The East Riding Stages Rally 2026: Why East Yorkshire is Made for Motorsport

A few weeks ago, the lanes and country roads around Beverley came alive with the sound of rally cars. The 2026 East Riding Stages Rally, organised by Beverley & District Motor Club, proved once again why it has become one of the most highly anticipated fixtures on the British closed-road rally calendar. Held over the weekend of 21–22 February, the event started and finished in the historic market town of Beverley - and for anyone who witnessed it, it was a reminder of just how well East Yorkshire does this kind of thing.

At Pink Property, we're unapologetically proud of this region. Events like this one show that East Yorkshire isn't just a beautiful place to live - it's a place that can host world-class sporting occasions and make them feel entirely at home.

A Rally That's Grown Into Something Special

Since its debut in 2022, the East Riding Stages Rally has earned a reputation for fast, challenging stages and the warm welcome provided by Beverley & District Motor Club and the East Riding community.

This year's edition was the biggest yet. It formed the opening round of the 2026 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship and attracted a capacity entry packed with Rally2 machinery, seasoned asphalt specialists and ambitious young crews eager to make an early-season statement.

And for the first time, it went into the dark. The weekend began on Saturday evening with a ceremonial start at Beverley's historic North Bar Within, where the opening leg featured stages running after sunset - expect glowing brake discs, fiery exhausts and a lot of headlights cutting through the Wolds. Sunday then brought a demanding schedule of stages totalling more than 70 competitive miles, combining flowing rural straights with technical 90-degree junctions and rhythm sections where the smallest hesitation could cost seconds.

Sam Touzel Takes the Win

By the end of Sunday's action, overall victory went to 2025 Protyre Asphalt Rally Champion Sam Touzel and co-driver Max Freeman, who finished four seconds clear of James Ford and Neil Shanks. It was a performance that combined speed with remarkable consistency - Touzel edged ahead during the middle loop and managed his advantage over the final stages to secure the win.

Matt Hirst and Declan Dear rounded out the top three, with the only three crews to break the one-hour-two-minute mark being Touzel/Freeman, Ford/Shanks and Hirst/Dear.

Why East Yorkshire Works So Well for Rally

It's not a coincidence that this event has grown so quickly. The terrain here is genuinely well-suited to closed-road rallying.

The compact geography of the event - with stages woven through the East Yorkshire countryside and service based close to the town centre - continues to be one of its great strengths. The Yorkshire Wolds offer the kind of varied road character that rally organisers dream about: sweeping bends, elevation changes, narrow lanes and high-speed sections that keep competitors and spectators engaged from start to finish.

It's also deeply accessible. Families, first-timers and dedicated motorsport fans can all find something to enjoy, whether that's the free FanZone in Beverley, the ceremonial start at the North Bar, or a spot on the stages to watch cars fly past at close range.

Community at the Heart of It

What stands out about the East Riding Stages Rally isn't just the motorsport - it's how well the event fits into the community around it.

Beverley & District Motor Club work closely with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, local sponsors, residents and a large team of marshals and volunteers to make the whole thing possible. The club actively tries to minimise disruption, safeguard access, and leave a positive impression of motorsport in the region - and they work with Carbon Positive Motorsport to offset emissions through UK-based rewilding projects.

That combination of ambition and responsibility is exactly what makes events like this work. The villages and roads used for the stages are people's everyday lives - and the fact that this rally keeps coming back, and keeps growing, says a lot about how it's been run.

What This Says About East Yorkshire

For those of us who live and work here, none of this is a surprise. East Yorkshire has always offered something that's hard to put into words - a mix of genuine beauty, strong community, and the kind of quiet confidence that doesn't need to shout about itself.

Events like the East Riding Stages Rally make that visible to a wider audience. Spectators arrived in Beverley, explored the surrounding countryside, and experienced East Yorkshire at its most energetic and welcoming. For many, it's an introduction that sticks.

At Pink Property, that's the East Yorkshire we see every day. If you're curious about life here - whether you're thinking of moving to the area or just want to know more about what's on offer - we'd be happy to help.