The inaugural Weaver Brothers’ Island Stages 2024 has been hailed a resounding success by competitors, local residents, and spectators. With up to 3,000 people lining the stages, the event offered a thrilling day of motorsport on the closed roads of East Wight.

A total of 49 competitors took part in a diverse array of cars, ranging from the latest Rally 2 specifications, as used in the World Rally Championship, to historic and classic rally cars.

The rally comprised eight stages of 3 1/2 miles each, running between Firestone Copse and Rowlands Lane, near Havenstreet.

However, a crash on Stage One led to its cancellation, but thankfully there were no injuries. Competition resumed with Stage Two, where Rob Swann, from Hertfordshire, driving his Ford Fiesta WRC, took a lead he never relinquished. Among the chasing pack, Islander, and event sponsor, Richard Weaver, slotted into second place in his Ford Fiesta Rally 2, with Jersey-based James Labey (Fiesta Rally 2) rounding out the top three.

Local driver, Will Nicholls, (Fiesta Rally 2) had a slow start in seventh place but made amends in Stage Three, rising to fifth, while Weaver slipped back to third on Stage Four, which was disappointingly cut short when two drones were spotted flying above the cars, in contravention of Rally regulations.

Stage Five saw a reversal of the morning stages, with Weaver climbing to joint second with Labey, besting the Channel Islander by 5 seconds in the penultimate test. Joint quickest, with Swann’s flying Fiesta, in the fading light of the final stage, Weaver finished second overall and claimed the Mike Davidson Memorial Trophy for fastest Isle of Wight Car Club crew. James Labey ended in third place, with Irishman, Sean Quigley, fourth (Fiesta Rally 2). Will Nicholls was fifth overall, and second in Class E.

Among the other IW Car Club competitors, Dean Long and James Moles had a solid run to ninth place in a Subaru Impreza, while team-mates, Wayne Hole and Chris Wilson, (Ford Escort Mexico) finished the day in 13th place and third in Class C. Simon Verstraeten and Paul Whittington placed a creditable 23rd and second in Class D, driving their Talbot Sunbeam. Ian Thomas and Gerald Wilby took their beautiful 60-year-old Austin Healey 3000 to 27th overall, winning Class F.

In their first rally, Andy Williams and Samuel Harry ended 29th in a Honda Civic and took the Jon Dyer Memorial Trophy for the spirit of the rally. A little further back, rising star Heidi Peck won Class A, and came 32nd in her Ford Fiesta. Her father, John Peck, co-driven by East Cowes man, Jon Barratt, was unfortunate to retire from 12th place in their Mitsubishi Evo after Stage Three. Rounding out the Island crews were Kevin Richardson and Katrin Herold in their iconic Austin Mini, finishing 38th overall and second in class.

To view our on-line gallery of the event, visit iw.observer/rally-2024.