Barnes & Paynter Blaze to 9th Overall at ORC Canal Rally 2025
Scott Barnes and Bill Paynter delivered a sensational performance at the ORC Canal Rally last weekend, steering their Peugeot 106 Rallye to 9th overall in a fiercely competitive field.
The rally, held in Oostrozebeke on the 24th and 25th of May, marked Round 2 of the 2025 Flanders International Rally Challenge (FIRC). The duo were seeded 29th on a stacked 100-car entry list that featured multiple Rally2 entries and no fewer than seven GT3 Porsches—making their top-ten finish all the more impressive.
Strong Start in Treacherous Conditions
The weekend began with Saturday's recce—a valuable refresher for Bill Paynter, who was back in the co-driver’s seat after over a year away. The pair’s preparations went smoothly, laying a solid foundation for Sunday’s competition.
Rainfall overnight and into Sunday morning created a tyre conundrum. With worsening conditions just as the car was being readied for the first loop, a last-minute decision was made to fit extreme wet tyres. It proved inspired—slick tarmac, soaked roads, and muddy cuts greeted them on the opening stages. Despite the tricky conditions, Scott and Bill delivered a clean and confident run, ending the first loop inside the top ten.
Adaptability Pays Off
As the weather shifted again—strong winds and bursts of sun rapidly drying the roads—Scott opted to switch to soft slicks for loop two. The change was perfectly timed; the roads were drying, and muddy sections had turned dusty. The team once again had a tidy run, though the drying conditions began to favour the more powerful cars in the field.
Unfortunately, the third loop was disrupted. Two stages—SS7 and SS8—were cancelled due to recovery operations and fallen power lines following a crash. Only the shortest stage of the loop, SS9, was completed before returning to service.
Final Push for FIRC Honours
Heading into the final loop of four stages, Barnes and Paynter found themselves in a thrilling battle for the overall FIRC win, sitting just seconds behind the Citroën C3 Rally2 of Richard Weatherley and Shaun Layland. That a home-built 1600cc Peugeot 106 was even in the fight was a testament to Scott’s relentless driving and the team’s sharp setup work.
With nothing to lose, the team went flat-out in the final stages, pushing the little Peugeot to its absolute limit. Their commitment paid off, posting the 7th fastest overall time on the final stage of the day. Despite their heroics, they narrowly missed out on catching the Rally2 car—finishing just 1.9 seconds adrift (excluding notional times).
Still, it was a monumental result:
🏆 1st in Class 3F
🥈 2nd overall in the FIRC (1st 2WD)
🔥 9th overall — even edging out local legend Paul Lietaer
Looking Ahead
Scott’s development as a driver continues to impress, with his knowledge of the Belgian roads growing and the Peugeot 106 undergoing constant refinement. This result marks another step forward in what’s shaping up to be an exciting season.
Scott would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all his partners and supporters for making this journey possible.
