WELSH duo Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss finally topped the podium of this year's Roger Albert Clark Rally in the beautiful Wales Motorsport-prepared Escort RS1800, reports PAUL WILLETTS.

Pryce has twice led the event only to retire, but this year's meticulous preparation and game plan saw them dominate from the off.

They were chased by Northern Ireland’s Paul Barrett and Gordon Noble in a similar car, followed by hard-charging Scots Greg McKnight and Harry Marchbank in another Escort RS1800, who won the non-historic open category.

"The car and team have been amazing, all we've done is tyres and fuel, brake pads – it's testament to its build quality. Huge thanks to all our sponsors and those behind the scenes who made this happen," said a tired Osian.

This year's Roger Albert Clark was one of the toughest on record, as the five-day marathon delivered the ultimate challenge for competitors, service crews, officials and marshals, with snow, ice, fog and rain.

The Carmarthen start saw 183 crews set off on Thursday morning, facing five days of 313 stage miles over 35 stages.

The opening two days in Wales saw ice and snow make grip a lottery, before heading north for the infamous Kielder Forest complex on Saturday, with thick fog added as darkness descended.

Come Sunday, the remaining competitors had better conditions in the Scottish Borders with some light rain, although Kielder’s final Newcastleton test was iced off.

Monday’s longest mileage day was a sting in the tail at Kielder’s Central and Southern area, with a mammoth final 37.5-mile stage.

Thursday’s opening short leg was two loops of Crychan and Cefn forests, plus two tarmac stages at Pembrey race circuit, but patchy forest ice gave an early wake up call.

For local crews it was a mixed start, Ben Friend together with Old Monmothian co-driver Cliffy Simmons in the Allglass Anglia Escort RS1800 holding fourth on the opening loop, but finishing seventh.

Teenager Tom Llewellin with Ross Whittock on the notes in the Chepstow-based Weir Rallying Bulwark and Dave Jenkins Motorsport Coleford-prepared Escort RS1800 suffered early clutch issues before moving up to 10th.

And Herefordshire father and son RAC debutants Ian and Dan Evans in the MC Construction Escort RS1800 slid off into trees on the Crychan opener, losing 20 seconds, before ending 27th.

Two places ahead was Chepstow businessman Sacha Kakad with James Aldridge in the Wales Motorsport Escort RS1800, while Abergavenny businessman Dave Hopkins and Raglan’s Richard Wise made a steady start in the Hopgrove Construction-backed Escort RS1600 for 67th and fourth in class.

In its final event, the Datsun 240Z of RAC veterans Jeremy Easson and Littledean’s Mike Reynolds held 53rd and the class H4 lead.

But Foresters Bob Morgan and Adrian Williams in their left-hand drive Winner Garage Skoda Favorite 136L bowed out at the finish with electrical issues.

Day two saw six stages in the Mid Wales forests of Myherin, Hafren, Cwmsgawen and Dyfnant, with an afternoon service at Welshpool livestock market.

Treacherous ice and snow saw Dyfnant’s first run cut short and the second cancelled, on another difficult day, especially when darkness fell and temperatures plummeted.

Friend and Simmons had a good opening loop to go sixth, but then left with only two gears, dropped to ninth.

Llewellin and Whittock climbed to seventh, and then fifth when second fastest on stage 10. But a mile from the final stage finish, they hit ice and slid down a 20ft bank, prematurely ending an impressive debut.

Kakad and Aldridge survived the treacherous conditions to hold 18th, while Easson and Reynolds revelled in the ice to hold 44th and second in class.

Dave Hopkins held 58th and class second, but the Evans’ Escort RS1800 suffered rear diff failure, although the super rally rule allowed them to rejoin next day in 65th.

Saturday saw the race head north to Kielder for two loops of Tommy’s Fell, Riccarton, Hyndlee and Kershope, with service back at the beautiful Carlisle Airport.

With a late 12.31pm start, it was going to be a long day, mainly in darkness, with the first car due back into Carlisle at 10.30pm.

Tommy’s Fell proved slippery and muddy, but the other three tests were full of ice and snow., with conditions putting paid to the second loop .

With fog descending as well, Friend and Simmons had a difficult day, finishing 12th.

"That was about survival, those stages were very slippery... then we had fog, so we eased our pace," said Cliffy.

Kakad and Aldridge finished 20th, while Ian and Dan Evans climbed up to 41st. And Hopkins and Wise held the upper hand in class H2 with 46th overall, one ahead of Easson and Reynolds.

Leg 4 in the Scottish Borders brought relief in the form of rain, ahead of two loops of the beautiful Ae, Twigless and Castle O'er stages.

Friend had a trouble-free run for 11th, while Kakad climbed to 18th, Ian Evans 29th and Easson 43rd.

But sadly, the Hopgrove Construction Mk1 Escort of Hopkins and Wise hit a pothole breaking the suspension.

Monday’s tough final leg offered nearly 80 miles in Central Kielder on fearsome Pundershaw, Shepershield and Roughside roads.

For Friend and Simmons lightning struck twice, when just as in 2023, they slid off near the end of the penultimate stage in Hopehouse when ninth, with the Allglass Escort stuck fast.

The other local crews survived the morning, but a 37.5-mile test still awaited, with three morning tests linked together.

And it was the end of the road for Easson and Reynolds’ popular Datsun 240Z in its last race, after ditch hooking a corner and getting stuck fast midway through the stage.

Ian and Dan Evans also rolled the MJC Construction Escort RS1800 just two miles from the finish having battled back to 19th, but were classified 124th after an excellent recovery drive.

So it was the lone Escort RS1800 of Sacha Kakad and James Aldridge who upheld local honours taking a fine 15th in the Wales Motorsport-prepared car.

The Roger Albert Clark Rally again proved the ultimate challenge as the world’s biggest and toughest rally.

Colin Heppenstall and his team should be rightly proud of pulling off a fabulous event in such challenging conditions, while the heroes are the orange army of 2,000 marshals braving the ice and snow.

So roll on 2027 and hopefully another classic Roger Albert Clark Rally.