NEWTOWN rally co-driver Jonny Evans has been presented with a coveted award.

The Newtown Motor Club member joined driver Jonathan Brace in being honoured with special Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship awards – the David Stokes Historic Challenge for drivers and the Guy Weaver award for co-drivers.

The award winners were selected by a judging panel from a list made up of drivers and co-drivers who had finished the 2023 series in the top three in each Historic class. 

The panel unanimously agreed the duo were worthy recipients of the annual awards thanks to their sportsmanship, unflappable determination, performance improvement and how they go out of their way to promote motorsport in a positive and safe manner.

Driving his Dave Jenkins Motorsport-built Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1, Newport-based Brace finished second in the W8 (2WD Historic 1601cc) class – having won the class four times out of five appearances.

Evans, better known as Tad, is a vastly experienced competitor, having started co-driving in 1997. 

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Much of his rallying has taken place the Welsh forests, giving the Newtown-based navigator an encyclopaedic knowledge of the stages. 

This year he won the class W8 title, guiding Andrew Stokes to three class victories and three second place finishes in their Stokes Rally Team Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1.

As well as ably demonstrating their speed, the pair also impressed the judges with their excellent demeanour towards championship personnel, event officials and marshals, the high standard of car preparation and being great ambassadors to rallying – qualities that the late David Stokes always insisted upon and which Guy Weaver continues today. 

Jonny ‘Tad’ Evans said: “What an honour it is to win this fantastic award, the Guy Weaver Historic Challenge. 

“I knew David and Guy from years ago while competing on the same events, the pairing of both David and Guy were a force to be reckoned with. They won the overall Historic Championship four times, which says it all to how good they were as a team. 

“This award means so much to me, as does being able to join David’s brother Andrew in AFW 66K – the car that David and Guy rallied in together. A massive thanks must go to Andrew for the season and also to our team manager Sue, David’s wife and KJ on spanner’s for not only building a fantastic car, but for maintaining it as well.”

Guy Weaver said: “They both showed a lot of grit and determination last year and supported the Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, which is all very important in the ethos that the awards are both considering in terms of criteria. I hope that 2024 sees even more competitors come and enter these championship events, putting a smile on all the spectator’s faces out there watching – which is something that David Stokes and I always tried to do.”

Dave Evison, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship Secretary, said: “Congratulations also to Tad for winning the Guy Weaver Award. Jonny lives and breathes rallying in Wales, his enthusiasm for the sport is second-to-none and when the flag drops it’s his exceptional co-driving and office management skills that kick in. The demand for his co-driving services speaks for itself.”