behind in third were Pete Stephenson and Darron Garrod in their Ford Focus WRC.

The event was again based at the Vantage Point Business Centre in Mitcheldean, and offered the 107 entrants 40 miles of slippery forest roads with many left with bent cars and panels to repair.

Of the huge list of locals doing the event many walked away with silverware. It was event sponsors Bob Morgan and Ade Williams who took a superb run to sixth overall and first in class in the Winner Garage Subaru Impreza.

Another local crew who went well were Jason Gardner and Graham Cox in the Brecon View Plumbing Escort RS who took 13th overall and second in class.

Andrew Stokes, who competed in the very first Wyedean in 1975, had Ade McNally on the notes as they finished 18th overall and fourth in class in his Escort RS1600 and with it clinched the HRCR Stage Masters crown for 2017.

One of British rallying’s great characters Jeremy Easson with Mike Reynolds in the awesome sounding Datsun 240Z took 20th and sixth in class, Jason Morgan and Jack Bowen took 22nd and fourth in Class N4 in the GJM-run Subaru Impreza despite having a strut come up through the wing, costing a lot of time on the final two stages.

Meanwhile, Tim Phelps and Elwyn Manuel finished 25th and second in class B12 in their 2.5 litre Escort RS.

Husband and wife duo Nigel and Karen Jenkins finished 26th and second in class in the NJ Autos 1400 Vauxhall Nova, despite losing the brakes on the first run through Speech House and dropping a minute on the afternoon stage with gearbox problems.

Ed Robinson had Matt Rogers on board in the Gloucestershire Rallyschool-backed Citroen C2 Max, and really flew to take 27th and first in the up to 1600cc class.

Just seven seconds behind in 28th were Ross duo Scott Partridge and Mike Jode who enjoyed the slippery conditions in their Bullit Polish Impreza, while 29th and third in class were Richard Cole and Matt Nicolas in the Richard Cole Contracting 1400 Escort.

One of the drives of the rally came from Coleford garage owner Shawn Baldwin together with new co-driver Keegan Rees. On his first rally in two years he took the Autofix Escort RS to 32nd and third in class.

Charles Hopkinson and Gavin Haycock finished 39th and 10th in class in the Dave Jenkins Motorsport-run Escort RS, Newent’s Geoff Phelps and Pete Wilson were 40th and fourth in class in the Drenth backed Escort RS.

James Dunkley and Dan Sayce took the Winner Garage Vauxhall Nova to 50th and seventh in class while 51st and eighth in class were Keith Bounds and Kevin Watkins forsaking their usual Ford Sierra for a 1600 Volkswagen Polo.

One of the most popular Wyedean duos Eric Davis and Russ Joseph in the Dennis Motorsport 1380 Mini took a very popular class win and 52nd overall.

Nigel Drew with Pauline Nash in the Calico Interiors-backed Subaru Impreza set a string of competitive times, but a penalty saw them lose 10 minutes and drop from 11th to 57th overall.

Paul Simmonds, competing in his first gravel rally in 35 years, had Mark Wheeler on board the Signs by Samurai 2.0 litre Mk1 Escort, finished 64th and 16th in class and won the prestigious Rex Paddock award for the best prepared car in eyes of the scrutineers. Just one place behind in 65th and sixth in class were Chris Lane and Boyd Cox in the Belfitts Coaches Escort RS.

Mark Christopher and Pete Littlefield took 68th and 14th in class in their Citroen C2, Lee Truman and Beth Harris in the ME Damsell-sponsored Impreza took 72nd and 10th in class.

Graham Elsmore’s former mechanic Jim Dunkley, doing his first ever rally, had Paul Barbet on the notes and took a superb class win and 73rd overall in a new Hyundai i20.

74th and third in class was another rally first timer Tim Truman with Dave Troughton alongside in his Ford Focus. Despite losing first, third and fifth gears at one point, this was sorted at the mid-day service.

The only lady on the entire entry list Maureen Lane showed some of her male colleagues how to get to the finish, as along with Simon Cox she finished 75th and 17th in class in the Escort Mexico despite rearranging the front wing on the opening stage.

Those who didn’t make the finish included John Collins and John Smart in the Opel Manta, who left the road on the Blaize Bailey stage and tried to land in Soudley, some 30 feet off the road.

Last year’s winning co-driver Jack Walby teamed up with Rallycross star Ollie Bennett in the Exite Subaru Impreza, but a high speed spin and impact with a bank in Speech House snapped the cam belt.

Spencer Price had his dad John in the hot seat in the TPS Doors Landrover. John’s last rally was back in 1971, and he loved every minute on his Wyedean debut.

Unfortunately gearbox issues in Speech House saw them arrive at a corner with no gears, which ended with a hard impact into some logs ripping off the front suspension.

Will Rogers teamed up with Christian South in his Citroen DS3 but contact with a log pile in stage seven ended their rally, while Mike Truman and Leanne Harris ended their rally in stage five.

The event’s associate sponsor Ken Davis with Alan Jones ended their rally in Speech House 1 when the stub axle broke on the KGD-backed Volvo Amazon.

Yet again the Wyedean lived up to its tough reputation giving competitors a first class rally in difficult conditions.

Photos courtesy of Paul Mitchell