Jos Verstappen to make BRC debut at Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages
Posted: April 12, 2024 2:03 PM
Former Formula One racing driver Jos Verstappen will tackle the second round of the Probite British Rally Championship, the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages [13 April].
Verstappen, father of F1 superstar, three-time F1 champion and Red Bull Racing driver Max, will make his debut in the BRC and the UK, tackling the world-famous Welsh gravel for the first time. He will drive a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 with regular co-driver Renaud Jamoul, meaning they will also be responsible for the debut of Skoda’s latest Rally2 example.
The crew will be joined by Wevers Sport teammates Roger Hodenius and Robin Buysmans in similar machinery who have also signed up for the championship, bringing a truly international flavour back to the BRC.
The Severn Valley Stages marks the switch to gravel for the reinvigorated BRC and offers over sixty-two miles of classic Wales Rally GB stages including Myherin, Sweet Lamb and Hafren.
Verstappen has enjoyed a progressive rallying career since his first event on the stages in 2022. Tackling the Belgian Rally Championship, the Dutch driver sealed fourth in the series that season, even managing to contest his very first FIA World Rally Championship round in Ypres.
Last year’s transition to a Skoda Fabia proved fruitful, sealing three overall rally wins on the closed roads in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, backed up with two more already this season.
But despite 23 rally starts so far, Verstappen has never contested a loose surface event and will head to the heart of Wales for his first experience of the class British forest stages.
"We are very happy to come to Wales and the British Rally Championship,” says Verstappen.
“Renaud [Jamoul, co-driver] has done Wales Rally GB several times but for me, these stages will be the first.”
"I only started rallying two years ago but only with tarmac events. After two test sessions in the wintertime in the south of France, we have decided to do our first proper gravel rally and as Renaud has some really good memories in Wales, this rally was looking like the best one to start with.
“We will get some good advice from Tom Cave during our PET [pre-event-test] in Sweet Lamb and we will try to do our best. There is no plan in terms of performance because it will be my first time on gravel but for sure the target is to improve and be as close as possible to the top guys.
“The entry field will be again really competitive, so we are looking forward".
This season's BRC line-up enjoys an enviable list of “who’s who” in domestic and international rallying and the opening round of the series, the Legend Fires North West Stages was won by 2019 FIA European Rally Champion, Chris Ingram.
But as the championship heads onto the gravel, the already unpredictable championship fight is blown wide open and the iconic mid-Wales stages have caught out even the best drivers in the world over the decades. Verstappen will need to be precise says BRC front-runner Callum Black.
“The stages are certainly technical in places, so it’s a challenge for a gravel debut, but you’d say it’s a good choice based on enjoyment” says the Fiesta Rally2 pilot.
“Certainly, it’ll be very rewarding if Jos can get a good feeling quite quickly. The stages are on the whole, very enjoyable. I also used them in Wales Rally GB where I felt like it was important to get rhythm, especially in Myherin. You really have to carry so much speed where the road gets wider, but when you get it right it’s very fulfilling. There are quite a lot of logs on the inside of corners this year, so it’ll be important to be neat and tidy at the same time. Judging from his times in Belgium, he won’t be slow, even on gravel!”
The Verstappen entry to the event has received widespread coverage in the national press, but with the sign-up to the coveted championship, the spotlight is expected to be on the popular Welsh forests next weekend.
Clerk of the Course Keith Ashley is delighted to welcome a driver of Verstappen’s calibre to the rally.
“We are very excited to see such a household name head to the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages this year,” he said.
“Having motorsport stars like Jos, plus our sensational oversubscribed entry can only be good for the sport as a whole and we are delighted with the extra spotlight it brings to the rally. It feels like the shot in the arm that gravel rallying needs right now.”
Probite British Rally Championship Manager Reece Tarren is fascinated to see Verstappen on the stages.
“What a name to add to the already remarkable BRC entry this season,” he says.
“We have British, European and World Rally champions on the books this year and now, we have an F1 driver to add to the list. The following that the entire family have is immense and rightly so, they are at the pinnacle of motorsport across the world and I`m really proud that we can attract the attention of someone like Jos to the series. It’s going to be a baptism for him, acclimatising to the gravel but it’s a magnificent event to do it on.”
The Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages kicks off with a ceremonial start in Llandrindod Wells from 18:30 on Friday 12th April, before the action gets underway the following day in the nearby forests.
Probite British Rally Championship goes nuts for the Severn Valley Stages
Posted: April 12, 2024 2:00 PM
After a blistering start to the 2024 season, the Probite Motorsport UK British Rally Championship [BRC] heads for the gravel next weekend [13 April] as the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages offers the perfect battleground for round two.
Over 62 miles of world-class stages lie ahead, with classics such as Myherin and Hafren Sweet Lamb on offer during a non-stop day of action. Those forest tests have hosted the best drivers in the world in the past, with Wales Rally GB famously visiting the region for many years, witnessing World Rally champions crowned and hopes dashed in the daunting tree-lined route.
Much like the first round in Lancashire, the entry list is bulging with talent and the 50th running of the event has attracted a staggering entry of 180 cars, with Britain’s premier rally series joining the Llandrindod Wells-based offering for the first time.
The Classes: BRC1
Fresh from the Legend Fires North West Stages victory, Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani top the BRC points standings after a flawless performance in their Volkswagen Polo GTi. The frontrunners in the Castrol MEM Rally Team, the duo were the pre-rally favourites from the off thanks to Ingram's win on the event in 2022, however, the mid-Wales forests are relatively unfamiliar territory for Ingram – meaning a battle royale is most certainly on the cards.
Riding the crews of a wave of late are 2023 Junior World Champions William Creighton and Liam Regan who took back-to-back Irish and British Rally Championship podiums in March. Taking second on the North West Stages, Creighton is still adapting to Rally2 machinery but heads up the M-Sport Ford Rally Team entry in his Fiesta. However, it will be Creighton’s first time on gravel in the car with just the snow of Rally Sweden under his belt so far on a loose surface.
Meirion Evans gave the Toyota Yaris GR Rally2 an ideal UK debut by securing third overall at the season opener and will take the impressive machine onto gravel for the first time. He and co-driver Jonathan Jackson have been concentrating on asphalt of late, so will need to bed in quickly if they are to repeat that feat.
Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin had a troubled start to the season in their Fiesta Rally2 so will be aiming to right the wrongs of the North West stages. In a competitive field, that is a tough ask but his lengthy experience will certainly come into play. James Williams enjoyed a positive start to his BRC campaign in his new Hyundai i20 N Rally2 with fourth spot and takes his example onto the gravel for the first time with co-driver Ross Whittock.
Osian Pryce was Ingram’s nearest challenger last month before technical gremlins in his Ford Fiesta Rally2 forced him and Rhodri Evans out of the rally, so they will be eager for redemption on home soil.
Former Formula One racing driver Jos Verstappen makes a surprise entry to the BRC with regular co-driver Renaud Jamoul alongside. Verstappen, father of F1 superstar, three-time F1 champion and Red Bull Racing driver Max, will make his debut in the BRC and the UK, tackling the world-famous Welsh gravel for the first time. He will drive a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, giving the brand its British debut with the new car and they will be joined by Wevers Sport teammates Roger Hodenius and Robin Buysmans in similar machinery, bringing a truly international flavour back to the BRC.
Callum Black is one of only a few drivers to have contested this event in the past and he and co-driver Jack Morton need a positive result after a trying North West Stages in their Fiesta Rally2. Neil Roskell will be tackling only his fourth gravel rally in his Fiesta Rally2 and Dai Roberts alongside, whilst Garry Pearson and Dan Barritt complete the M-Sport team in their Fiesta and will be another crew to need a strong result.
Elliot Payne [Fiesta Rally2] will return to his preferred surface and as a former winner of the rally, could well be one to watch. Ollie Mellors returns in his Proton Iriz after a positive opener, whilst the JKS Team Northern Ireland of Alan Carmichael [i20 Rally2] and Kyle White [i20] are desperate for a result in Wales after a torrid start to their season.
After three years away, Rhys Yates makes a comeback, also in a Polo and with Craig Drew on the notes, whilst newcomers include James Leckey and Stephen McAuley, giving the Citroen C3 Rally2 its BRC debut.
Junior British Rally Championship, BRC3 and BRC4
The Junior BRC enjoys a stellar list of contenders as the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup joins the BRC for its first of four outings. Crews in the Peugeot 208 Rally4 will do battle for an impressive prize fund during the season but heading the Junior BRC standings is a fresh-faced Kalum Graffin. At just 17 years old, he became one of the youngest winners of a round, and will head for Wales on a high, along with co-driver Richard Crozier.
Robert Proudlock/Steven Brown currently ties with Casey Jay Coleman/Lorcan Moore thanks to their Joker bonus point deployment, both crews once again piloting the 208 Rally4 versions.
It was Welsh aces Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams who took first blood in the Stellantis series and are one of only a few to have experience of the stages ahead. A gaggle of eager drivers join the attack, with Cian Caldwell/Liam Egan currently on fine form and the likes of Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen, Keelan Grogan/Ayrton Sherlock also on the pace during the Stellantis Cup opener in Ireland. Joseph Kelly/Killian McArdle will also make the trip across the Irish Sea.
BRC4 features the same class as the Junior BRC, but outside of the age cut-off and sees Stellantis contenders Michael Fitzgibbon/Carrie Ryan join the category in their 208 Rally4. In BRC3, Stephen Waugh is joined by Carl Williamson in a Fiesta Rally3 after taking second in class on round one, and Waugh will be aiming for gravel experience on his loose surface debut in the car.
Open Rally Title & National Rally Title
John Rintoul and Ross Hynd will be aiming for a distinctly more positive outing in their Fiesta after a dismal start to the season in the Open Rally Title category for non-homologated Rally2 cars.
The National Rally Title enjoys a dynamic mix of crews and machinery, with newcomer Tom Llewellin, son of two-time British champion David throwing his hat into the ring. Tom and co-driver Will Atkins will use a historic specification Ford Escort MKII.
The Ginetta G40 of Nick Heard and Oliver Mathinson makes its gravel debut, whilst William Mains and Tomos Whittle head back to the gravel, a surface Mains only sampled during his BRC outings in 2022. Multiple FIA European Historic Rally champion Ernie Graham makes a surprise outing in a Mitsubishi Evo X with Robin Kellard.
The Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages kicks off with a ceremonial start in Llandrindod Wells from 18:30 on Friday 12th April, before the action gets underway the following day in the nearby forests.
The event will be broadcast on ITV4 and ITVX on Tuesday 24th April at 20:00, and repeated at 08:00 on Sunday 28th April.
Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages welcomes star-studded line up to Wales
Posted: April 12, 2024 1:58 PM
The Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages, one of the most popular gravel rallies in the UK, returns bigger and better than ever next weekend [Saturday April 13] as the event celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Sponsored by established racewear and accessory firm Rallynuts Motorsport for an eighth consecutive year, Midland Manor Motor Club have pulled out all the stops to create a truly world-class event which celebrates the past but embraces the future.
Epic stages such as Myherin and Sweet Lamb Hafren remain, but the mileage has been upped from 45 to 62 without an increased entry fee - making this one of the longest single-day forest rallies in years.
As such, a mouth-watering entry of 180 cars, including World, European, American and multiple British rally champions, will tackle the event which moves back to its traditional base of Llandrindod Wells.
Competitors from a staggering nine different championships will come together as the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages excitedly welcomes the Probite British Rally Championship for the very first time, bringing the best drivers in the country to mid Wales. Their battle will be broadcast to millions of television screens in the weeks after the event with a one-hour highlights programme aired on ITV4 and streamed on ITVX.
BRC crews will be joined by those from the Protyre BTRDA Rally Series, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, West Wales Rally Spares HRCR Stage Masters, T.C.S Plant Rally Challenge and Bowler Defender Challenge, while the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship returns for the first time since 2017. Single-make series, the MG3 Challenge and Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup, complete the roster, providing spectators an impressive variety of cars to watch.
European Rally champion and World Rally regular Chris Ingram will pull away from the Metropole Hotel on Saturday morning as the top seed, as he bids to win his second British championship rally in a row following success on last month's North West Stages.
"We got off to the perfect start in the North West and we aim to continue like that on gravel for round two. The Severn Valley features some of the world’s best rally stages in the heart of Wales and I just can't wait to get going" Ingram said.
"We are already enjoying the BRC challenge so much, and gravel will probably be even more fun. It all clicks when I’m driving a trusty Polo with Alex [Kihurani] calling the notes, but anything can happen in rallying. We’ll aim to consistently drive at our pace and avoid mistakes."
Ingram is the favourite to win, but the Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 ace won't have it easy with competition coming from all corners. Reigning Junior World Rally champion William Creighton and local driver Osian Pryce both gave Ingram a hard time on the first round, and start just behind the Englishman in their Ford Fiesta Rally2 this time around.
Also Fiesta mounted, four-time British champion and current leader of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Keith Cronin will be out to prove his pace on gravel is just as strong as Tarmac. He starts ahead of M-Sport driver Garry Pearson, who enters the Rallynuts for the first time since he won both the BTRDA and Welsh championship titles in 2021.
Victor that year, Eliot Payne, is the highest seeded of this year's BTRDA runners, just ahead of 2022 Rallynuts winner Matthew Hirst, who starts first of the Welsh championship contenders. James Williams starts at eight ahead of the stunning new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 of Meirion Evans, while Callum Black completes the top-10 seeds in his Fiesta.
Sensationally running at #14 on his very first visit to the British stages is Jos Verstappen. The former Grand Prix racer, and father of three-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, turned to rallying in 2022 but has so far yet to compete in the UK, or on gravel. The Dutchman has chosen the superb stages of the Rallynuts to make his debut.
"We are very happy to come to Wales and the British Rally Championship," Verstappen said. "Renaud [Jamoul, co-driver] has done Wales Rally GB several times but for me, these stages will be the first.
"I only started rallying two years ago but only with tarmac events. After two test sessions in the wintertime in the south of France, we have decided to do our first proper gravel rally and as Renaud has some really good memories in Wales, this rally was looking like the best one to start with.
"There is no plan in terms of performance because it will be my first time on gravel but for sure the target is to improve and be as close as possible to the top guys. The entry field will be again really competitive, so we are looking forward [to it]."
The British Historic contingent is led away by the Mitsubishi Galant VR4 of George Lepley and Dale Bowen, with the likes of Nick Elliott's FIAT 131, Matt Robinson's Ford Escort MKII and Seb Perez's Porsche 911 chasing him down.
Smaller-engine cars and the older historic category vehicles will be first onto the stages, with three spectacular viewing locations available to spectators. Each test is run twice, with Bonhams Cars Sarnau, just outside of Abbeycwmhir starting proceedings at 08:39 and again at 14:11.
Myherin is accessed from `The Arch` off Devil’s Bridge and runs at 09:53 and 15:03, with CiderOnline.com Hafren Sweet Lamb taking place at 10:59 and finally at 16:16, the last stage of the rally.
But there are plenty of opportunities to meet and mingle with the stars as well as see the cars, with the introduction of a free of charge autograph session on Friday evening at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells from 18:30. Spectators are also welcome at Saturday morning's event start and the finish, both at the Metropole Hotel, where the winners will be crowned.
Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup heads for the Severn Valley
Posted: April 12, 2024 1:55 PM
After a pulsating contest in the Irish lanes of West Cork, the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK returns next week [Saturday April 13] with its first gravel event, the Severn Valley Stages.
Promoted by Race & Rally, the all-new one-make championship for both Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa Rally4 machines allows drivers to compete for a staggering €75,000 prize fund across eight epic events in Ireland and the UK.
A cash pot of €6,000 is available to the first five crews home on each event, with the winner collecting €3,000, sliding down to €500 for fourth place. The fifth placed driver receives one Michelin Motorsport tyre from distributors Protyre Motorsport Ireland. Plus, the Junior champion at the end of the season will receive registration to the 2025 FIA Junior European Rally Championship, entry fees to six rounds of the Junior ERC and 12 tyres per round contested in the series, worth almost €40,000.
Next week marks the series' first foray into the United Kingdom, where the nine competing crews will also score points in the Probite Junior British Rally Championship. They'll tackle a daunting 62 stage miles across seven tests that include the legendary Myherin and Sweet Lamb Hafren.
Welsh pairing Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams took a close-fought victory on last month's opening round to open up an early championship lead over Cian Caldwell/Liam Egan. Although they haven't competed on gravel since October 2022, they will have the target on their backs as both the series leaders and the home heroes.
Robert Proudlock/Steven Brown, Kalum Graffin/Richard Crozier and Casey Jay Coleman/Lorcan Moore could all hold a slight advantage over their rivals next weekend with more seat time, as they all contested the opening round of the British Championship - the North West Stages.
Graffin was victorious on the Lancashire asphalt lanes, but Proudlock ran him close and is one of just two drivers (along with Lloyd) to have competed on the Severn Valley Stages before. Keelan Grogan/Ayrton Sherlock were out even more recently on last weekend's Circuit of Ireland Rally, but didn't get their Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup season off to the best start in West Cork.
On the opposite end of the scale, Michael Fitzgibbon/Carrie Ryan face a big challenge as they compete on their very first event on the UK mainland. But a mature drive netted them an impressive third-placed podium on the West Cork Rally four weeks ago, so a similar performance could reap them big rewards.
Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen and Joseph Kelly/Killian McArdle were both rapid in Ireland but didn't secure a result, so will look to amend that on the gravel. Both of the 20-year-old drivers have driven on Welsh gravel before, so have a base-line of experience to work from.
A huge battle is anticipated to break out throughout the day, and Cian Caldwell can't wait to get stuck in.
"I am really looking forward to taking my first trip across the seas to Wales to compete in the Severn Valley Stages. This will also be my first time completing a recce in the woods which I am excited to do," Caldwell said.
"Some great stages lie ahead of us and I am excited to take on the Welsh gravel. Ioan Lloyd for sure is going to be fast out there along with Keelan Grogan and Robert Proudlock so it’s going to be a difficult days' rallying between us. I am going to be focusing on myself and will be trying to get into a nice rhythm from the start ."
Seven stages will decide the contest, with McBride the first of the nine Peugeot 208 Rally4s to leave the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells on Saturday.
CRONIN EAGER TO KICK-START BRITISH CHALLENGE IN SEVERN VALLEY
Posted: April 12, 2024 1:53 PM
Saturday's Severn Valley Rally marks the first gravel round of this year's British Championship, and for four-time title holder, Keith Cronin, and his co-driver, Mikie Galvin, the event represents an opportunity to get their 2024 challenge back on track following a troubled outing on the opening counter in Lancashire last month. The Killarney and District Motor Club crew are undertaking a dual campaign this season, taking on the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the British series in the M O’Brien Group of Companies/Lyons Motor Group/Shane Casey Electrical Services Ford Fiesta Rally 2, and while they have had an excellent start at home, taking two wins and a second place, a puncture, a spin and a variety of mechanical issues scuppered the chance of a podium finish on the North West Stages, which was won by Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani.
"We can't afford to have many more days like that if we're to be in with a shout of the BRC title at the end of the year," said Cronin, referring to the outcome of the opening round. "With the strength in depth of the championship entry this season, if you have any problems or time loss, especially on the shorter rallies, you won't be finishing second or third, it'll be in seventh place, like we did in Lancashire. There's seven points scoring opportunities throughout the season, from which the best five count, so hopefully that will be one of our dropped scores at the end of the year, but it was a bit early to be using any of them up," he added.
The Severn Valley organisers have lain on a route of 62 competitive miles, which is significantly longer than the usual for a one-day gravel rally. There are seven stages in all, ranging in length from four miles to almost sixteen miles. "We haven't started a gravel rally in over twelve months, so that will take a bit of re-adapting", cautioned Cronin. "It probably suits us in a way that the shorter stages are at the beginning of the rally and the longest ones are at the end. The extra mileage overall will be a help in that regard as well, it gives more opportunity to get into the zone for the loose. It'll be difficult to get on the podium though, Chris (Ingram) went very well in Lancashire and he's been out in an historic rally getting gravel miles in. I expect Osian (Pryce) to be in a very strong position, he was about to challenge Chris for the lead on the first round when he had a mechanical issue, and he's at home in the Welsh forests this time around. William Creighton isn't far away from his first BRC win either, and James Williams put in some good stage times in the North West also. As I said, there are lots of contenders, so nobody can afford to have an off-day."
Outside of the top ten seeds, the presence at number fifteen of Jos Verstappen, former Formula 1 driver and father of current World Champion, Max, is sure to add an additional level of interest to the event, beyond the sphere of regular rally followers, and perhaps even outside of the general motorsport fan base. He will be driving the latest Skoda Fabia Rally 2, marking the first appearance of the model on a UK event. "I think all of the other drivers will be intrigued to see how he gets on," says Cronin. "It's been twenty years since he drove in Formula One, but he did Endurance races after that and took a class win at the Le Mans 24 Hours. He only took up rallying a couple of years ago, and he's already won a few events in Belgium, including a round of their National Championship, which is very competitive. This will be his first gravel rally I believe, so that will add another layer of complexity for him, but who knows, maybe he will come over and leave us all in his wake."
Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are supported by M Group of Companies, Lyons Motor Group, Shane Casey Electrical Services, Molson Equipment, Pirelli, EARS Motorsport Ireland, Cronin’s Centra (Ballylickey, Union Hall, Leap, Millstreet and Dundrum), Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Westlink Service Station and Daybreak Shop, Cremin Coaches, Keohane Seafoods, M-Sport and Wurth Ireland.
Creighton returns to the British Rally Championship in Wales
Posted: April 12, 2024 1:46 PM
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver William Creighton will get his first taste of the M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 on gravel this weekend [13 April], as he tackles the second round of the Probite British Rally Championship, the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages.
Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan have enjoyed a sensational run of form since stepping into Rally2 machinery. After a solid outing at Rally Sweden, part of their FIA World Rally Championship WRC2 campaign the pairing would head home, tackling the West Cork International Rally where they more than held their own against the domestic experts to take third overall.
Just a week later, they would head to Lancashire to begin their BRC campaign and repeated a podium result by scooping a fantastic second overall at a tricky Legend Fires North West Stages.
Now, the BRC heads onto the gravel for the first time this season as legendary stages such as Myherin, Sweet Lamb and Hafren make up the 62 miles of top-class forestry tests. Those iconic gravel tracks have witnessed many World Rally Championship fights in the past, made famous by Wales Rally GB over the decades and whilst titles have been won, they have also been cruelly taken away across the daunting high-speed stages.
Creighton is eager to sample the Fiesta Rally2 on a loose surface after a positive run on the asphalt.
“We have had a few enjoyable events on tar and it's fair to say we got everything we needed to out of our Irish and BRC outings” says Creighton.
“It's been a nice transition and the BRC calendar now allows us to make that next step in the Fiesta and sample the gravel. We want to get a good feeling for the car and find out what we expect from it, and it will be important to try and get to grips quickly.
“The Fiesta is definitely a proven package and that has been highlighted by what Adrien [Fourmaux, WRC driver] and the M-Sport team have achieved with it recently so it will be down to me to dial myself in the best I can.”
After second place on the season opener, the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver finds himself in a good position in the championship but understands the Severn Valley Stages is a tougher prospect than the first round.
“This will actually be my first gravel event in the UK in a four-wheel-drive but I don’t think I could pick better stages for it” he says.
“The stages are famous across the world and that’s for good reason. The pace out front will be fast from the start as the other drivers have more experience on these roads than I do, so it’s a tough weekend ahead. But learning in this environment and making that next step is an important process in learning the Fiesta and doing it the right way will only help us achieve our goals faster.
“In terms of our WRC outlook, Croatia is up next [18-21 April] and that’s on asphalt but after that, it’s a run of gravel so this weekend will help us across the board.”
Good gravel tests set Castrol MEM Rally Team up for first British Rally Championship forestry event of 2024
Posted: April 12, 2024 1:40 PM
After a double podium first and third finish on the opening round of the Probite British Rally Championship, the Castrol MEM Rally Team is set for the first gravel round of the series – with Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson ready to give the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 its UK forest rally debut and series leaders Chris Ingram/Alex Kihurani aiming for two wins out of two in their Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
Both drivers have been testing in Wales ahead of this weekend’s Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages.
Meirion has contested only two forestry events in a four-wheel drive car – the 2019 Cambrian and 2023 Wyedean rallies – and wisely doubled up with two days of testing. Day one was spent at the Phil Price Rally School near Knighton on Sunday and day two was at the Sweet Lamb complex near Llangurig on Tuesday. Over the two days the new Yaris Rally2 never missed a beat, giving the Carmarthenshire driver some valuable trouble-free gravel test miles – and a very busy start to rally week.
Chris has contested more gravel events in recent years as part of his FIA European Rally Championship programme, but his last forestry rally in the UK in a four-wheel drive car was on the 2018 Wales Rally GB. The Manchester driver was also at Sweet Lamb on Tuesday getting reacquainted to Welsh gravel and used the opportunity to give young Motorsport UK Academy co-driver Daniel James some top four-wheel drive testing experience. He also gave Nicky Grist, winner of 21 FIA World Rally Championship events including two RAC Rally victories with Juha Kankkunen (1993) and Colin McRae (1997) and supplier of the team’s P1 race suits, a high-speed passenger ride too.
Meirion Evans said: “I was quite happy with the testing that we did on gravel this week. We did a few minor set up changes to the car, just to assess a few what ifs, but the tests were more for my benefit and to get me back into a car on gravel. All bar two of my previous gravel rallies have been in a front-wheel drive car, where you have to be slow into corners and quick out – but with the Yaris you can be far more aggressive, let the car slide and keep the power down. I’ve done a few gravel rallies in mid-Wales, but not since 2016 in a Fiesta R2. I’ve got a pretty good memory, and looking at this year’s route on DVD I can still remember a few of the sections quite well. For me, this weekend is going to be a little bit like the opening North West Stages, insofar as it’s a step into the unknown. And for that reason we’re going to apply the same tactics and not get sucked into a fight, do our own thing and try to have a clean run without mistakes. That paid dividends on the first round, and hopefully it will do the same again this weekend.”
Chris Ingram said: “It’s been a while since I’ve rallied in the Welsh forests in a four-wheel drive car, so I’m looking forward to this weekend’s Rallynuts. The test at Sweet Lamb went well. We made some positive set up changes and the Polo now feels awesome on gravel. Alex [Kihurani] couldn’t attend the test, so it was great to have up-and-coming co-driver Daniel James step in, who was excellent calling the pace notes – and it was an honour to have Nicky Grist come along for a ride as well. I feel that both Meirion and myself are driving well and hopefully we’ll be able to match the good results that we achieved on the opening round, although there are a lot of good drivers who know the stages an awful lot better than we do this weekend! I’m certainly feeling on top of my game, ready and confident – and a lot of that is down to the Castrol MEM Rally Team who have done a great job to get everything ready and the wonderful support I have from Castrol, Suisscourtage and Michelin.”
The Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages begins this evening (Friday 12 April) with an autograph session and ceremonial start at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells. The action takes place over seven stages / 62 stage miles tomorrow (Saturday 13 April) with tests in Sarnau, Tarennig, Myherin and Sweet Lamb in the morning and Sarnau 2, Myherin Main (which at 15.82 miles is the longest of the event) and Hafren Main in the afternoon, following a midday service at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd. The first car will arrive at the finish in Llandrindod Wells at 17:35.
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