2022 British Rally Championship

Hyundai Motorsport to support Junior BRC champion with World Rally Championship prize drive

Posted: May 19, 2022 1:37 PM

The winner of the 2022 Motorsport UK Junior British Rally Championship will be offered a career-defining opportunity to contest a round of the FIA World Rally Championship, behind the wheel of a Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing-built i20 N Rally2.

For the third time since its inception in 2019, a collaboration between the British Rally Championship and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing will see the Junior BRC champion secure the use of a latest generation Rally2 car from the Alzenau based team, at a European round of the WRC in 2023.

The impressive prize drive opportunity is open to all contenders in the Junior BRC which once again offers under 27-year-olds a tried and tested proving ground. As in 2021, the ultra-competitive formula will see the latest generation Rally4 and older specification R2 machinery eligible for honours with career-minded progressive youngsters vying for the best prize in UK rallying.

Also on offer from Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing, is the opportunity to test the latest generation Hyundai i20 N Rally2 in 2023. The prize will be offered to a driver who has impressed the world-class team during the 2022 season and is open to any registered British Rally Championship contender.

Previous winners of the WRC prize drive include 2019 Junior champion Josh McErlean who began his relationship with the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing team thanks to his opportunity at Wales Rally GB later that season. He would go on to become a Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver and contest rounds of the FIA European Rally Championship and the WRC3 category of the World Rally Championship.

With graduates of the British Rally Championship including WRC top-flight drivers Elfyn Evans and Craig Breen, the highly regarded series has long been a platform for young drivers who are eager to make an impact. As a collaboration between the BRC and Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing, the prize drive continues to reinforce the Junior championships standing in helping young aspiring drivers to progress.

“The British Rally Championship is very proud to be able to offer this superb prize to our 2022 winning Junior thanks to Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing,” says Iain Campbell, BRC Championship Manager.

“We have always recognised the Junior BRC as a fundamental breeding ground for talented youngsters in British Rallying and we are thrilled that a global icon such as Hyundai Motorsport also shares the same opinion. This prize truly is ground-breaking for our Juniors and our 2019 winner Josh [McErlean] is proof of how important the BRC and incentive has been to his career. The championship extends it thanks to Hyundai Motorsport for continuing to support the series into 2022.”

Andrew Johns, Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager said:
“A key part of the work of the Customer Racing department has always been to support young drivers in the professional motorsport careers. In our partnership with the British Rally Championship we have been fortunate enough to welcome some incredibly talented drivers, as part of our testing with the i20 R5 and i20 N Rally2.”

“Extending this to include a round of the WRC season was the natural progression, and should be a great prize for the competitors in the British Championship to aim for. Together the opportunity is the perfect chance for crews to take the next step in their careers, as we have seen other British and Irish pairs do already.”

Newly crowned Junior BRC champions William Creighton and Liam Regan are scheduled to take part in a European round of the WRC in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 in 2022 thanks to claiming this year’s title with more details on their outing announced in the coming months.

CRONIN PICKS POLO R5 FOR FIVE

Posted: April 22, 2022 3:58 PM

Four-time British Rally Champion, Keith Cronin, is to return to the series in 2022 in a bid to equal the five-title tally of record holder, Jimmy McRae. Cronin will campaign a Volkswagen Polo R5 backed by Hankook Tire, and will be guided by Mikie Galvin in the co-driver’s seat. The BRC gets underway on Saturday evening with the tarmac surface Rally Tendring & Clacton in Essex, and six further rounds follow between then and October.

“We did five events with Hankook last year as part of a development programme,” explains Cronin. “We’re doing the full championship this time, and I’m confident the work we did in 2021 will have paid off. I’m looking forward to getting out there with the Polo, the top two in last year’s BRC drove them, they’re a strong, well-engineered car, and seem to be especially suited to rallying in this part of the world.”

Cronin had his debut in the Volkswagen on the recent Birr Rally, and he and Galvin were running in second place before a broken propshaft forced the Killarney & District Motor Club crew to retire. “We entered Birr as a test session really, it was our first day out in the car and our first dry tarmac rally since 2018,” said Cronin following the event. “Obviously it would have been nicer to finish, but it’s better that the prop went there rather than in Essex next weekend. Josh Moffett had won three rallies already this year, but we matched him on one stage and had an outright fastest time on another, so that’s a cause for optimism”.

Rally Tendring and Clacton is one of a number of closed-road tarmac rallies which have been inaugurated in Great Britain following the introduction of new legislation, and the inclusion of the Essex event in the British Rally Championship marks a return of the series to the populous south east for the first time in many years. Two runs over a short spectator stage on Clacton’s promenade will open the rally on Saturday evening, with three loops of four stages following on Sunday.
“The stages are shorter than what we’d be used to in Ireland”, noted Cronin. “There are fourteen in total, but the longest of them is 10 kilometres, and the total distance is only 85 kilometres, so everyone will have to be on it from the outset, there will be no room for cautious starts”.

There will be livestreams throughout the weekend on the British Rally Championship's facebook page, @BRCrally.

Following the opening round, the BRC moves to Scotland next month for the Jim Clark Rally, also a closed-road tarmac event. The series then switches onto gravel, for the Nicky Grist Rally in Wales and the Grampian Rally in Scotland during July and August. September sees a return to tarmac for the Rali Bae Ceredigion in Wales, also a new addition to the championship. Later the same month, the BRC moves north to the gravel of Trackrod Rally Yorkshire, with the Cambrian Rally in Wales marking the finale in October, also on gravel.

Cronin and Galvin will once again enjoy the support of Hankook Tire Global throughout the season, and Cronin paid tribute to it for his return to competitive action:
“Hankook gave us our chance to get back on the stages last year, and I am very pleased to have them on board for 2022”. Hankook is the seventh largest tyre company in the world and an original equipment supplier to manufacturers such as BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. It is the exclusive tyre supplier to the FIA Formula E World Championship, the 24H Series powered by Hankook, W Series, and the Super Taikyu Endurance Grand Touring Series in Asia.

M O'Brien Group of Companies also returns with to the BRC with Cronin and Galvin. It is a multi discipline contractor operating throughout Great Britain, offering services such as plant hire, demolition, drainage installation and earthworks.
“Michael O'Brien has backed my motorsport career for over ten years now, and he and his sons, Dan and Conor, are themselves also regular competitors, in rallying, endurance and GT racing. Michael is tackling the National BRC this year in his Fiesta WRC”, said Cronin.

Cremin Coach & Mini Bus Hire also remains with the crew for 2022.
“Michael Cremin had been one of my supporters since very early on, both as a sponsor and mentor, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have so far without his help”, Cronin stated. Based in Kealkill, Cremin Coach & Mini Bus Hire provides coach tours throughout West Cork and Ireland, and celebrates it's thirtieth anniversary this year. It offers transport options for six to 56 people, and their services include corporate bookings for companies, clubs and other groups.

Cronin also announced two additional partners for 2022:
“I am pleased to welcome the support of two new sponsors this year. Keohane Seafoods is a family-owned West Cork firm, based near Bantry, providing fresh and frozen produce to Centra, Super-Valu and the other major supermarket chains in Ireland, as well as to Lidl in the UK, Europe and the US. It also operates its own Seafood Shop at Kinsale Road, Cork”.

“Inver Community also joins us for the first time in 2022. Inver Energy has been providing quality assured fuel for over 35 years, and now has over sixty forecourts throughout Ireland, including Cronin's Ballylickey. It also has a presence in the UK and Canada”.

The Hankook Tire Volkswagen Polo R5 is prepared and run by Tom Gahan Motorsport.

Kyle White - Going for Gold in Junior British Rally Championship!

Posted: April 5, 2022 8:21 AM

In 2021, 25 year old Kyle White from Dunmurry, County Antrim, had a sensational debut season in the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship (BRC). Kyle and Banbridge co-driver Sean Topping in their Peugeot 208 R2 recorded a superb second place in the Junior category. They startled many onlookers with some stand out performances during the year, and even led the Junior BRC after two rounds, using an older generation R2 car against their main rivals equipped with new Rally 4 machines.

Now for Kyle 2022 it’s back to the Junior BRC, back with a Peugeot 208, however not in last years 1600cc naturally aspirated version, but a new Peugeot Sport built 1.2 litre turbo-charged Rally4 weapon!
“I have literally just got this new car, and I’ve only taken it a run up the road and it feels sensational up through the gears! It’s going to take a bit of learning as it’s much more about torque with the turbo engine, rather than the high revving nature of the R2.”

Now Kyle and Sean are on a more equal footing with their category rivals, and the first BRC round is looming- the closed road Clacton Rally on 23rd and 24th April.
“Our plan is to contest the Circuit of Ireland two day event the weekend before, and that will be our test mileage for Clacton. I need to finish with there only being a week between the rallies, and learn. The first two round of the British Championship are on tarmac, with the second in Scotland for the Jim Clark Rally. I’m really looking forward to that one as I have heard a lot about it, and then we switch to gravel for the Nicky Grist Stages in Wales.”
Kyle and Sean took a fine podium on the Nicky Grist event last year, but Kyle forecasts the forests will be the toughest for him.
“I think I will have to put a lot of work into learning the forest driving with the new car. That’s were I feel I will have to adjust my driving more to the torque of the engine, but it’s a challenge I cannot wait to take on.”

When not working during the week in the family garage business, Kyle White is focused on going for a golden prize this year. The Junior BRC champion will be offered a drive on a World Rally Championship round in a Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing built i20 N Rally2.
“It’s my last chance in the Junior BRC, and to be able to go for this prize. The age limit is actually 25, and I’m 26 this year but it was extended by a year because of the loss of the 2020 season due to Covid-19. I need consistency through-out the year, something which fell away for us last season and just to give it 100% commitment. It’s the British Championship so there is no question the opposition is going to be tough, and speeds high!”

The team are thankful for the support from Gary White Car Sales, Finaghy Cleaning & Support Services, LA Distribution NI Ltd, Gilmore Engineering Services, Jetvent Limited and Snap-On Tools. Kyle would very much welcome any additionial backing to ensure a full attack on one of the most prestigious rally championships in the world.

British Rally Championship reveals 2022 calendar

Posted: December 29, 2021 5:46 PM

The exhilarating British Rally Championship will welcome a new look in 2022, as Motorsport UK today [19 October] announce a gripping seven-round calendar for next season.

Britain’s premier rallying series will feature a dynamic mix of classic events and exciting newcomers, taking in some of the best gravel and asphalt rallies in the country, visiting England, Scotland and Wales in the process.

Catering for top-flight Rally2 machinery, Junior British Rally Championship contenders and the popular National Rally Title, the new roster will test both reigning champions and new arrivals in a pulsating calendar, with each event stamping its unique mark on the tour.

The British Championship will get underway on a closed road asphalt event for the first time in over four decades as the Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring & Clacton hosts the BRC curtain-raiser in the south east of England. The ground-breaking event was the first English closed road rally back in 2018 and will see the elite BRC contenders tackle the exhilarating Essex lanes in April.

Staying on a sealed surface for round two, the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally takes the series into Scotland in May and the highly regarded stages around the Duns rally base. With a long history of hosting the BRC, the Jim Clark Rally provides a lively encounter for the crews with two days of closed road action in the Borders to test even the most experienced of champions.

July sees a trip to the world-famous Welsh forests of the Nicky Grist Stages. Having made a return to the BRC bill in 2021, a scintillating battle played out across the rapid and flowing stages which have witnessed many world championship clashes. Expect fireworks on the first gravel round of the season.

Staying in the forests, the Grampian Forest Rally makes a welcome return to the calendar after receiving high acclaim on its inclusion in 2021. The Banchory based rally, just west of Aberdeen in Scotland, provided BRC contenders with a tough challenge as the high-speed forest tests were largely unknown to the title protagonists. The contest for top honours returns to Kincardineshire in August.

The acclaimed Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion heralds a newcomer to the BRC tour as the Aberystwyth based closed-road event provides an exceptional challenge across the bumpy and unforgiving moorland roads in September. First run in 2019, the event will offer a journey into the unknown as the Cambrian Mountains provide an ultimate test of car and crew.

The popular Trackrod Rally Yorkshire plays host to the penultimate round of 2022 after making a highly successful return to the calendar this year following an eight-year break. The super-fast and narrow stages in the Yorkshire forests witnessed a thrilling encounter and its Dalby test in the dark will test contenders to the limit at the end of September.

Offering the perfect curtain call on the 2022 season, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally retains its October slot and rounds out the British Rally Championship in style. Having the potential to see the champion crowned on the Llandudno seafront, the event takes contenders through world-class forest stages in North Wales.

British Rally Championship Manager Iain Campbell said:
“We are delighted to announce our new-look calendar for 2022 which I believe provides exactly the right mix of events worthy of the British Rally Championship marker.

It’s been an ever evolving landscape over the last two years or so and we have all had to adapt to the challenges we were faced with. But 2021 has arguably been the most successful season in recent BRC history with an exciting fight for all classes in the series and a very impressive list of registrations.

Our 2022 offering is an exciting mix of both gravel and asphalt events, each with individual features and formats. This ensures we can provide the traditional challenge that competitors expect from the BRC and they can also be sure of exceptionally high standards of events expected from the series.

The British Rally Championship is highly regarded and we have worked hard to ensure a cost-effective calendar for 2022. We hope that we will yet again see the sensational commitment and action from some of the best drivers in the business next season.”

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 29, 2021 5:45 PM

1. Tendring and Clacton Stages Rally - 23-24 Apr 22
2. Jim Clark Rally - 27-28 May 22
3. Nicky Grist (Quinton) Stages - (Sat) 9 Jul 22
4. Grampian Forest Rally - (Sat) 13 Aug 22
5. Rali Bae Ceredigion/Cardigan Bay Rally - 3-4 Sep 22
6. Trackrod Rally Yorkshire Forest Stages - 23-24 Sep 22
7. Cambrian Rally - (Sat) 29 Oct 22
   Reserve Round - Oulton Park Stages - (Sat) 5 Nov 21

British Rally Championship