Reis English Rally Championship ready for action

Elliot Payne, alongside co-driver Patrick Walsh, is set to defend his title as he kicks off the 2025 Protyre Autocare BTRDA Rally Series at the Malcolm Wilson Rally. After securing a record-breaking third consecutive Fuchs Lubricants BTRDA Gold Star® Rally Championship win last year, Payne is aiming to extend his dominance. The duo, who won the 2024 Malcolm Wilson Rally—also the opening round of the Reis Motorsport Insurance Motorsport UK English Rally Championship, which Payne claimed as well—will start with the coveted number 1 on their Fiesta Rally2.

With a packed entry list of 120 cars, competition will be fierce. Among the challengers are past BTRDA Rally Series event winners and rising talents eager to make their mark. Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear, who switched to a Fabia Rally2 mid-season last year, saw a significant upturn in form, while Russ Thompson and Steve Link (Lancer EVO9) continue to be a formidable force, having won the 2023 Cambrian Rally. Former Gold Star Champion Hugh Hunter (Fiesta Rally2), a past Malcolm Wilson Rally winner, returns for another shot at the title.

Liam Clark (Fiesta Rally2), who finished 5th overall in 2024, is expected to be a strong contender this season, now partnered with experienced co-driver Carl Williamson, who previously won the event with Charlie Payne—Elliot’s father—on their way to the 2016 Gold Star title. Meanwhile, Daniel Sigurðarson and Asta Sigurðadóttir (Fabia RS) finished just a point behind Clark last year, and Vivian Hamill (Fiesta Rally2) proved his pace with three runner-up finishes.

A potential wildcard entry comes in the form of double Protyre Asphalt Rally Champion Callum Black, alongside Jack Morton in a Fiesta Rally2. Black won the Bronze Star category on last year’s event in a Suzuki Swift, and in his last full BTRDA campaign in 2021, he finished just five points shy of the title. With such a competitive lineup, Payne’s path to another championship will be anything but straightforward.