The KT Green Riponian Stages Rally returned to the forests of North Yorkshire on 8 February, attracting a record-breaking entry of 136 crews for one of the most popular winter fixtures on the British rally calendar.
Organised by Ripon Motor Sport Club, the event welcomed competitors to Thirsk for the traditional early-season challenge on gravel, once again combining historic machinery with modern Rally2 cars. The 2026 running also marked the opening round of the British Historic Rally Championship, while the Mini Challenge contested the first three of the rally’s six stages.
Crews tackled more than 44 miles of competitive action across the classic forest stages of Gale Rigg, Boltby and Cropton. Repeated loops of the Yorkshire stages provided a demanding mix of fast gravel, technical sections and winter-worn surfaces, testing both driver commitment and mechanical reliability throughout the day.
At the head of the field, Elliott Payne and co-driver Patrick Walsh continued their strong form on the Riponian by securing the overall victory for a second consecutive year. Driving their Hooch-liveried Ford Fiesta Rally2, the pair set the pace throughout the event, stopping the clocks with a total time of 38 minutes and 9 seconds.
The Class 1 category produced a highly competitive leaderboard dominated by Ford machinery. Joe Cunningham and Joshua Beer finished second overall and second in class in their Ford Fiesta WRC with a time of 38:26, followed by Liam Clark and Jack Morton in third overall in another Ford Fiesta Rally2 on 38:38. Alexander Vassallo and Chris Lees finished fourth overall in their Fiesta Rally2, while Daniel Sigurðarson and Ásta Sigurdardottir placed fifth in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
John Jackson Photography (Left) Photography by Sam Whitworth (Right)
Rounding out the Class 1 top finishers were Alan Carmichael and Michael Gilbey in a Hyundai i20N Rally2, followed by Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson, Dan O’Brien and Niall Burns, and Stephen Waugh with Carl Williamson completing the leading finishers in their Fiesta Rally2 and Fiesta R5 machinery.
The Mini Challenge competitors contested the opening three stages of the rally, producing close competition across both R50 and R53 classes. In Class R53, William Lumley-Holmes and David Robinson secured the class victory in their Mini R53 with a time of 25:27. David Burden and Stephen Moyses finished second on 25:43, with Jacob Neal and Grace Pedley completing the podium just six seconds further back on 25:49. Andrew Otto and Tom Hynd finished fourth ahead of Rob Fisher and Charlotte Wainwright, while John Day and Paul Barbet, Alan Kitson and Paul Stringer, and John Nicholson with Andrew Magee completed the remaining classified finishers.
Class 2
John Bannister and Emma Clarke continued their excellent form in the production-based four-wheel-drive category, taking Class 2 victory in their Subaru Impreza with a total time of 40:05. Simon Green and Andrew Thorpe followed in a Subaru Impreza Series McRae on 43:38, while Ian Ring and Paul Vasey secured third in a Mitsubishi Evo 6 with 44:05. Andy Butterfield and Andrew Millington finished fourth in a Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0, just ahead of Craig Henderson and Owen Henderson in a Subaru Impreza 555.
Class 3
The historic and rear-wheel-drive Class 3 was led by Ross Jarrett and David Robson in a Ford Escort Mk2, finishing on 42:37. Russell Addyman and Kev Wilson took second in another Escort Mk2 with 45:51, and Ian Jemison and Sam Spencer completed the podium in a Porsche Boxster on 48:56. Philip Rowland and Philip Woodcock drove their BMW M3 to fourth, while Kris Hopkins and Colin Watson rounded out the top five in a Rover SD1.
Class 5
Nick Cook and Dave Raw dominated Class 5 in their Ford Escort Mk1, stopping the clock at 44:19. Close behind, Steve Magson and Steve Bielby finished second in a Vauxhall Astra RWD on 44:38, with Stewart Hymas and Richard Pulleyn taking third in a Ford Escort Mk2 on 45:38. Christina Robinson and Grum Willcock placed fourth in a Peugeot 208, and Jonny Hepworth and Dave Boyes rounded out the top five in a Ford Escort Mk2 with 46:50.
Class 8
Ben Cree and Bob Wiggins led the Class 8 field in their Opel Corsa, finishing with a time of 45:04. Tom Constantine and Tony Walker were second in an Opel Adam R2 on 45:45, while David Coatsworth and Chris Pattison secured third in an MG ZR on 46:33. Phil Boothroyd and Dave Marshall finished fourth in a Suzuki Swift, with Tom Riordan and Graham Wride rounding out the top five in a Ford Puma.
Class 9
Darren Grimston and Jamie Bew were the clear class winners in Class 9, piloting an MG 3 to a time of 51:40. No additional top-five finishers were listed for this class.
Class H1
Ben Jemison and Adam Burkill led Class H1 in a Vauxhall Chevette HSR with 43:06. Richard Spink and Kathryn Grewer followed in a Ford Escort Mk2 RS1800 on 43:58. Charles Mathewson and Josh Carr were third in a Ford Escort Mk1, with David Dobson and Brian Hodgson fourth in a Ford Escort Mk2. Dave Hemingway and Simon Ashton completed the top five in a Ford Escort.
Class H1a
Robin Shuttleworth and Malcolm Smithson topped Class H1a in a Ford Escort Mexico with 46:46. Stuart Cariss and Linda Cariss finished second in a Ford Escort Sport on 47:58, with Paul Rawson and Mike Curry in a Ford Escort third at 49:09. David Mathewson and Marcus Tomlinson took fourth in a Ford Escort Mk II.
Class H11
Paul Clayton and Veera Johnson were the sole class winners listed for H11 in their Peugeot 205 Gti with a time of 51:29.
Class H12
George Lepley and Dafydd Evans led Class H12 in a Mitsubishi Galant VR4 with 40:28.
Class H3
Jeremy Easson and Mike Reynolds took top honours in Class H3 in a Ford Escort with 44:49. Terry Cree and Richard Shores finished second in a BMW 2002 ti on 46:34, with Tim Jones and Yvonne Walton third in a Ford Escort Mk1. Andy Wolfe and James Crook finished fourth in a Ford Escort Mk1.
Class H4
Ben Smith and Steven Smith were the winners in Class H4 in a Porsche 911 RS with 42:27.
Class H6
Shaun Bolt and Callum Young claimed Class H6 in a Ford Escort Mk2 on 44:01, with Peter Hinton and Ryan Witty second in a Ford Escort on 48:39.
Class H8
Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper led the H8 field in a Ford Escort RS1800 on 41:03. Paul Thomson and Josh Davison were second in a Ford Escort on 41:20, with Damien Tourish and Kevin Duggan third in another Ford Escort. Matthew Robinson and Hannah McKillop finished fourth, and Nick Elliott and Dave Price rounded out the top five in a Fiat 131 Abarth.
Class R50 & R53
The Mini Challenge competitors contested the opening three stages of the rally, producing close competition across both R50 and R53 classes. In Class R53, William Lumley-Holmes and David Robinson secured the class victory in their Mini R53 with a time of 25:27. David Burden and Stephen Moyses finished second on 25:43, with Jacob Neal and Grace Pedley completing the podium just six seconds further back on 25:49. Andrew Otto and Tom Hynd finished fourth ahead of Rob Fisher and Charlotte Wainwright, while John Day and Paul Barbet, Alan Kitson and Paul Stringer, and John Nicholson with Andrew Magee completed the remaining classified finishers.
In Class R50, Ruan Lowry and Richard Warren took class honours in their Mini R50, recording a winning time of 27:01. Simon Austin and David Vardy secured second place on 27:25, followed by Andrew Massey and Cal McElhinney in third. Chris Allen and Harry Walshaw finished fourth, with Catherine Bell and Andrew Side placing fifth. Kevin Ablitt and Tarna Ablitt finished sixth ahead of Jody Bevington and Aaron Bevington, completing the class finishers.
The rally’s start, service and finish were based at the Thirsk Rural Business Centre, with scrutineering and documentation taking place at Econ Engineering in Ripon ahead of the event. Strong spectator interest was evident throughout the forests, supported by a large team of marshals and officials who ensured the safe and efficient running of the rally.
With record entries, competitive stages and a strong mix of championships, the 2026 Riponian Stages Rally once again underlined its status as a cornerstone of the British rally season, delivering a fitting start to the year for competitors and fans alike.
