Ypres Rally - 23-24 Jun 17

History-making Cronin conquers Belgium

Posted: November 13, 2018 9:21 AM

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin were the top Prestone MSA British Rally Championship crew on the legendary Ypres Rally – the championship's first overseas round in its 59-year history.

The Irish pairing expertly guided their M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 to victory on the fourth round of the BRC and mixed it with the best in Europe, finishing an impressive sixth in the overall event. WRC star Kevin Abbring and local co-driver Pieter Tsjoen were the overall victors in their Peugeot 208 T16.

The classic Ypres Rally marked the crucial halfway point in Britain’s premier rallying series. The opening three events were played out on gravel and the Belgian event provided the first sealed-surface taster of the season with the Tarmac specialists expected to come to the fore.

Twenty demanding stages held in both daylight and darkness were centre stage as the historic venue played host to a festival-like atmosphere as the BRC show came to the Belgian city, with thousands of rally fans descending to take in the top-drawer action. To succeed in Flanders, bravery is key - and an eye for cuts. Cut corners too much, and you are heading for a puncture and an early bath. Don’t cut at all, though, and you risk skating around, losing ground on the mud and grass dragged out by your competitors.

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin stole the initial march in their DMACK-backed Fiesta R5. The Irish crew were at home on the Tarmac from the off and used their Evo2 upgrade on the Fiesta to good effect, stretching an early lead on the opening loop of stages.

The closest challenge came from Fredrik Ahlin and Torstien Eriksen (Skoda Fabia R5). The Scandinavians quickly found their feet on their less preferred surface and on the second loop began to reel in Cronin before overhauling him on Stage 7. Disaster struck for Ahlin a stage later, the final one of the first leg of the event. The Swede lost control of the Fabia R5, putting the Czech machine into one of the event's notorious ditches. Ahlin’s CA1 Sport team recovered the car and enabled the Swedish star to restart the next day to gain crucial testing mileage and more importantly, the Swede clawed his way back up the leaderboard to finish sixth and collect crucial championship points, which may well prove crucial later in the season.

Cronin experienced his own drama when he visited a field. Thankfully, the multiple BRC champion recovered, losing minimal time in the process. Others weren’t so lucky. Marty McCormack/David Moyinhan (Fabia R5) have a great deal of experience in Ypres but even the best can be caught out as on Stage 2, the pair rolled the car out of the event.

Scotish Rally winner David Bogie and new co-driver Andrew Roughead were another big name to take an early bath as they too were to exit on Stage 2.

With the dust settling on the drama, Cronin was to lead the BRC section at the overnight halt ahead of Desi Henry/John Rowan (Fabia R5) and a charging Tom Cave and James Morgan in their striking Hyundai i20 R5.

The second day saw a change in weather with a temperature drop and light rain throughout the region. It was to be another challenging yet exciting day for the BRC crews.

Cronin showed why he is a three-time BRC champion as he meticulously danced his Fiesta through the cuts to stretch his margin to a over a minute, claiming his first BRC win since 2012 and lifting the Tony Pond Award for the highest placed BRC driver. The Trophy was presented by Pond’s co-driver Fred Gallagher at the ceremonial finish.

The first casualty on the second day was Tom Cave who had passed Henry on the opening test before the Hyundai came to a grinding halt at the end of Stage 10. Another heart-wrenching mechanical failure put Cave on the sidelines allowing Desi Henry to step up into second briefly, until he rolled his Fabia out of the event on Stage 14 – denying him his best BRC finish to date.

Waiting in the wings, ready to pounce was Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod in their Hankook tyre-shod Ford Fiesta R5. Edwards was only on his third Tarmac event in the car and was driving clean and tidy throughout the two days. His first fastest BRC stage time came on the opening day and his best BRC finish of second came on the final day with the Welsh duo delighted to take their first podium.

Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss (Fiesta R5) had a quiet event by their high standards. Ypres was a case of gaining confidence and the right set-up for the Spencer Sport crew. The Welsh duo can be very satisfied with their weekend work, netting third – continuing their run of podiums as they now lead the Championship coming into their home event. Jamie Anderson and Ross Whittock (Fiesta R5) enjoy the longer, tougher events and claimed their best BRC performance to date with a fine fourth. Rhys Yates and Carl Williamson in their Michelin-backed Fiesta R5 were delighted to reach the finish, rounding out the BRC top five and making it a clean sweep for the Ford Fiesta R5 up to that point in the classification.

Simply Devine – Callum Devine seals first Junior win

The Prestone Motorsport News Junior BRC provided another glimpse of the stars of tomorrow. Callum Devine and Keith Moriarty in their Opel ADAM R2 were top of the timesheets after the opening stage, with Devine utilising his Ypres experience from last year to good effect.

Hot on the Irish crew's heels were Chris Ingram and Elliott Edmondson. The English pairing were competing as a one-off in Britain’s premier rallying series in a Network Q-prepared Opel ADAM R2. Ingram was contesting his fifth Ypres Rally and made use of his European Rally experience on the second stage by snatching the lead from Devine. However, he had to relinquish the lead on the fourth test back to Devine. That put the bit between the teeth of the 2016 European two-wheel-drive champion, as he scampered away to a healthy one-minute margin before he unfortunately rolled out of the event. A cruel blow to the Opel factory driver.

Devine had shown brilliant speed and traded times with Ingram at the top of the Junior standings. After coming so close to victory on the Pirelli Rally, he and Moriarty tasted the champagne at the spectacular ceremonial finish in Ypres and in the process made it four different winners from the first four rounds. The victory was made even sweeter for the young-gun as he lifted the Junior Tony Pond Award for the highest placed Junior BRC driver and recorded the first win for Kumho tyres in the BRC in 2017.

Championship leaders William Creighton and Liam Regan were keen to sample asphalt for the first time this season. With more experienced rivals visiting ditches and retiring, the Peugeot 208 R2 team were out to finish and haul more points towards their championship ambitions. The Irish pair didn’t have it easy as they were pushed all the way by James Williams and Dai Roberts. The Welsh partnership took their first podium and perhaps more impressively were the first Ford Fiesta R2T crew to the finish in Ypres.

Cornwall commands Cadet Cup in Ypres

The Cadet Cup for BRC drivers aged 25 and under was to be for many their toughest and most challenging event in their short rallying careers.

Josh Cornwell was the man on form coming to Belgium with three wins from three events. The Pirelli-supported driver with Richard Bliss calling the notes was once again unstoppable in the Ford Fiesta R2 - dominating the class and setting some respectable times that would have faired well in the Junior BRC category. With four straight wins, Cornwell and Bliss can almost put one hand on the inaugural Cadet Cup.

Tom Williams/Bryan Hull had a difficult opening day with gearbox gremlins working their way into their Fiesta R2. A full gearbox change on the Friday night enabled Williams to salvage a crucial second in class to help their championship ambitions. Alex Waterman with Michael Gilbey calling the notes flew over the Belgian roads and cobbles to record another podium position in the Cadet category.

White and Morrison conquer Belgian Adventure

David White along with son Matthew were the sole runners in BRC4 on the challenging roads around Ypres. The English duo love competing on the sealed-surface, however, on the opening day they visited a ditch in their Ford Fiesta R2. With the help of spectators, the father and son duo were able to continue to take their first class win of the year to put them ahead of World Mountain Bike Champion Gee Atherton standings.

In the National Rally Cup, John Morrison/Peter Carstairs were out to gather experience on the Belgian Tarmac in their immaculately prepared Mitsubishi Evo 6. The crew inherited the lead after initial trial blazer Donnie Macdonald went off the road on the first day of the event. Morrison took his second win of the season and stretched his command at the top of the NRC points standings.

Max Utting and Claire Williams made a welcome return to the BRC after missing the last round. The pair carefully threaded their Ford Fiesta ST through the Belgian lanes to take a welcome second place in class. Utting earns four extra points after playing his ‘Joker’ on this round.

Quotes from round four – Ypres Rally:

Ypres Rally – Keith Cronin – first overall Prestone MSA British Rally Championship – Ford Fiesta R5
“It feels really good to win this tough event. We had a good fight with Fredrik [Ahlin] until he went off and when that happened, that changed the whole approach to the rally. I was very cautious and stayed in the middle of the road and we got the result. It’s such a famous rally and to get a good result is brilliant. The British championship's visit here has been a success.

“Coming into this round, we thought we were out of the championship challenge but now we are in a fighting chance and things are looking better.”

Ypres Rally – Matt Edwards – second overall Prestone MSA British Rally Championship – Ford Fiesta R5
“Wow, Ypres, that was incredible. Shakedown was my first go at Belgian roads and it was great to have Darren [Garrod] alongside me as has alot of experience which was massive. We set the car up at the start of the event and we didn’t touch it. We didn’t mess with it and I think that is the key - not to be bogged down in set-up.

“The fact that two and a half of the events coming up are Tarmac is a good thing. I have stayed in my own zone and I think it is my strongest performance mentally. This is a massive result for us and the team.”

Ypres Rally – Osian Pryce – third overall Prestone MSA British Rally Championship – Ford Fiesta R5
“This event has gone from being a bit of a disaster to something very positive. It didn’t start well for us and to be honest we struggled for seventy per cent of it but the amount we have learnt is absolutely massive. It’s great to do such a massive event like this, with all the spectators and atmosphere. Plus, the level of competition is so high. Many haven’t made it and we are glad to be back at the finish.

“As the new boy in R5 cars, to be leading the championship is very special and I cannot wait for my home event in two weeks.”

Results

Posted: November 13, 2018 9:20 AM

Ypres Rally - 23-24 Jun 17 - RESULTS

Results on Line (Ypres 2017)
Event Website / Rally Radio: Ypres Rally
Interviews by Trevor Payne

Marty McCormack Rallying - Ypres Rally

Posted: June 22, 2017 12:41 PM

After a run of incredibly good results, Marty McCormack and David Moynihan head to the Ypres Rally in Belgium hoping to close the points gap to the leaders of British Rally Championship!

Marty travels to Belgium coming off a hot streak of results, claiming victory at the Donegal Forestry Rally, third place at RSCA Scottish Rally and another podium at the Cavan Stages Rally. The Ypres event is now a counting round of the British Rally Championship for the first time ever, and Marty is delighted to compete on the Belgian event again.
"I really love the Ypres Rally, I have competed here twice before and every time, the welcome and the atmosphere is second to none!" "We did the event in 2015 in the TigerRisk Skoda Fabia S2000 and finished in 8th overall, which was great, but the S2000 didn't have the pace of the R5 cars and we had an off on the first day but we fought our way back up the leaderboard and got a good result."

Confidence is very high heading into the event especially after leading the recent Cavan Stages Rally. The full tarmac event was the perfect preparation for the trip to Ypres but the very fast nature of the roads allowed the World Rally Cars to pip Marty to the top places at the finish.
"Cavan was a great event for us, it was our first time on tarmac in the new car and it went really well. We were leading for most of the event but the World Rally Cars eventually came back and took the win. That didn't really matter to us as we did not expect to be on their pace, but it was encouraging to be at the front. The car is really good on tarmac the Kumho Tyres worked incredibly well and now we are really looking forward to Ypres!"

The rally is based in the beautiful, historic town of Ypres, but Marty and David won't have time to take in the sights. The organisers have laid out a very challenging route consisting of twenty stages over two days. The number of entries this year has surpassed recent years. Thirty-eight R5 cars will take the start, including all the British and Belgium Rally Championship regulars and also World Rally superstar Thierry Neuville. "The competition this year is massive, we will have our work cut out, but it's going to be a great challenge and we can't wait to get going!”

The rally gets underway on Friday the 23rd of June so be sure to keep eye on Marty's social media channels for up to date information about the event. Twitter @martymccormack and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marty.mccormack1. Marty is competing this season with the support of Tiger Risk Partners and P. McCormack and Sons Ltd.

British Rally Championship goes into Europe for classic Ypres Rally

Posted: June 19, 2017 9:13 AM

The action-packed Prestone MSA British Rally Championship is heading overseas for the first time in the championship’s 59-year history. The finest BRC crews will go toe-to-toe with some of the best drivers in the world on the legendary Ypres Rally in northern Belgium (23-24 June). Two drama-filled days with more than 160 competitive miles on the fast and flowing Belgian Tarmac roads await the BRC stars.

Several championships will be run over the weekend with everyone chasing Hyundai World Rally Team driver and local hero Thierry Neuville. With Nicolas Gilsoul calling the notes aboard the Hyundai i20 R5, the Belgian pair will undoubtedly be fighting for overall honours and provide a world-class target for the British crews to benchmark across the event.

Previous knowledge of the iconic stages will come to the fore in the battle for supremacy. After three gravel rounds in the forests, crews will now compete on asphalt for the first time this season with 20 timed stages being played out in both day and atmospheric nighttime conditions.

New for the 2017 Ypres Rally is the Tony Pond Award which will be presented to the first British Rally Championship crew across the finish line. There will also be a Junior Tony Pond Award – adding another incentive for Britain’s emerging talent to go for glory in the Flanders region.

The British Rally Championship top guns prepare for continental competition

British Rally Championship top seed Fredrik Ahlin is a man in fine form heading to the Belgian mecca for rallying. The Swede dominated the opening two BRC rounds, claiming back-to-back wins on the Border Counties Rally and Pirelli International before retiring on the final stage of the Scottish Rally whilst fighting for the lead of the event. Despite that set-back, the Swede still leads the standings going into his less preferred surface. The CA1 Sport driver failed to finish any of the Tarmac rounds last season and will be out to make amends. With Norwegian co-driver Torstein Erikson gelling nicely in the new Skoda Fabia R5, Ahlin will be ‘a man on a mission’ to keep himself in pole position after the channel crossing.

CA1 Sport teammates David Bogie/Kevin Rae claimed a well-deserved and popular home win on the Scottish Rally – a victory that has put the Scot right back in the title hunt. The DMACK-supported driver adapts quickly to new challenges and last season took two podiums out of the three Tarmac rounds and will be one to watch in the attractive Fabia R5.

Mr Consistent – Osian Pryce – comes to Ypres with three podiums in the bag from the opening three events. The Welshman is one of Britain’s brightest rallying hopes and is dovetailing his BRC campaign with outings in the FIA World Championship this season. The Ford Fiesta R5 driver has taken a third and a second and would love to chalk up his first four-wheel-drive BRC win in northern Belgium and, more importantly, close the gap to Ahlin at the top of the points standings.

Marty McCormack has a handful of Ypres Rally appearances under his belt and the Kumho-backed driver will be eager to claim his first BRC win on his preferred Tarmac surface. Having impressed in his S2000 Skoda a few years ago, McCormack is now equipped with a turbocharged Fabia R5 will hope to become ‘king of cuts’ with David Moynihan expertly guiding.

Tom Cave is also a man with previous Ypres experience as the Welshman brings the rapid Hyundai i20 R5 to its first Tarmac BRC round. Cave and co-driver James Morgan have won every stage they have completed with the i20, and the young pairing will be out to harness their speed to challenge for a win which would put them back into title contention.

Multiple BRC Champion Keith Cronin has had a difficult start to his first season with M-Sport. The Fiesta R5 driver has been on the cusp of several podiums before retirements and punctures cost the Irishman the results he has deserved. The reigning Irish Tarmac Champion is at home on sealed-surfaces and Ypres provides the perfect opportunity to pocket a good haul of points and thus catapult him and co-driver Mikie Galvin up the series leaderboard.

Another man who will be rubbing his hands together with the championship’s move to Tarmac is Cronin’s M-Sport teammate Alex Laffey together with co-driver Patrick Walsh. Laffey scored his first gravel points on the Pirelli and impressed again on his home event – the Scottish Rally. Riding on a crest of wave, Laffey will be hoping to notch-up his best finish and score more points in his Pirelli-shod Fiesta R5.

Jonny Greer and Kirsty Riddick are in the fourth different R5 machine in the British Rally Championship. The Citroen DS3 R5 pairing have had a mixed season to date but a move to their preferred surface will give them confidence for the second part of the season. The duo scored two Tarmac podiums on their run to third in the 2016 standings and the Ulsterman can never be discounted from a podium on Tarmac.

Rhys Yates has shown flashes of brilliance in his second BRC season, claiming fifth and sixth place finishes in the opening two rounds before a uncharacteristic first stage retirement put him out of the Scottish Rally. With the experienced Carl Williamson sitting alongside in the Michelin-backed Fiesta R5, a good result in Ypres will help further his progression in Britain’s top flight rallying series.

Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod is another combo showing progression with every mile undertaken. Edwards is pushing the development of the Hankook-shod Fiesta R5 and will be eager to better his fifth place recorded on the Pirelli International, while fellow Fiesta R5 driver Jamie Anderson and his co-driver Ross Whittock will be trying to beat their best BRC result – a fifth secured on last season’s Circuit of Ireland.

Desi Henry and Liam Moyinhan (Fabia R5) put a stop to their BRC points drought on the Scottish Rally last month. The Irish crew have three BRC podiums in a four wheel-drive car and will be pushing for a rostrum on the Belgian roads.

Returning to the BRC after missing the previous round are Thomas Preston/Andrew Roughead (Fabia R5) and James Slaughter/Niall Burns (Fiesta R5). Preston is showing rapid progression in his Skoda and is looking forward to the Ypres challenge while James Slaughter in his Fiesta R5 is targeting his first outright BRC points on what he describes as his ‘home event’ – the Kent driver is based not far from the Channel Tunnel.

Junior BRC heats up ahead of summer showdown

The Prestone Motorsport News Junior BRC has provided three different winners from the opening three rounds of the 2017 championship. What’s more, three different tyre manufacturers have also shared the spoils in the closely fought front-wheel-drive category on the toughest gravel stages in Britain.

For drivers under the age of 26 in R2 machines, the Junior BRC is the perfect proving ground for young talent with the eventual champion awarded a cash prize of £30,000 at the end of the season to help him or her make the next step up in their rallying career.

Leading the Junior BRC charge as the exciting series arrives in Belgium is William Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan. The Peugeot 208 R2 crew admitted gravel was never going to be their strong point but a win plus a further podium in the Michelin-equipped machine will give them confidence as they head to the Tarmac in defense of their championship lead.

Last time out on the Scottish Rally, Cameron Davies and Caron Tomlinson overcame a list of problems to comfortably take their first Junior BRC win in their DMACK-shod 208 R2.

Two further Peugeot 208s will grace the Belgian roads with Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson eyeing their first win. After third and second place finishes, only one result eludes the Welsh crew. The Irish crew of Marty Gallagher/ Dean O’ Sullivan netted a fine podium after a drama filled Scottish Rally. Gallagher is also a man to watch on the Tarmac this season.

Round one winner Oscar Solberg and Patrik Barth will have their first taste of asphalt this weekend and will lead the charge for MH Motorsport in their turbocharged, Pirelli-backed Ford Fiesta R2T and will be keen to move up the championship order. Gathering momentum on every event are James Williams and Dai Roberts in a similar Fiesta R2T. The all-Welsh crew is hunting its first podium and with a good run could spring a surprise in their first season competing in the BRC.

Callum Devine is switching to an Opel ADAM R2 after campaigning a Fiesta R2T on the first three rounds. Devine has plenty of experience in the Opel as well as on the Belgian Tarmac, raising some eyebrows on his previous visit in 2016. Devine came close to victory on the Pirelli International – just missing out on the top spot by under a second. He will be on a charge and will be hoping to take his first Junior BRC victory in the Kumho-supported ADAM.

Cadets embark on biggest challenge to date

Josh Cornwell and Richard Bliss are riding high after a dominant hat-trick on the opening three BRC rounds in 2017. The Fiesta R2 driver will be keen for another win but will want to keep his nose clean to maintain his championship lead.

Tom Williams recently entered the Monteberg Rallysprint and is becoming comfortable on the Tarmac in his Fiesta R2. Bryan Hull will be calling the notes and he will hope to guide Williams to his first Cadet Cup win and halt Cornwell’s run away train.

Nabila Tejpar (Fiesta R2) is seeking her first Cadet podium and, after chalking up a good haul of points from the first few rounds, she will be eager to up-the-ante in the quest for a podium with Steven McPhee reading her pacenotes this time.

Alex Waterman had a difficult start to his BRC debut with two retirements on the first two events. A fine fourth on the Scottish Rally, however, has kick-started the Englishman’s 2017 campaign and with good friend Harry Thomas joining him again in the co-driver’s seat, the pair will be eyeing their first Cadet rostrum in Belgium in their Fiesta R2.

James McDiarmid and Max Haines Messenger return to the BRC after missing the previous round. The duo leads the charge for the Harper Adams University Motorsport Team and, with end of year exams out of the way, it will be full steam ahead as the University team goes in search for their third Cadet Cup podium.

Ypres forms the perfect European adventure for BRC chargers

Spencer Wilkinson has a great deal of experience of the iconic Ypres Rally in his Subaru Impreza and will hope he and co-driver Glyn Thomas can claim another BRC Production Cup finish and thus put one hand on the championship trophy after the visit to the continent.

In BRC4, Tarmac aces David and Mathew White return to the series after a round absence. The Ford Fiesta driver recorded a strong finish on the Corsican WRC round and will be out to finish the event to draw level with Gee Atherton. Mountain Bike World Champion Atherton has had to withdraw from Ypres after sustaining an injury during his two-wheeled day job. We wish Gee a speedy recovery and hope to see the Red Bull star reignite his duel with rival White on the stages later this season.

In the National Rally Cup, series leader and Pirelli Rally winners John Morrison/Peter Carstairs hope to adapt to the Belgian Tarmac quickly in their new Mitsubishi Evo 9 and thus fend off a flying Donnie Macdonald who will be trying his hand in a Mitsubishi Evo X for the Belgian event. Max Utting may not be able to keep up with his more powerful rivals but the Ford Fiesta ST driver will be waiting to pounce on a mistake from the front two.

All seven rounds of the BRC are being beamed into homes around Europe with Channel 4, BT Sport and Motorsport TV all showcasing the best of the action with extensive highlights being transmitted after every weekend.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: June 16, 2017 4:28 AM

Ypres Rally - 23-24 Jun 17 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST

Neuville leads New Generation i20 R5 crews on packed Ypres Rally entry

Posted: June 16, 2017 4:24 AM

Belgian Hyundai Motorsport crew Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul will lead a total of five New Generation i20 R5 crews when they return to race in their home country later this month at the Ypres Rally (22-24 June).

The pair, who currently sit second in the World Rally Championship (WRC) standings, will be competing in a New Generation i20 R5 for the first time, on their first appearance at the Ypres Rally in four years.

Their return to racing in Belgium has been supported in the country by the "Back in Town" competition, which offered children the chance to design a unique livery for the special event. The final design was selected last week from the hundreds of entries into the competition, with 8-year-old Zoë Charlet chosen as the winner with her joyous emoji idea. As part of the prize Zoë and her family will be able to see the car on the stages, as well as have the chance to meet Thierry and Nicolas as part of a VIP package with Hyundai Motorsport.

Entering this rally allows Neuville and Gilsoul to showcase Hyundai Motorsport with a different car to that they campaign in the WRC. Their first competitive outing in the i20 R5 allows them to compete at the most prestigious rally in their home country giving fans, who otherwise would not be able to, the opportunity to see the pair on the stages. The New Generation i20 R5 is one of the creations of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department. One of the primary motivations for the project was to broaden the profile of Hyundai Motorsport outside of just the WRC, by providing cars to compete in the national and regional series where R5 machinery represented the premier class.

As well as the star turn by the WRC crew Hyundai Motorsport will be represented by the Driver Development Program pairing of South Korean driver Chewon Lim and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe, who will also be racing in his home country. The pair enjoyed a consistent run last weekend at the Rally van Wervik. The rally, based only a few miles from Ypres, and run on similar stages, was the perfect warm-up for the upcoming event.

This year’s Ypres Rally brings together both the Belgian and British national championships, as well as the Tour European Rally (TER) Series. In total nearly 40 R5 crews are currently on the entry list. With New Generation i20 R5 customers competing in all these series a total of five teams will take the start a year on from the event where the car made its public debut.

After getting their TER Series campaign off to a winning start last month the crew of Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai will look to protect their lead at the second event of the six-round season.

Tom Cave and James Morgan will again look to prove themselves as one of the fastest crews in the British Rally Championship. Having headed both of their previous rallies in a New Generation i20 R5 the pair will be hoping to lead their rivals once more at their first tarmac rally of this year, which is also the first time the series has featured a points’ paying event run entirely outside of the UK.

The third of the New Generation i20 R5 customer crews will be another competing on home soil, and for domestic honours. Earlier this season Guillaume Dilley claimed a career best result in a national event, and after victory last weekend at the Rally van Wervik in the Flanders-based championship he will continue his Belgian championship amid a packed field for the most famous rally of the season.

Thierry Neuville said
“Of course it is exciting for us to be back in Belgium in a car that is capable of winning Rally Ypres. We have not had many chances to compete there in the last few seasons, around the WRC rounds. It’s a race Nicolas and I have never won, so were looking forward to the weekend. It should be very enjoyable, especially because we have such a fun and unique livery. This will be our first rally in the New Generation i20 R5, but we will have a test before to learn a bit more about the car. We should start strongly, so we can show off the performance of the i20 R5 in front of the big crowds for the event.”

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Andrea Adamo said:
“To have Neuville competing in a New Generation i20 R5 in his home country will obviously bring a lot of attention and fans, who are not able to travel to WRC events. This shows the impact of the customer racing in bringing Hyundai Motorsport to new audiences, which was one of the main aims for us when we founded the department. We will also have customer teams competing in each of the three championships fighting for points at the rally, each with a chance of claiming a very strong result. A year on from the first public outing of the car, this would be perfect way to celebrate.”

More outings confirmed for Cave in New Generation Hyundai i20 R5

Posted: June 14, 2017 4:34 AM

Following his two previous outings in the car, it is now confirmed that Tom Cave will drive a New Generation Hyundai i20 R5 on the fourth round of the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, the Belgium-based Ypres Rally on 23rd & 25th June. It is also confirmed that the Welshman from Aberdovey will compete in the same car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a week later.

After an impressive display of speed during the early stages of the Pirelli and Scottish rallies, rounds two and three of the British Rally Championship, Cave is pleased to be continuing his association with the Hyundai for the two forthcoming events:
“It’s great to be back in the Hyundai for the next round of the Championship. Having won every stage we’ve started in the car, it’s clear that it has the pace to win, so it’s going to be exciting to drive it competitively for the first time on asphalt.

“Because of the way our campaign is structured this season, we can only confirm each event as it gets closer to the day, so it’s great to be able to announce two events together this time. Of course, I’m hoping to continue to drive the Hyundai for the rest of the season and really show what the car is capable of.”

The Ypres Rally represents the first of three all-asphalt events in the British Rally Championship season and the first time Cave and his co-driver James Morgan from Hirwaun, will have completed on a non-gravel surface in the Hyundai. Held over closed public roads in the West Flanders area, the event also marks the first time the British Championship has ever featured a point-scoring round outside the UK, apart from the Circuit of Ireland that used to include stages in the Republic.

As soon as the car returns from Belgium, it will be re-prepared and converted back to gravel specification in readiness for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This globally famous occasion that attracts the best names in motorsport from all over the world, features a specially constructed rally stage on which Cave has been invited to compete by the event organisers.

“It’s a real privilege to be invited to take part in this prestigious annual event. I’ve competed at the Festival of Speed before and it’s a great experience, so I’m delighted that I’m going be showcasing the i20 R5 in such a high profile environment.”

The car will be prepared and run on both occasions by Dom Buckley RSC.
Tom’s 2017 British Rally Championship campaign is supported by: the Trefeddian Hotel, DMACK Tyres, Walero UK and Atech Racing.

Entries Received / Entries Open / Event Website

Posted: April 11, 2017 2:41 PM

Ypres Rally