Based in Ludlow, Shropshire utilising forest stages often used as part of Rally GB the Woodpecker Rally is an impressive event. It’s an event which we’re very fond of too as it was where we competed in our first event outside of university just a few years ago.
Arriving bright and breezy on Friday afternoon the service park was together in no time, the event decals were applied and the car went off to noise check and scrutineering. Woodpecker is the first event where Charlie is joined in the TenSix by a new co-driver, Adam Westerby. Adam has picked up the mantle as Ashley steps down.
Saturday morning was a relatively early start with the running order working through historics first then reverse seed of the two wheel drive cars followed by four wheel drive bring up the rear.
For catching the action we went straight to SS1 and after the standard google maps debacle getting there we managed to get stage side ready to see Charlie and Adam come flying through in the TenSix. We kept pushing up through the forest stopping to watch the Mk2 escorts and general array of front and rear drive cars coming through stage. Eventually after stumbling through 5 foot tall braken and fallen trees we found a vantage point to watch the top seed four wheel drive rally2 cars hit the gravel.
There was one 50 minute service in the day sat between stages three and four. A sheared alternator cable had caused mayhem on the hour long road section including bump starts, farmers mums and a tow from another rally car. Callum jumped straight on it assessing the damage and re-terminating while Rory did underside checks. With all the jobs sorted it left plenty of time for getting the TenSix pristine and clean ready for the second loop of stages.
Radnor was the next destination of choice for spectating, finding a nice open spot seeing cars send round a long left before hitting the limiter up a climb then into a sweeping right hander with a valley as the back drop. The roost and spray of loose gravel is an epic site and definitely worth the plooms of dust covering you from hear to toe.
It was impressive to see all the spectators out in force to watch the event, certainly an increase on previous years which is hopefully a sign that motorsport in the U.K. is growing in popularity once again.
Images and words by Mitcham Media
Check out the full gallery from Woodpecker below:
