Having retired from the event in 2011, Charlie Payne and co-driver Craig Thorley returned this time to win the Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally in their Ford Focus WRC.

After a remarkable day in the Forest of Dean, the Yorkshire crew arrived back at the Chepstow Racecourse finish more than three minutes ahead of runners-up Shaun Gardener and Ben Innes (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO5.9) after 45 miles of special stages.

It was a weekend when the ice-covered terrain not only made power a distinct disadvantage at times but was also responsible for the demise of a number of top runners.

Julian Wilkes, partnered by Will Rutherford, had a fabulous run to finish third overall in his Vauxhall Nova, which was more than enough to give the Taunton driver victory in the 1400cc category on the event for the fourth year running.

The Subaru Impreza of Nigel Griffiths and Jon Scott was fourth while the World Rally Car version of Roger Chilman and Bryan Thomas climbed back from a lowly 30th place after the opening stage to take an eventual fifth.

Although not particularly deep, snow that had fallen in the days leading up to the rally had frozen on the tracks in the Forest of Dean, making the going very difficult for many of the capacity entry of 180 crews who started on Saturday morning. 2007 Wyedean winners Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank (Ford Focus WRC) set the fastest time through the opening stage, Sallowvallets, and looked on course for another victory – that is until they had to stop and change a puncture on the fifth of the seven stages, and then suffered two more before they reached the end.

Having no more spare wheels, they had no choice but to retire.

Having been absent last year, 2010 victors Steve Perez and Paul Spooner were also in trouble. Running as high as second overall at one point, their Ford Focus WRC left the road midway through the event, damaging its suspension and removing a front wheel.

Paul Davy and Roger Allan's Subaru Impreza was the first Group N 'production' car home in sixth place overall, while Dave Bennett and Alistair McNeil, returning to the sport after a sabbatical in 2011, were one place behind in their 1400cc Vauxhall Corsa.

For more on this report, see this week's Beacon (15th February)