2019 Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship

More drivers to benefit from Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship tyre rewards

Posted: March 7, 2019 3:55 AM

More drivers will benefit from the lucrative event-by-event tyre rewards offered by Protyre Motorsport, thanks to a reworking of the 2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship incentive and bonus schemes.

Last year, over 100 tyres were offered as rewards to the most successful drivers per event in the overall classification, historic section and 1400cc categories. For 2019, this generous incentive will be offered to even more of the class competitors, with tyre rewards going to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd registered drivers overall in the general classification, the 1st registered driver in each of the three classes from B10 to B15 by rotation and to the 1st registered driver overall in classes 1400C and 1400S by rotation (subject to there being five or more in the 1400 classes). The rotation system will be: classes B10, B11, B12 and 1400C on the Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt (10 March), Woodstoxx-Motul Rally van Wervick (15 June) and the Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally (25 August) and classes B13, B14, B15 and 1400S on the Masterpixel Media Manx National (10/11 May), Carryduff Forklift Down Rally (20 July) and the Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally (22 September).

To ensure that the maximum number of different drivers benefit from the Protyre Motorsport incentive scheme, drivers will only be eligible to win one of the tyre awards per event. Therefore, if a driver finishes 1st, 2nd or 3rd overall, they will not also receive the tyre incentives awarded for B10-B15, as these will go to the next eligible driver in the event results. Full details have been published in the Asphalt Rally Championship Regulations.

To be eligible for the event-by-event tyre incentives, competitors must purchase their tyres from Protyre Motorsport or their agreed supplier and apply to Michelin, Pirelli and Hoosier tyres only.

Competitors are free to purchase and use any stage rally tyre that conforms to the Motorsport UK rules from any supplier, and will of course be very welcome to contest the events, score Championship points and battle for Championship titles. Whilst they will be eligible for all of the other Asphalt Rally Championship incentive and bonus schemes - like the Mintex Award, Mintex Junior Award, Melvyn Evans Motorsport Junior Award, Nicky Grist Motorsports 1400cc Award, the Hendy Ford Performance Trophy, the Tony Davies Memorial Award and the Fairfield Motorsport Rally van Wervik travel and accommodation package (see Regulations) – only crews who purchase their tyres from Protyre Motorsport (or their agreed supplier) will qualify for the event-by-event tyre rewards.

As in 2018, Protyre Motorsport will attend all rounds of the Asphalt Rally Championship, operating an on-event fitting service for all registered Championship contenders. This proved to be a vital service for competitors last year, especially on the events that experienced very changeable weather – most notably the Manx, Mewla and Cheviot rallies. Tyres can be bought at events, although registered competitors are encouraged to pre-order tyres in advance from the massive range of tyres that Protyre Motorsport has in stock.

Shaun Chetwyn, Protyre Motorsport Manager, said:
“Protyre Motorsport is delighted to be able to continue to help grow the Asphalt Rally Championship and these new tyre incentives have been designed to reward even more competitors from more of the classes. As last year, we’ll have at least one, and sometimes two, trucks based in the service area at each round, offering a comprehensive tyre service to all registered competitors. We will also carry a wide selection of Michelin, Pirelli and Hoosier tyres for competitors to buy on the day – although we recommend drivers let us have their requirements before each round. I’m looking forward to seeing competitors old and new on Epynt this weekend, for what promises to be a fantastic start to the 2019 series.”

Jane Evans, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator, said:
“We are extremely fortunate to have Protyre as the Asphalt Rally Championship sponsor and are indebted to them for their generous support for the tyre prizes. I hope that the way we have spread the awards out will attract a wide range of competitors who will want to compete for these prizes. As Championship Co-ordinator, I look forward to seeing competitors on the Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt this weekend.”

The 2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations and Entry Forms are available to download on asphaltrallying.com.

2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship calendar announced

Posted: January 3, 2019 1:32 PM

The 2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship calendar will include a double-header event, with the Bet On Aces Manx National Rally counting as Rounds 2 and 3.

The Isle of Man event will have two full days of competition, with full points awarded at the end of Friday 10 May and at the end of Saturday 11 May. This means that the BTRDA organised Asphalt Rally Championship will have seven scoring rounds, with the best five scores counting towards the overall and class titles.

The Championship will begin on 10 March with the Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt, before heading to the Manx National. Round 4 will be the Rally van Wervik on 15 June, an event that in 2018 saw a British crew (Rhys Yates/Elliott Edmondson, ŠKODA Fabia R5) beat all the Belgian drivers to win outright for the very first time. The Carryduff Forklift Down Rally, which won the 2018 Rally of the Year Award, follows on 20 July, before the penultimate round, the Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally, on 25 August. The series will once again end with the Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally on Otterburn, which takes place one month earlier than in 2018, on 22 September. The Championship Awards night will be on 2 November at the Hilton Puckrup Hall, Tewkesbury.

All the classes that ran in 2018 will continue unchanged in 2019, with Protyre Motorsport offering tyre rewards to the overall podium finishers and to the winners of the popular B classes. If the overall top three are also B class winners, the tyre rewards will go to the class competitors who haven’t won tyres in the overall category – meaning more drivers will benefit from this lucrative prize.

Protyre is the largest suppler of Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier motorsport tyres in the UK, and it can supply any brand of tyre. The advantages to registered competitors is that not only will they receive a very competitive special rate, Protyre will operate a comprehensive on-event service at each round, offering tyre delivery, tyre fitting, emergency supply of tyres and advice.

All rounds of the 2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will be broadcast live on the internet. In 2018, the live-streaming broadcasts reached an audience of around 650,000 people – and in 2019 the service will be expanded to include two stage-side cameras (with Gemma Watson joining Howard Davies as the main commentary anchor team), drones, driver interviews, guest commentators, more fan interaction and its very own YouTube channel.

The 2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations will be available soon on asphaltrallying.com.

Mike Broad, President of the BTRDA, said:
“After the Asphalt Rally Championship took a sabbatical in 2017, we could not have hoped for a stronger and more healthier return in 2018. With 116 registered competitors and the overall and many of the class titles going down to an exciting final round, 2018 really was a fantastic year for the series. Our aim is to build on that success, by listening to the feedback we’ve received and creating a 2019 Championship that, whilst maintaining a core level of stability, continues to development. We are confident we have achieved that balance and that the 2019 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will be another season of serious fun.”

Jane Evans, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator, said:
“I am truly delighted with how the 2018 Asphalt Rally Championship went and the extremely positive feedback we had from competitors, teams, event organisers, fans and our sponsors. Having listened to all the comments, it was clear that there was a need for stability regarding the events and class structure and a desire to make a few adjustments – and making the series five scores from seven rounds without increasing the overall cost was the most popular suggestion. This we have done by making the Manx National Rally, which will have two full days of competition in 2019, into a double-header. I hope this change, and the improvements to the Protyre Motorsport event-by-event prizes and expanded live-streaming service, will please competitors, and the entire Asphalt Rally Championship team look forward to welcoming back old friends and making new ones in 2019.”

Shaun Chetwyn, Protyre Motorsport Manager, said:
“We are delighted to have been able to play a part in securing the return and future of the Asphalt Rally Championship. For Protyre and all the tyre manufactures involved (Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier Tires) it was fantastic to see how the Championship was received and how successful the 2018 season has been. We would like to thank Jane, the competitors and everyone else involved, and hope that we can assist in making the 2019 season even more successful.”

Championship Rounds

Posted: January 3, 2019 1:30 PM

1 Tour of Epynt - 10 Mar 19
2 & 3 Manx National Rally - 10-11 May 19
4 Rally van Wervik (Belgium) - (Sat) 15 Jun 19
5 Down Rally - (Sat) 20 Jul 19
6 Mewla Rally - 25 Aug 19
7 Cheviot Stages Rally - DATE CHANGE 22 Sep 19 WAS 13 Oct 19

Motorsport UK National Asphalt Rally Championship