Snetterton Stage Rally 2026
Snetterton
11 February 2026
It was an early start for the trip to Snetterton for round five of the Circuit Rally Championship (CRC). After about an hour’s drive, I left the flatlands of Lincolnshire behind me, crossing the county line into the flatlands of Norfolk. I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise, which made a pleasant change from the persistent rain we seem to be having recently.
Another 20 minutes, and I wasn’t too happy with the unseasonal appearance of the big yellow thing in the sky. Heading east into the rising sun made driving difficult to say the least. Combined with the filthy vegetable juice and mud dripping from massive agricultural machines splattering my windshield, I knew I was now in Norfolk.
Snetterton Circuit
Arriving at the track, I had a short wait to get in and parked up in the centre of the circuit. My shooting buddy for the day arrived a little later and had to queue for 20 minutes to get in. The good people of Norfolk must have been hungry for a bit of motorsport action after the winter recess.
As I pulled on my big coat and grabbed my gear, I reviewed my day trackside in my head. The sun being out was a good thing, as any photographer will tell you. However, there is good sun and bad sun. At this time of the year, a low sun in a clear sky can be ideal. The previous night, I had studied the stage maps, which were available on the MSV Snetterton website. Stage one would have a small off-road section, which would be orientated just right for the available light.
Approaching my first shooting location, it looked like a few others had had the same idea. It wasn’t surprising; we have covered this event many times. On the PistonClick website, there had been a lot of views of the Snetterton circuit guide and the previous CRC reports. There was still plenty of room amongst the other photographers. It was interesting to check out all of the different kit everyone had brought along and good to see so many enthusiasts.
Snetterton Stage Rally 2026 Stage 1 and 2
Stage 1 was announced by a distant roar of engines and tortured tyres scrabbling for traction. Michael Igoe and Will Atkins soon appeared in their Citroën C3 Rally 2. Seeded number 1 after their win at the previous round at Brands Hatch, they were followed by a lot of fast, great-looking full-fat rally cars.
As the cars passed, it was like a moving rally history lesson. None of my favourite fire-breathing iconic Group B cars. I will have to wait for next weekend’s Race Retro to scratch that itch. But the passing Evos, Scoobys, and Escorts still looked great, showcasing a timeline of rich rallying heritage. A few odd balls cars that we had seen before were kicking up the dirt, some of which I always make a point of getting a fair few shots of.
Rally cars to look out for
James Garner and Jack Cuthill in their Darrian T90 GTR and Alasdair Stables and Neil Jones in the Vauxhall Chevette HSR always stand out. Both cars are very photogenic and are always driven hard, as you would expect. James and Jack in the HSR would come first in class and 9th overall at the end of the day.
John and Louise Cooledge stole the show on stage 1. Spotting them approaching, I got ready. Last year, they attacked the first off-road corner, kicking up a huge amount of dirt. True to form, they came in at speed, probably a bit too much. Snaking down the straight, I could see the rear wheels coming off the ground, so I kept taking shots. What I didn’t expect was for them to go head-on into a tyre wall with spectacular results. Sporting a crumpled wing and missing headlight, they were able to patch up the Ford Anglia 105E for the next stage. Unfortunately, they lost a wheel later in the day and were unable to continue and retired from the event.
After each stage, the Snetterton Junior Stage Rally took on the course. Fifteen cars were enthusiastically competing, admittedly at a much slower pace. The cars have a capacity of no more than 1,000cc but were being flung around by the young drivers. All good stuff, but I was looking forward to the main event taking on the tight turns of the paddock area.
Snetterton Stage Rally 2026 Stage 2 and 3
While I headed to the centre of the circuit, my shooting buddy took the short walk to Nelson. One distinguishing feature of Snetterton is the curbs. Many tracks used to have elevated curb stones; most have been reduced in height or totally replaced. It was interesting to see the corner at Nelson had been reworked. Tarmac has been added to the inside. This is going to make this corner one to watch when the British Touring Cars turn up.
Paddock
The paddock had been transformed with the addition of concrete barriers and plastic cones marking out the stage. This is standard for all of the CRC events. The track is used in both directions and the whole circuit is utilised to challenge the competitors. It took me a while to find a spot with a clear view of the cars between the barriers and cones. There were probably other good spots, but once I had made my choice, I stuck to it. The vantage points behind the spectator barriers filled up quickly, so there weren’t many opportunities to move mid-stage.
The rest of the paddock was being used for what it was intended for: vehicle preparation for the event. Spectators are allowed and indeed welcomed by the teams to look around their cars between stages. I took the opportunity to get up close to the cars and take a few shots to add to my motorsport portfolio.
As the next stage was being laid out by the hard-working staff, I moved again. Off to Plamers, I took a few shots but decided, as the light was going, I wanted something different.
For the final two stages, the cars would be going the wrong way round the corner at Nelson. On the way there, I stopped off at the chicane on the Bentley Straight to capture a few shots. Not planned, but as I approached, the light was right and the cars were taking it at speed, so why not? I tried a few different angles, but basically, a panning shot. As the last cars came through, I moved location again.
Snetterton Stage Rally 2026 Stage 4 and 5
Arriving at Nelson, there was plenty of available space to pick a good spot. The best of the sun had now long gone, like quite a few of the spectators. The gaps in the car park testified that a few of the fans had already headed home. The early exits were nothing to do with the event. The brief appearance of the sun had passed quickly to be replaced by cold winter rain. Falling for most of the day. I understood why a few had departed early to get out of the miserable weather and head home to the warmth. I wouldn’t be far behind them, just a few more snaps to end an enjoyable day at the Snetterton Stage Rally 2026.
Photographic Post Script
For this event, I used a Nikon D500 DSLR camera with a 70-200mm ƒ2.8 lens. Also, a Nikon 300mm ƒ4 PF lens for a little more reach. You could do this whole event with a 70-200mm and a crop sensor camera; you are never far from the action at a Snetterton Stage Rally.
The outside of the corner at Nelson is one of a few areas around the track that a little more reach is needed. This image was taken with a Nikon D500 combined with a prime Nikon 500mm PF. There is not much of a crop to achieve this shot. Taken by RPW Photography, who I must thank for the other images used in this report and accompanying me on this trip.
Snetterton Stages Results
| 1st Overall | 1 | Michael Igoe / Will Atkins | Citroen C3 Rally 2 |
| 2nd Overall | 2 | John Griffiths / Emma Morrison | Skoda Fabia |
| 3rd Overall | 6 | Hugh Brunton / Kerrie Macgillivary | VW Polo R5 |
| 1st Class 1 | 3 | John Stone / Laura Marshall | VW Polo |
| 2nd Class 1 | 4 | Darryl Morris / Steve Gully | Skoda Fabia R5 |
| 3rd Class 1 | 10 | Aled Wyn Morgans / Jack Bowen | Ford Fiesta Rally2 |
| 1st Class 2 | 8 | Alfie Threlfall / Edward East | Mitsubishi Evo X |
| 2nd Class 2 | 22 | Martin Farrar / Andy Ward | Subaru Impreza |
| 3rd Class 2 | 15 | Stephen Johansen / Colin Stephens | Subaru Impreza |
| 1st Class 3 | 14 | Alasdair Stables / Neil Jones | Vauxhall Chevette HSR |
| 2nd Class 3 | 12 | James Garner / Jack Cuttill | Darrian T90 GTR |
| 3rd Class 3 | 29 | Ben Smith Snr / Ben Smith Jnr | Ford Escort |
| 1st Class 5 | 20 | Joseph Duffy / Daniel Duffy | Lotus Elise |
| 2nd Class 5 | 19 | Chris Woodhouse / Lucy Wilding | Peugeot 208 Rally 4 |
| 3rd Class 5 | 11 | Mick Jowers / Ben Jowers | Ford Escort Mk2 |
| 1st Class 8 | 25 | Callum Francis / Roland Francis | Ford Escort Mk2 |
| 2nd Class 8 | 43 | Paul Sheard / Charlie Stephens | Mazda MX5 |
| 3rd Class 8 | 42 | Tommi Meadows / Laura Cooledge | Peugeot 208 |
| 1st Class 9 | 44 | Jon Bray / Darren Styles | MG ZR Trophy |
| 1st Class 10 | 60 | Owen Cule / Matthew Walk | Mini Cooper |
| 2nd Class 10 | 48 | Tom Grant / Josh Marden | Renault Clio |
| 1st Class 12 | 87 | Kyle Green / Adam Wilks | Škoda Citigo |
Full results can be found at Rallies.info
David Harbey will be making the trip to Anglesey for the next round of the CRC, which is on the 1st of March 2026.
