Alan Healy Memorial Rally – Circuit Rally Championship Round 9

The Alan Healy Memorial Rally and Round 9, the final round of the 2025–26 Protyre Circuit Rally Championship season, took place at Cadwell Park last weekend. The championship traditionally visits the Lincolnshire circuit twice each season, and has done so for many years. While it might be expected that crews would know the stages intimately, there is always an added twist.

Although the venue remains the same, different clubs organise each event. North Humberside Motor Club hosted the November 2025 round, while Border Motor Club ran the final round. Each club brings its own approach to stage design, keeping the challenge fresh even on familiar ground.

A Unique Rally Format

The Circuit Rally Championship differs significantly from traditional rallying, which is typically held on forest stages or closed public roads. Instead, events take place entirely within a racing circuit environment. This format offers a major advantage for spectators. 

Rather than travelling between stages, fans can remain in one location while still enjoying a wide variety of action. At Cadwell Park, organisers make full use of the circuit by running stages in both directions, incorporating slip roads and sections of the paddock to create complex and engaging layouts.

The variation in stage design also enhances the experience. While the two Cadwell events share similarities, each club introduces enough differences to keep things interesting. With nine stages on offer, not all utilise the full circuit, making it worthwhile for spectators to study the stage maps. Available in the event programme and online via Border Motor Club. Knowing where to look is particularly important, especially for photographers, as cars can appear from unexpected directions.

Alan Healy Memorial Rally Results

At the earlier visit to Cadwell Park—the NHMC Cadwell Stages in November 2025—John Griffiths and co-driver Emma Morrison took victory in their Skoda Fabia R5. Michael Igoe and Will Atkins followed them home in second place in their Citroën C3 Rally2.

At the final round, however, the result flipped. Igoe and Atkins claimed victory after nine stages by the narrowest of margins—just one second—edging out Griffiths and Morrison in a dramatic conclusion.

Although the fight for the win went down to the wire, Michael Igoe had already secured the drivers’ title at the previous round. He and co-driver Will Atkins capped the season in style, winning the Spark Developments Alan Healy Memorial Rally in 49 minutes and 3 seconds.

Consistency proved crucial throughout the event. Despite a strong late push from Griffiths and Morrison, an unexpected spin on Stage 5 left them with an eight-second deficit to recover. They closed the gap impressively over the remaining stages but ultimately fell just one second short.

Chris West and Keith Hounslow delivered a standout performance to claim third overall—and top honours among the two-wheel-drive competitors—in their Peugeot 306 Maxi, finishing 28 seconds behind the leaders.

John and Alex Stone narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing fourth in their Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. Rounding out the top five were Paul Wedgbury and Alastair Moffatt in their Skoda Fabia Proto.

CRC Championship Outcome

The co-drivers’ championship battle went down to the final round, with seven of the nine rounds counting towards the standings. Emma Morrison entered the finale in a strong position and secured the title with her second-place finish.

In the drivers’ standings, Michael Igoe’s earlier results had already ensured the championship, capping off a consistent and successful season alongside Will Atkins.

Alan Healy Memorial Rally Overall Results

Position	Driver / Co-driver	Car	Time
1	Michael Igoe / Will Atkins	Citroën C3 Rally2	49m03s
2	John Griffiths / Emma Morrison	Skoda Fabia R5	+1s
3	Chris West / Keith Hounslow	Peugeot 306 Maxi	+28s
4	John Stone / Alex Stone	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	+1m29s
5	Paul Wedgbury / Alastair Moffatt	Skoda Fabia Proto	+1m35s
6	Alfie Threlfall / Patrick Cross	Mitsubishi Lancer E10	+1m39s
7	Joseph Duffy / Daniel Duffy	Lotus Elise	+3m26s
8	Bradley Carroll / Gareth Short	Ford Escort Mk2	+3m52s
9	James Garner / Jack Cuttill	Darrian GTR	+4m05s
10	Alasdair Stables / Neil Jones	Vauxhall Chevette HSR	+4m26s

Photographic Postscript

The Alan Healy Memorial Rally once again proved to be an entertaining motorsport event. Glorious weather set the tone for the day, complemented by a superb array of impeccably presented rally cars. This combination allowed for images that truly stand out. While I’m not usually a fan of overly vibrant photographs, on this occasion the conditions and the colourful liveries worked together perfectly to reflect both the atmosphere and visual appeal of the event.

With no chance of rain forecast, I opted to travel by motorcycle. This meant packing light, so I brought just one camera—a Nikon D500—and a single 20–200mm f/2.8 lens. A smaller bike is ideal for navigating the far reaches of Cadwell Park, and the ability to park close to the track is one of the circuit’s standout features. It’s particularly beneficial for those with limited mobility, and the largely unobstructed views—with minimal safety fencing—are a welcome bonus for photographers.

Working with just one lens was no real limitation; it simply required a bit more effort and creativity to achieve the desired shots. I enjoy that kind of challenge, and overall I was pleased with what I captured. While there may be nothing spectacular, the images provide a solid collection of memories from an enjoyable day at the circuit.

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