Russ Otway
The Comeback Competitor
Darren Edwards
Growing up on a farm with a rallying dad, Darren was driving at an early age. He entered his first rally a week after his 17th birthday and continued club rallying for many years, competing in three Wales Rally GB events. Motorsport then took a backseat when his priorities switched to family and business, but after 10 years away he decided to get his dad’ s old car back into action and take on the R A C.
“ In the late 1970s, my dad had a car that ran alongside the works cars, but he sold it. During the pandemic I found it in a barn in North Wales, bought it and restored it to take on the R A C. In 2023 a close friend who used to historic rally, Malcolm Bayliss was ill and we said we’ d go and watch it. He passed away before we could, so this was about keeping my word.
FEATURE
“ We got together a lot of the original service crew who worked on the car, so it was a really nice team – but I was terrified! You’ re always thinking‘ what if something breaks?’ I’ d never really stage rallied in the dark much, but it was okay in the end.
“ The finish was the win for me. We’ re not well funded, we save up and do it all ourselves, so it’ s a massive financial outlay. We had a few issues with the car, some of us had two hours sleep one night, but driving on stages like Sweet Lamb and Hafren were brilliant and up in Scotland it was thoroughly enjoyable. I couldn’ t get enough of it.
“ The camaraderie, the feeling of being in a giant rally family rather than being competitors was amazing and the last day, driving up the M6 to Kielder, was quite emotional. It was a brutal and unrelenting event, but it was great. It was more than a rally; it was very much an adventure for everybody.”
The Winner
Osian Pryce
Osian drove a rally car for the first time in 2007 and made his competition debut two years later, aged 16, in the Rally Kalnamuiža, in Latvia. His World Rally debut came in 2010, finishing first in class on Wales Rally GB, and he was crowned British Rally Champion in 2022.
“ It’ s an event that appeals to all kinds of competitors, whether you’ re a clubman or at the top end. It’ s probably one of my biggest wins, just because of the duration and how it tests you mentally. You don’ t get much sleep, it’ s cold and you’ re in the car long hours, so it challenges you in every single way – but for some reason we go back and do it again and again!”
Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss celebrate at the end of a gruelling, but rewarding Roger Albert Clark rally
Russ Otway
Revolution- February 2026
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