All set for a thrilling East Riding Stages weekend

This weekend sees the fifth running of the Beverley based East Riding Stages Rally, the opening round of the 2026 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.

With none of the previous three winners taking part this year, James Ford and Neil Shanks will lead the field away in their Citroen C3 Rally 2. They finished fourth in 2023, but failed to make it home last year.

Photo:Rally Media UK

Equally at home on gravel or asphalt, the pair have two wins on the prestigious Silver Fern Historic Rally to their credit, as well as numerous podium finishers. 

Up until 2024 Sam Touzel hadn’t rallied outside his native Jersey. He finished fifth in the 2024 UK Asphalt Championship with Max Freeman co-driving. But last year they had wins on the Argyll, Tour of Epynt and Jersey Rally in their Ford Fiesta Rally 2, crowning them Champions, after finishing 13th on last years East Riding.

Neil Roskell and Jack Morton start at number three in their Fiesta Rally 2. Roskell started rallying seven years ago. He had his first win on the 2021 Tour of Epynt and a win at Cadwell Park crowned him the Circuit Rally Champion. A regular podium finisher he was second in the UK Asphalt Championship the following year and again in ’23 and ’24 and now contests gravel events too.

Photo:Rally Media UK 

Starting fourth are David Wright and Jame Nicol in another Fiesta Rally 2. Wright started rallying in a Vauxhall Astra in 1997, before moving on to a Corsa Kit Car. Mixing tarmac and gravel events, he progressed with Mitsubishi Evo’s and Subaru Impreza’s and took his first overall win on the 2011 Grizedale Stages. He was seventh in last years UK Championship.

Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress are next up in their Proton Iriz R5, developed by Ollie father and ex rally driver Chris. Ollie had already tasted success with a Millington engined Proton Satria before changing to the Iriz for the 2017 Malton Forest Stages. He’s had numerous wins and podiums, his last victory being the 2024 Woodpecker Stages.

Multiple Welsh Forest Champions Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear are due out in their familiar Skoda Fabia Rally 2. They finished eighth last year and are current BTRDA Rally Champion, having finished in the top three overall for the previous three years. The 2024 ERSR was his first real taste of tarmac rallying, while he ended last season in the forests with wins on the Wyedean and Trackrod Stages.

Photo:Rally Media UK

After showing early pace in a Peugeot 106 and Vauxhall Corsa, Joe Cunningham started to come to the fore after changing to a Subaru Impreza. With current co-driver Josh Beer on board, they changed to a Fiesta R5 and had their first win on the 2021 Phoenix Stages. They won the 2024 Christmas Stages in a Fiesta WRC and the Neil Howard Stages at Oulton Park last year. Equally at home on any surface, they were 11th last year, keen to beat his uncle and mentor Kevin Procter who starts six cars behind him.

John Stone and Rhys Stoneman bring a little more variety to the top 10 in their VW Polo  R5 Gti. A UK Asphalt Championship frontrunner for many years, finishing fifth last year, John is starting his 27th year of competition. A multiple ANWCC Champion, his first win was in a Metro 6R4 on the Keith Frecker Memorial Stages. It was the first of many wins with legendary navigator Lee Carter alongside. He has had various cars since, but focused on the Polo since 2021.

Photo:Rally Media UK

Tarmac specialists Brad Cole and Jamie Vaughan are in another Fiesta Rally 2. They were fourth in last years UK Asphalt Championship, with a best finish of third on Mewla Stages. It’s Cole’s fifth season in the UK Championship having first competed in a Mk2 Escort, previously contesting regional events in a Vauxhall Corsa and Toyota Corolla.

Hugh Brunton and Drew Sturrock are in another VW Polo. Brunton has already finished third on the recent Snetterton Stages Rally and is equally at home on any surface. He has had wins on regional rallies but is still seeking his first major victory. He started his career back in 2019 in a Mitsubishi Evo IX and has since rallied a Fiesta R5 and Skoda Fabia Rally 2.

There will be plenty of rivalry in the classes too. It’s mainly Subaru Impreza’s to the fore in the 4-wheel drive class, with Lee/Cole Hastings, followed by James Hall/Laura Marshall and Paul Murphy/Richard Robinson’s Mitsubishi Evo V1, before David/Matthew White and Adge Spencer/Mark Hewitt’s Impreza. Spencer took the class title in the 2025 UK Championship, with Murphy second.

In the class for over 2-litre 2-wheel drive car Lee Edwards/Sam Spencer’s Ford Escort G3 leads the way, with Huw James/Lewis Sim’s Escort Mk2 following. James was last years class champion and both have tasted numerous victories and class wins.

Tom Stockdale/Neil Chambers’ BMW Compact 3V6 starts third, following their engine blow at Cadwell Park at the end of last year, and are followed by Mark Jasper/Don Whyatt’s Escort. Over the years Jasper has probably had more super rally cars then anyone, from 6R4’s, Proton’s, Ford Escort’s, Sierra’s and many more.

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The 1600-2000 class has the biggest entry of all, with 40 cars due to take the start. Jake Briggs/Harry Walshaw will be first away in their Escort Mk2, from the Renault Clio of Nathan Evans/Rhys Edwards. Last years class Champions Alyn Welsby/Daniel Parsons are next in their Escort, closely followed by last years third placed crew Neil Jones/Alan Thomas in another Escort.

In the 1400-1600’s Luke Constatine and Ifan Devine will be first off with their Opel Adam R2, followed by Ben Cree and Bob Wiggins’ Corsa and Tom Constatine/Tony Walker’s Opel Adam. Luke was last years class champion. Ben/Andrew Wilkinson’s Peugeot 106 Maxi completes the class top four.

The smallest class for up to 1400 will be dual between Simon Hunter/Howard Pridmore’s Vauxhall Corsa S1400 and Mark Simpson/Julian Floyd’s Nissan Micra.

Finally we welcome the all new Roger Albert Clark Historic Asphalt Rally Championship, with Will Rowlands/Emyr Hall heading a quintet of Escort Mk2’s followed by Thomas Stefan Davies/Owen Rowcliff, Hywel Davies/Dorian Evans and Graham Muter/Mark Mason, and in pursuit there’s Simon Bowen/Craig Simkiss in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.

The action starts with a ceremonial start at North Bar Within, Beverley at 6pm on Friday, with the first competitive stage at the Westwood 10 minutes later.

After a second Westwood run, there are two more stages before the overnight halt, restarting from Beverley Market Place at 8am on Sunday for 10 more stages.

PETER SCHERER