Pirelli International Rally - (Sat) 27 Apr 19

CARLISLE CHALLENGE FOR COLEMAN AWARD WINNER JAMES WILSON!

Posted: April 25, 2019 2:10 PM

Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award winner James Wilson and his co-driver Arthur Kierans, are on an important mission this weekend for round three of the British Rally Championship (BRC). The Pirelli Rally utilizes the famous Kielder forest complex this Saturday, for what is now going to be sixty miles of special stages through the famous forests.

James heads into this third round in joint lead of the Junior category of the BRC with round two winner-Josh McErlean equal on points. ”The championship started off brilliantly for us with the win on the opening Cambrian round, then West Cork we had quite a few dramas, and came through with a fourth place finish. This weekend we really need to go for it again and try to get a win” said James.

The Philip Case Rally Sport (PCRS) run Peugeot 208 R2 was bring put through it’s paces before the event on an official test in the forests near to the rally and James was feeling confident again. “Again it took a little time to adapt to the gravel driving again, but it came good and we clocked up thirty or forty miles with no problems and made a plan of attack for Saturday. We haven’t moved the set–up too much from the Cambrian as the car felt stable, even on the high speed sections. These forests are fast in places, with sometimes bad cambers on the roads and very loose stones on the surface. It’s a unique challenge,a lot of third-fourth-fifth gear sections and you can see why they used to call it “killer Kielder” on the old RAC rallies!”

With valuable prize money also on offer in the Peugeot/Total UK & Ireland scheme it’s an important weekend for James and 2014 BRC winning co-driver Arthur Kierans. It’s also a busy time as after this event they will be preparing for the following weekend’s Killarney Rally of the Lakes in the Hyundai R5, a drive awarded as part of the development programme in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. “We will be running car nineteen on the Rally of the Lakes and the thought of taking the Hyundai over some of the most iconic rally stages in the world is mind-blowing! We had the opportunity to sample the PCRS run Hyundai R5 on gravel at the second Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy day, and again I felt very much at home with the car. It felt natural, and it was good to get it sliding about on the gravel, it’s quite some machine!”

Preparation is everything and that’s not just for the 208, as James has been working hard on his personal fitness of late in the Armagh City Hotel- Health and Fitness Club. Thanks to Motorsport Ireland, Sport Ireland and the individual motor-clubs who played their part the team is able to continue it’s strong BRC campaign which is bolstered by support from Rigual SA, Emco Wheaton, Road Tankers- Armagh, TEC Industrial, James Wilson Garage Services and Philip White Tyres.

“It takes it all, and it’s immensely competitive this year, so this Saturday promises to be some Junior battle. The 208’s of William Creighton, Marty Gallagher and Josh McErlean will all be on the pace, and then you have James Williams and Jordan Hone who is switching to a new Fiesta R2 for the rally. It’s great to be part of it and hopefully we can get through the stages without any dramas.”

Marty McCormack withdraws

Posted: April 24, 2019 6:09 AM

Hone makes EDSL Sport Fiesta R2 switch

Posted: April 24, 2019 4:40 AM

Junior British Rally Championship front-runner Jordan Hone will drive an EDSL Sport M-Sport Fiesta R2 at this weekend’s Pirelli International Rally (27th April).

Hone, from Derry in Ireland, has shown impressive pace on both rounds of the series so far despite being behind the wheel of an ageing Open Adam R2. The 2018 Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award nominee will switch to the all-new Fiesta R2 for the single day gravel rally in Kielder Forest along the Scottish Borders.

Official M-Sport re-sellers EDSL Sport have been responsible for introducing the 2019 Fiesta to the UK and have been working hard to adapt the machine to both the British forests and the bumpy Irish asphalt over the past few months. Ruairi Bell and current British Rally Champion co-driver Darren Garrod have shown impressive pace on their BRC debut this season, giving the Fiesta its first fastest Junior time overall at last month’s West Cork Rally.

Now, Bell will be joined by Hone and co-driver Aileen Kelly for the unforgiving gravel tracks in Kielder and the Irishman is looking forward to his first drive of the modern specification Fiesta R2.

“I`m certainly looking forward to the challenge this weekend,” he says.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to drive the new generation R2’s yet but we have a test planned this week and the 1.0 Litre Turbo is going to require a different driving style to the older generation R2 like my Adam. It will be a challenge to get up to speed and comfortable with the new surroundings, but I'm confident that they are a good car and they’ve certainly shown their pace on first two rounds of the BRC this year. Hopefully, they can continue to do so more regularly at the Pirelli Rally!”

Hone has regularly been at the front of the Junior BRC battle this season, on both a gravel and asphalt surface. He was in second spot on the season-opening Cambrian Rally before being forced down to fifth in the dark. His pace was confirmed on the Tar, leading Junior after the opening day at West Cork before sliding off the road on the second.

The event will mark Hone’s first foray into the undulating and treacherous Kielder forests, and he doesn’t believe in pressuring himself into a result.

“We have to be realistic and not expect a result in our first time out in the car,” he says.

“It’s a new car, new stages and it is going to be pretty difficult for us to get a result compared to the other guys in the BRC Juniors class who have done these stages for the past two or three years. If we can be there or thereabouts with the rest in the class, and ultimately finish we’ll be happy.

The Pirelli Rally is the one I wanted to do the most as it’s such an iconic rally associated with the British Rally Championship, so I wasn’t going to miss the chance to do the rally after our accident on the West Cork. Hopefully, Aileen and I can have a good recce to allow us to make good pacenotes and make learning a new car on new stages slightly easier. From then on, we’ll just build our pace up as the day goes on and hopefully, we can make it to the end with some valuable points.”

Team Manager Alex Waterman is delighted to welcome Hone to the team and is eager to see how the weekend pans out for the EDSL Sport squad.

“It’s fantastic to see Jordan wanting to fight for the Junior BRC in one of our Fiesta’s and after his performances so far this season, I believe he is the perfect fit for the car,” he says.

“There is no doubt that he has the pace to be fighting at the front of the Junior category and we all know how rapid these youngsters are out there. There is certainly no pressure from me at all. We really want to see how he does and what feedback he can provide to us during the weekend. M-Sport will be providing an engineer for the test this weekend so we will see what we can dial-in to suit his driving style. We have a great team in Ruairi and Jordan so I'm` really looking forward to the Pirelli and seeing how our guys perform”.

Hone is eager to bag some valuable points for his Junior BRC campaign but admits he isn’t going just to make up the numbers.

“I’d love to say we will go flat out and say that ‘we are going to clean everyone’s clocks!’ he quipped.

“But for me, it’ll be more important to get to the finish and score some points, to ensure we can continue with the British Junior Championship. After our accident on the West Cork, we almost weren’t going to make it to the Pirelli due to the expense of the damages, but thanks to all my sponsors and EDSL Sport for giving me this opportunity, we’ve been able to do the deal and get to the rally.

With all the effort that it took for us to get here, it would be more important for Aileen and me to get to the finish and get some points so we can build some momentum and begin to think about latter half of the championship, and with that hopefully we can get some luck and get a result as I’m confident that we have the speed to do that.”

The Pirelli International Rally takes places on Saturday, with eight stages and over eighty miles of competitive action in the Kielder Forest complex near to the Carlisle base.

More information on EDSL Sport can be found by visiting www.edslsport.co.uk

Seeded Entry Lists

Posted: April 21, 2019 5:00 PM

Pirelli International Rally - (Sat) 27 Apr 19 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST (BRC Section)
Pirelli International Rally - (Sat) 27 Apr 19 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST (Historic Section)

Fortune favours the brave as BRC speeds into Kielder Forest

Posted: April 18, 2019 8:51 AM

The action-packed British Rally Championship heads to Carlisle, Cumbria for the Pirelli International Rally (27 April) – the third round of the series.

This weekend the intrepid British championship crews face a one-day shoot out over 80 fast and furious gravel miles in the infamous Kielder Forest complex. The Ceremonial Start will take place at the Pirelli factory on the outskirts of Carlisle ahead of eight timed stages on the fast and flowing gravel roads before a family-friendly finish in the centre of Brampton where fans will be able to get up close to the cars and stars.

Leading the charge in Britain’s premier rallying series is reigining champion and 2018 Pirelli International winner Matt Edwards and co-driver Patrick Walsh. Edwards clinched his breakthrough BRC win on the gravel of Kielder exactly one year ago and will be keen to repeat the feat this weekend. The Welsh pairing are spearheading the assault for Cockermouth-based team M-Sport once again this season and the Pirelli-backed Ford Fiesta R5 duo will be eager to extend their championship lead and back up their round one Cambrian Rally win.

“Winning the event last year was a big thing for me. It was a great battle with many top drivers, but the most important thing was that it was an uneventful weekend as we had no dramas compared to other crews. It was an important rally as it was my first International and first BRC win and I look forward to returning with the number one on the door - something I have yet to do on a BRC round, so that will be another nice tick in the box.

“The event is very unique. You need a lot of bravery over the crests and on the high-speed straights to really make up time. You need to also have an element of caution as Kielder can bite and catch you out. Your pacenotes are vital as that can give you more confidence over a blind crest or if it’s wrong it could put you in one of the famous ditches. Kielder is not known for allowing mistakes so it’s very much a tightrope between a stage win or retirement.”

Tom Cave chalked up his first four-wheel-drive BRC win last time out on the West Cork Rally after an intense final stage-shoot out with Edwards. Cave took the first win for Hyundai in the BRC since David Higgins in 2004 and the i20 R5 pilot will be hoping to continue the momentum onto the gravel in Kielder. Joined in the Michelin-shod Hyundai by Dale Bowen once again – a win in England will turbo-charge their title aspirations.

2011 British Champion David Bogie will be looking to make strides this weekend as he searches his first win of the season. Bogie from Dumfries and Irish co-driver John Rowan lead the charge for Carlisle-based preparation firm CA1 Sport on the rally and the pair will be keen to put the 2018 early exit behind them and stand on the top step of the podium.

Second in the points standings coming into the Cumbrian round is Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell in their Skoda Fabia R5. The Irish pair have been chipping away this season and have a third and a fourth in the bank already – but the pair would so desperately love to take their first BRC win on the fast Kielder forestry tracks and make it three different winners in as many events.

Defending Irish Tarmac Champion Josh Moffett has returned to the BRC this year, and he navigator Keith Moriarty recorded their first podium of the year in West Cork last time out. The Ford Fiesta R5 team have never been to the Pirelli together before, but could spring a surprise if others faulter and visit one of the infamous Kielder ditches.

Fellow Irishman Desi Henry is a previous Irish Forest Champion and with the experienced Liam Moynihan sat alongside – the Skoda Fabia R5 pairing will be hoping a rostrum will propel them up the championship order.

Rhys Yates is making a welcome return to Britain’s top flight on the Pirelli Rally. Yates will be dovetailing selected British events this season with his FIA World Rally Championship outings. The Englishman has fine form on the Cumbrian gravel as the young-gun fought for victory 12 months ago. Fast forward to 2019 and this time round he will be looking to go one better than his second-place last season.

Forestry fight for Junior BRC

The Junior BRC for drivers under 26 years of age in front-wheel-drive R2 cars also creates drama aplenty on the BRC stages. So far this season the exciting formula has seen two first time winners and five different drivers on the two podiums so far this season.

Josh McErlean broke his victory duck on the West Cork Rally in his Peugeot 208 R2 and scooped £2,500 – the first prize from Peugeot UK and Pirelli. The Northern Irishman has been impressive so far this season in the French machine and would love to do his own double – but he will be pushed hard this weekend by a hungry chasing pack.

James Wilson won the opening round of the championship in Wales and joint leads the series with McErlean coming to the Pirelli. The Peugeot driver impressed on the gravel last season when he made his BRC debut and along with 2014 BRC Champion co-driver Arthur Kierans the Irish pair will be hunting another podium to keep up their impressive form.

Mister consistent William Creighton hasn’t been off the podium so far this year and comes into the Pirelli full of optimism with co-driver Liam Regan. The 208 seems to be the car to have this season and the 2017 JBRC Pirelli International winner will be looking to get back to winning ways to springboard him above his Irish rivals.

James Williams occupies fourth in the standings and is best of the rest in his Vauxhall ADAM R2. Along with co-driver Tom Woodburn, the Welsh driver returned to the rostrum in Cork and will be fighting for his first Pirelli win in his quest to become champion this season.

New for 2019 is the career-changing prize of €60,000 from M-Sport and Pirelli to the first Ford Fiesta R2 driver in the Junior BRC standings. Leading the Fiesta brigade is Ruairi Bell – who is in his first BRC season. Bell has been building confidence and pace in the brand-new 2019-spec Fiesta and he rounds out the top five in the standings. Bell will be searching another top five or even a podium and he has an ace up his sleeve this season as the Englishman has 2018 BRC co-drivers champion Darren Garrod alongside guiding him through the challenges that await.

Entries Received / On Line Entry

Posted: March 22, 2019 5:15 AM

www.rallies.info/webentry/2019/pirellibrc/

Rally Guide / Event Website / Details

Posted: March 5, 2019 6:09 AM

Pirelli Rally BRC