2020 Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship - CANCELLED

2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Cancelled

Posted: May 1, 2020 10:08 AM

The organisers of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship have taken the unavoidable decision to cancel the 2020 series, owing to the on-going coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

With four rounds of the championship already cancelled, and three more points-scoring rounds postponed, the BTRDA board of directors met to discuss in detail all the possible options that are available now, and that might come to light during the latter half of the season.

It was unanimously decided that the fairest and most sensible option to competitors, event organisers, officials and fans was to address the uncertainty with a decisive announcement, and to unfortunately cancel the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship forthwith.

The championship organisers would like to thank the events – the Legend Fires North West Stages, Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt, Manx National Rally, Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally, Tyrone Stages Rally, Hills Ford Three Shires Stages Rally and the Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally – for their hard work and understanding in these unprecedented times.

Attention now turns to organising, promoting and delivering an exceptional 2021 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, with an equally superb calendar of challenging events.

Steve Layton, Chairman of the BTRDA, said: “Unfortunately the Directors were left with no option but to take this action regarding the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, and will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation closely in the hope that our other championships will be able to restart before the end of the season. We would like to thank Jane and her team for all the work they have done to have made this a superb championship, and give her our full support for 2021.”

Jane Evans, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator, said:
“The decision to cancel the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship has been taken with a very heavy heart, but under these unprecedented circumstances it is the correct thing to do and the right decision for everyone. It is of course disappointing and frustrating, as we had put together a fantastic calendar of events for this year, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the event organisers for all their hard work and understanding. In addition, we are blessed to receive such incredible support from Protyre, which enables us to promote the series and publicise the exploits of all the registered contenders – and all of this had contributed in attracting the biggest number of competitors, in a huge variety of cars, that the series has seen for many years. Add other innovations like the new Ford Escort Challenge and the growing number of event-by-event incentives and prizes, and 2020 was going to be a brilliant season. All that hard work will not go to waste, as we will transfer everything and more over to next year, to ensure the 2021 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is even bigger and better.”

Shaun Chetwyn, Protyre Motorsport Manager, said:
“With regard to the 2020 season, we fully support the decision taken by the BTRDA and agree that in light of these very difficult times that we are all having to endure, cancelling this year’s Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship was the correct and only option available. Protyre Motorsport would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved and pass on our very best wishes to you and your families and look forward to seeing you all at the opening round of 2021.”

Scott Williams Motorsport offers fantastic Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Ford Escort Challenge prize

Posted: March 4, 2020 6:24 AM

The winner of the inaugural Ford Escort Challenge, the all-new category for Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 rear-wheel drive Escorts within the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, will win a custom made and fitted Simpson Race stainless steel exhaust system, courtesy of Scott Williams Motorsport.

The Wales and Ospreys rugby star is a huge motorsports fan, and has quickly established an impressive reputation for building stunning modern rallying Escorts. Much of what he creates is produced in-house, with the building of a new facility set to make the business even more self-sufficient.

This remarkable Escort Challenge prize, which is worth up to £2,000, is something that Scott himself said that he’d like to win. Unfortunately, his continued recovery from injury and a desire to return to top-class rugby as soon as possible ensures that he will not be able to rally and attempt to win his own prize this year – although several of his customers will be giving it their best shot!

The winner of the Escort Challenge will be determined by a class index of performance points calculation. The winner of each round will be awarded 30 points, with 28 points for second, 27 points for third and so on down to two points.

The Escort Challenge has struck an immediate chord with competitors, with no fewer than 16 drivers already signing up for the series.

The 2018 class B11 champion Paul Doroszczuk has registered for the series in his normally aspirated Cosworth-engined Drockspeed Motorsport Escort Mk2, while double class B12 champion Mike Pugsley returns in his gorgeous 1974 Escort Mk1 RS2000. Class B13 champion Darren Atkinson, who finished an incredible sixth overall on last year’s Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally, is also back in his Atkinsons Sandblasting/Dennison Trailers/S&W Fabrication-backed Ford Escort Mk2.

Phil Turner, who has previously won his class on the Tour of Epynt and Manx, returns in his Toovey Race Engines/ST Motorsport Escort Mk2, as does Mark Jasper who had such a fantastic run on the opening day of last year’s Manx in his Smith & Jones 2.5-litre engined Escort Mk2. Ross Brusby, who was up to an incredible fourth overall on the 2018 Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally before gearbox failure intervened, is coming back in his Chesterfield Transporters-backed Ford Escort Mk2.

They will be given a run for their money by a host of rapid Championship newcomers, including Richard Cookson, Alan Marriage, David Wright, Mark Kelly, Graham Muter, Dyfrig James, John Richardson, Peter Jackson, Stephen Ellison and Tomas Davies in a Scott Williams Motorsport built and prepared Millington-engined Mk2.

The opening round of the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is the Legend Fires North West Stages in Lancashire on 20/21 March.

Scott Williams said: “I am delighted to be able to support the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship with a prize for the Escort Challenge winner. I wanted to offer something that I’d like to win myself, and something that I could put to good use next season, so hence we came up with the idea of a custom made and fitted Simpson Race stainless steel exhaust system. We do everything in-house here at Scott Williams Motorsport, so the winner of the Escort Challenge will have the exhaust system built to his car’s precise specification. To go with the tyre incentives offered by Protyre and the other trade awards from the likes of Mintex and Nicky Grist Motorsports, I hope competitors agree that the Simpson Race Exhaust is a pretty cool thing to win!”

Jane Evans, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted that Scott Williams Motorsport has offered such a fantastic prize for the winner of the new Escort Challenge. Scott is a huge supporter of rallying and his motorsport business has quickly gained a reputation for building some truly exceptional modern rallying Escorts, and it’s a very generous award – not only in value, but also in the time and effort it will take to custom make and fit the stainless steel exhaust system. It’s a privilege to have Scott involved with the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, and we look forward to seeing him return to a rally car, and back on the rugby pitch, as soon as possible! We’ll also be presenting the top three in the Escort Challenge with a trophy each at the end of the season, so it will be fascinating to watch the crews battle it out to see who will be the first to put their names on the silverware.”

Ford Escort Challenge puts Irish and UK drivers in a spectacular ‘champion of champions’ rear-wheel drive showdown

Posted: January 9, 2020 11:45 AM

A new and exciting class specifically for Ford Escorts aims to bring the very best Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 rear-wheel drive competitors from the UK, Ireland and across Europe together in the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.

Ford Escort Challenge has been created to cater for what are still some of the most spectacular cars in rallying – and to find the champion of champions!

For many fans, Ford Escorts are the stars of the show – and the drivers have certainly risen to the top billing status with some stunning overall results. For example, Darren Atkinson clinched last year’s Asphalt Rally Championship class B13 title by finishing sixth overall on the Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally in his Atkinsons Sandblasting/Dennison Trailers/S&W Fabrication-backed Ford Escort Mk2. Class B11 champion John Devlin finished seventh overall in a similar car on the same event – the Banbridge driver’s result all the more remarkable as he was making his Epynt debut!

Phil Turner (Toovey Race Engines/ST Motorsport Escort Mk2) and Paul Doroszczuk (normally aspirated Cosworth-engined Drockspeed Motorsport Escort Mk2) are equally fast and spectacular in their power-sliding machines, while the Ford Escort Challenge – with its class index of performance basis points structure – will also give the likes of double class B12 champion Mike Pugsley an additional title to aim for in his gorgeous 1974 Escort Mk1 RS2000.

Drivers from Ireland and Europe are very welcome to contest the Asphalt Rally Championship – and benefit from the very favourable ferry crossing concessions offered by Fairfield Motorsport, and be fully eligible for other event-by-event rewards such as the Protyre Motorsport incentive and bonus scheme, the Mintex Award for the best improvement on seeding and the Hendy Ford Performance Trophy.

A special end of season Ford Escort Challenge award will be announced in due course – and in the meantime the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations are available to download at asphaltrallying.com, membership of the BTRDA is available at btrdamembership.com and further information on the Ford Escort Challenge is available from the Championship Co-ordinator, Jane Evans: Jane@asphaltrallying.com

Regulations published and Entries open for the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship

Posted: January 9, 2020 11:41 AM

Entries have opened for the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship – with the Sporting and Technical Regulations available to download at asphaltrallying.com.

Organised by the BTRDA, the Asphalt Rally Championship will consist of seven top quality events – four of which are new for 2020. With one double-header, there are eight points scoring opportunities and the best six scores will to count towards the overall and class titles.

The new-look Championship starts with the Motorsport North West-organised Legend Fires North West Stages Rally in Lancashire on Saturday 21 March, with its popular Garstang Town Centre ceremonial start taking place the evening before. Port Talbot Motor Club will organise the series’ only visit to Epynt this year, with the Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt hosting round two on Saturday 11 April. The Manx Auto Sport-organised Manx National Rally has been retained as a double points-scoring event (rounds three and four), with full Championship points awarded after day one on Friday 15 May (which will feature night time stages) and after a full daytime second leg on Saturday 16 May.

The Championship travels to Scotland for round five, for the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club-organised and Duns-based Jim Clark Rally, which takes place over the weekend of 30/31 May. The Championship then heads over to Northern Ireland on Saturday 18 July for the Tyrone Stages Rally. Organised by Cookstown Motor Club, round six will feature a compact 100% closed road route in the Stewartstown area of East Tyrone, with the start and finish in Cookstown. Another new addition to the Championship follows, with the Hills Ford Three Shires Stages Rally hosting the seventh and penultimate round of the series on Sunday 6 September. The Cheltenham Motor Club-organised event was the third closed road stage rally to run in England last year, and has stages located, as its title suggests, in three counties – Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The eighth and final round of the 2020 Championship will be the Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally on Sunday 27 September. Organised by Whickham & District Motor Club and Hadrian Motor Sports Club, the last two Championship titles have been decided on an exciting shootout over the Otterburn Military Range in Northumberland, and the venue will once again provide a challenging and fitting end to a hard fought season.

In addition to the class categories (see below) there will be a brand new class called the Ford Escort Challenge. This is open to all Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 rear-wheel drive Ford Escorts already entered in the Championship and scored on a class index of performance basis.

There are a large number of classes to cater for all types of car, driver, ability and budget, to ensure that Britain’s premier asphalt rally championship appeals to the widest number of competitors. Every registered driver in every class will benefit from the Championship’s dedicated press, photographic and live-streaming service. The classes are:

Class N2: over 1400cc up to and including 1600cc
Class N3: over 1600cc up to and including 2000cc
Class N4: over 2000cc
Class B9: up to 1400cc two-wheel drive cars
Class B10: over 1400 cc up to and including 1600cc two-wheel drive cars, including R1
Class B11: over 1600cc up to and including 2000cc two-wheel drive cars
Class B12: over 1600cc up to and including 2000cc 4-cylinder 8 valve (normally aspirated)
Class B13: over 2000cc two-wheel drive cars
Class B14: over 2000cc four-wheel drive non-WRC cars (including R4, and any four-wheel drive car not complying with Class B15 or Class R5)
Class B15: Homologated or non-homologated current or former WRC cars, a derivative of WRC or R5 - not following FIA app J Art 261 (R5+)
Class R3: As per FIA App J Art 260
Class R5: Homologated and non-homologated cars built to FIA Appendix J Article 261 including S2000 and RRC (homologated specification)
Class H1: All Historic Category 1 cars, Category 2 and 3 cars up to 1600cc, and Category 4 cars up to 1400cc
Class H2: Historic Category 2 and 3 cars with single-cam engines over 1600cc, and Category 4 cars up to 1600cc.
Class H3: Historic Category 2 and 3 cars with multi-cam engines over 1600cc, and Category 4 over 1600cc

Overall points will be awarded to the highest placed registered drivers and co-drivers on each event as follows:
1st – 30 points
2nd – 28 points
3rd – 27 points
….and so on down to 2 points to the 28th placed registered driver and co-driver overall, and every subsequent driver and co-driver who finishes the event. One point will be awarded to every non-finisher.

Class Points will be awarded to the highest placed registered driver and co-driver in each class on each qualifying round as follows:
1st – 15 points
2nd – 12 points
3rd – 10 points
4th – 9 points
….and so on down to 12th place – 1 point

Protyre Motorsport will once again offer a lucrative incentive and bonus rewards scheme in the overall and class sections (the details of which can be found in the Regulations).

There will also be rewards from a number of commercial and trade partners, including:

Hendy Ford Performance Trophy: A trophy plus a voucher for £100 redeemable at Hendy Ford Motorsport, will be presented to the driver of the highest placed registered two-wheel drive naturally aspirated Ford, in the overall points table at the end of the season.

Melvyn Evans Motorsport Junior Award: A test drive to include driving tuition with Melvyn Evans to the highest placed driver in the overall points’ table aged Under 25 (on 1 January 2020).

Tony Davies Memorial Award: To be presented the individual who has done something special in relation to the Championship at the discretion of the Championship Co-ordinator.

Mintex Junior Award: Draw at the end of the season for £500 to registered Under 25 drivers (on 1 January 2020).

Mintex Award: To the best improvement on seeding – awarded on each round to the registered competitor who finished the most places up from their start order position; the award offers one axle set FOC of Mintex brake pads to suit the calliper used on the winning car.

Nicky Grist Motorsports 1400 Award: Nicky Grist will give the winning registered driver and co-driver of the B9 class a £100 voucher each, to be spent on anything they wish in the Nicky Grist Motorsports range.

Fairfield Motorsport Award: Trophies awarded to the first registered overall driver and co-driver who travelled to events with Fairfield Motorsport. All registered Championship Fairfield Motorsport customers will also be entered into an end of season prize draw to win £100.

Jane Evans, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator, said:
“We welcome all competitors, old and new, to the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship. With continued support from our title sponsor Protyre, we have re-established the series as the best sealed-surface championship in the UK – and we will continue to work hard to make it better and better each year. For 2020, we are able to offer seven top quality events with eight scoring opportunities, with the best six scores to count, which will test the skills of both driver and co-driver. Live Streaming with Special Stage, and commentary from Howard Davies and guests, has proved to be a good and effective addition to the Championship, and we will continue to deliver live action to reach a worldwide audience, incorporating some exciting new innovation for 2020. We look forward to another season of top class competition, with the best asphalt drivers, in the best cars competing on the best all-asphalt events.”

Shaun Chetwyn, Protyre Motorsport Manager, said:
“Protyre is delighted to confirm that it will continue as title sponsor of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship series in 2020. Protyre is the largest supplier of Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier Motorsport tyres throughout the UK, and already support many drivers and teams within motorsport to deliver cost effective tyres in an increasingly demanding environment. It is not only Pirelli, Michelin, and Hoosier tyres that can be supplied, but any brand of tyre that competitors wish to use; it’s only a ‘phone call away and we will be able to supply these tyres to competitors and deliver on-event support. We are also able to offer quality incentives to drivers as part of the Asphalt Rally Championship sponsorship package and would urge all competitors to make Protyre their company of choice for the 2020 series. We look forward to meeting old friends and making new ones throughout the 2020 season and we will be attending every event within the Championship.”

The 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is open to all fully paid-up members of the BTRDA who are registered in the Championship and have a Competition Licence of a grade appropriate to each event issued by Motorsport UK, or by Motorsport Ireland. Also, any professional competitors and drivers holding a licence issued by any EU country showing an EU flag, being fully paid-up members of the BTRDA and registered in the Championship, shall be entitled to take part and score points in the Championship. BTRDA membership is available on-line at www.btrdamembership.com.

Exciting new 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship calendar includes five closed road stage events

Posted: December 14, 2019 12:47 PM

The Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will include four new events in its exciting 2020 calendar, with the majority of rallies being closed road stage events and the series growing to eight qualifying rounds, with the best six scores to count.

Supported by title sponsor Protyre Motorsport – the largest suppler of Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier motorsport tyres in the UK – for a third year, the BTRDA organised 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will have an exciting seven event, eight round format, with the Manx National Rally once again counting as a double-points scoring round.

In a change to recent years, the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will start with the Legend Fires North West Stages Rally, which joins Britain’s premier asphalt rally series for the first time. Organised by Motorsport North West and based at Myerscough College near Preston in Lancashire, next year’s event will run exclusively on closed roads on Saturday 21 March, with reconnaissance and the popular Garstang Town Centre ceremonial start on Friday 20 March.

There will be only one round on Epynt next year, and this will be the Port Talbot MC-organised Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt. Taking place a full month later than in recent years, the Llandovery-based event runs on Saturday 11 April.

The Manx National Rally has been retained as a double points-scoring event, with full Championship points awarded after day one on Friday 15 May (which will feature night time stages) and after a full daytime second leg on Saturday 16 May. Organised by Manx Auto Sport, the event will feature a revised route and many of the classic and much loved Isle of Man stages.

The Championship will travel to Scotland next, for the Jim Clark Rally. Organised by the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club, the closed road event will return next month after a four year absence. Based in the Market Square in Duns, Berwickshire, next year’s event will run over the weekend of 30/31 May.

The Championship then heads over to Northern Ireland on 18 July for the Tyrone Stages Rally. Organised by Cookstown MC, next year’s event will feature a compact 100% closed road route, with three stages run three times each in the Stewartstown area of East Tyrone. The start and finish will be in Cookstown, with centralised servicing on the outskirts of the town.

Another new addition to the Championship follows, with the Hills Ford Three Shires Stages Rally on 6 September. This new Cheltenham MC-organised event, the third closed road stage rally to run in England, ran for the first time this year, with stages located, as its title suggests, in three counties – Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The final round of the 2020 Championship will be the Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally on 27 September. Organised by Whickham & District Motor Club and Hadrian Motor Sports Club, the last two Championship titles have been decided on an exciting shootout over the Otterburn Military Range in Northumberland, and it will once again provide a challenging and fitting end to a hard fought season.

As well as sponsoring the series, Protyre will offer registered competitors very competitive special rates on all brands of competition tyres and very generous tyre incentives – as well as operating a comprehensive on-event service at each round, offering tyre delivery, tyre fitting, emergency supply of tyres and advice.

All rounds of the 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will be broadcast live on the internet. The service has received in excess of one million views in the last two years, with audience figures increasing in 2019 – thanks to a two camera crew covering more stages and more competitors, live drone footage, driver interviews, guest commentators and Gemma Watson joining Howard Davies in the commentary team.

The 2020 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Sporting and Technical Regulations will be available soon on asphaltrallying.com.

Mike Broad, President of the BTRDA, said:
“2019 has been a year of consolidation for the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship. The events were all well run and the competition as close as ever. It’s always good when the title goes to the last round. I would like to thank Shaun Chetwyn and his team at Protyre for their continuing support for 2020. We were delighted by the media coverage last year and plan to make it even better for 2020 both for streaming and on-line content. We have new rounds in the Championship for 2020 covering the entire United Kingdom. We now have five closed roads events and one on Epynt and one on Otterburn, something for everyone I think. My personal thanks must go out to Jane Evans and her team for overseeing the Championship and wish all competitors a safe and exciting 2020 Championship.”

Jane Evans, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator, said:
“I am delighted to be able to include four new events into the series for 2020, and very much look forward to bringing the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship to those areas. It’s been difficult to put the calendar together for next year, as I wanted to have a change and introduce new events into the Championship. As always I am guided by the competitors, as I feel that if they have a strong input into the calendar of events, then they and others will want to come and compete. We have to say a huge thank you to the out-going events that are not in the 2020 calendar, and thank them for all their hard work and hospitality. I’m very pleased with the new-look calendar and hope that competitors enjoy the range of events that we have chosen.”

Shaun Chetwyn, Protyre Motorsport Manager, said:
“I would like to thank all the competitors, event organisers, marshals and sponsors that have all played a huge part in making the 2019 season such a success. Protyre is delighted to again be able to support the Asphalt Rally Championship and I am sure that 2020, with the inclusion of the new and even more challenging venues, will be another very exciting season. With the support of the leading rally tyre manufacturers Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier, Protyre will once again be able to offer competitors the best tyre options for all conditions.”

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 14, 2019 12:46 PM

1. North West Stages - 20-21 Mar 20
2. Tour of Epynt - (Sat) 11 Apr 20
3. Manx National Rally - 15-16 May 20
4. Jim Clark Reivers Rally - 31 May 20
5. Tyrone Stages Rally - (Sat) 18 Jul 20
6. Three Shires Stages - 6 Sep 20
7. Cheviot Stages Rally - 27 Sep 20

Motorsport UK National Asphalt Rally Championship