2023 British Rally Championship

Mulholland/Tracey bring Rally3 to the BRC with Fiesta debut

Posted: January 31, 2023 1:35 PM

The M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3 will make its Motorsport UK British Rally Championship debut in 2023 as former Junior BRC contender Johnnie Mulholland is set to step into four-wheel-drive machinery for the season ahead.

After winning the Academy Trophy title in 2021, Mulholland and co-driver Eoin Treacy battled at the sharp end of the Junior championship last season, rounding out the year with victory at the Cambrian Rally, sealing second place in the championship in the process.

Now, the 25-year-old driver from Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland will give the M-Sport Poland built Fiesta Rally3 its first outing in the British Championship at the season-opening Malcolm Wilson Rally, a fitting start to the Fiesta Rally3’s journey in the BRC.

“I’m always excited for the start of a new season but this one is different. A new rally, new car, new driving style, I honestly can’t wait to see what we can do with it, especially considering the rally it is and the car I’m in” explains Mulholland.

“This will be my fourth year in the BRC and with that the fourth different class and car. It’s a testament to the championship, the progression it offers and the different challenges it brings. I think the move to four-wheel drive through the Rally3 class will be a real highlight for the BRC and it’s a class that I can only see getting more popular as time goes on. I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people, and I hope it does!”

The British Rally Championship sees a range of Rally2 machinery battling for the prestigious title and was won by Osian Pryce and Noel O`Sullivan in 2022, driving a Volkswagen Polo GTi.

With the introduction of the Rally3 category in 2020, the FIA [Federation Internationale de l'Automobile] looked to bridge the gap between the leading two-wheel drive machinery and the big step into four-wheel drive models as driven by Pryce for example.

The M-Sport Ford Fiesta has been the market leader in the category so far, with its 1497cc, three-cylinder turbocharged powerplant producing around 235hp. Coupled with a sequential transmission and four-wheel drive, all packaged into a cost-effective platform, there is no wonder the FIA Junior World Rally Championship utilises it for the series.

Mulholland is a perfect partner to the Fiesta having progressed from the BRC Academy and into the Junior BRC in 2022. The Rally3 offers the next step on the ladder and the perfect introduction to four-wheel-drive and the internationally recognised category. Running in a dedicated BRC3 class, such is the technology available, the Fiesta could also well usurp those in the top-flight BRC1.

Responsible for overseeing the design and build of the Fiesta Rally3, Maciej Woda, Managing Director of M-Sport Poland is delighted to see Mulholland take the Fiesta into the British Championship this season.

“We are seeing tremendous growth in the Rally3 category now and the Fiesta Rally3 contesting the British Rally Championship this year is another historic milestone” he says.

“The BRC takes on some of the most iconic stages in rallying which are perfect for a four-wheel drive thoroughbred rally car like the Fiesta Rally3. I’m pleased to see Johnnie progress from the Fiesta Rally4 to the Fiesta Rally3, and I am sure he will be able to establish a stable development curve as he gets to grips with four-wheel drive machinery this year off the back of a successful year in Junior BRC in 2022. Matthew Wilson demonstrated the potential of the Fiesta Rally3 in Greystoke Forest in 2021, setting top-three overall stage times and finishing sixth overall against some of Britain’s best Rally2 drivers so it’s feasible for Johnnie to be fighting for top ten overall times as gels with the car.”

Recce Tarren, British Rally Championship Manager commented,
“This is very exciting for the BRC and Johnnie [Mulholland] is the perfect driver to give the Fiesta Rally3 its debut. He is a fine example of the progression available in the BRC, from the Academy Trophy to Junior BRC and then into four-wheel-drive, the Rally3 category is perfect for honing four-wheel-drive skills and offering career progression at the same time. We will be watching with interest this season and it would be great to see more Rally3 competitors joining the fold. We would also like to thank M-Sport Poland for offering our highest placed Junior BRC crew in a Fiesta Rally4, a test in the new Rally3 to enable them to sample the category for themselves”.

The 2023 British Rally Championship will see seven rounds, on a mix of both gravel and asphalt in each of the four home nations, plus a trip across to Europe for the iconic Ardeca Ypres Rally in Belgium. The opening round of the season takes place in March, with the Malcolm Wilson Rally at M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s headquarters in Cumbria as the event base.

British Rally Championship revamps calendar for 2023

Posted: December 26, 2022 10:52 AM

The Motorsport UK British Rally Championship has revealed a brand-new look to the series for 2023, as it announces an exhilarating calendar for the season ahead.

In a revised roster, Britain’s premier rallying series will feature seven events across the four home nations, with rallies in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It will also return to mainland Europe as it visits Belgium for the first time since 2019.

The new-look calendar will once again see the Rally2 contenders form the topflight and will battle for the coveted British title, whilst the Junior BRC for progressive young drivers will house the Rally4 category. The National Rally Title and Academy Trophy will also return.

Also new for 2023 will be a raft of new incentives, prizes, and awards on offer across all classes with more information being released in the coming months.

The new schedule will test both reigning champions and new arrivals in a pulsating calendar, with each event stamping its unique mark on the tour. Kicking off the championship will be a newcomer to the BRC tour, having never previously been part of the top-drawer series.

The Cumbrian forests will echo to the sound of the British Rally Championship for the first time in decades, as the Malcolm Wilson Rally hosts the 2023 curtain raiser. With a bumper day of rallying on offer through stages such as Grizedale and Greystoke in March, the event is set to be the longest gravel rally in the calendar.

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally signals the start of four back-to-back asphalt events and takes the series into Scotland in May. The blisteringly fast closed-road stages around the Duns rally base offer a formidable challenge for crews in a two-day event which once again offers a Friday night blast in the Scottish Borders to test contenders’ mettle.

Last on the BRC calendar in 2019, the iconic Ardeca Ypres Rally returns to the bill in June in an exciting move which offers a demanding 130 miles of closed Belgium roads. Based in the heart of Ypres, the legendary rally will see the BRC contenders go toe-to-toe with the Belgian Championship and it often attracts some of the best drivers in Europe, all eager to etch their name on the top of the leader board. A flagship mainland Europe event, it will undoubtedly provide a thrilling challenge for the BRC regulars, testing their resilience over the unforgiving ditch-lined roads.

After a year’s sabbatical from the series, the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally sees the BRC return to Northern Ireland for the prestigious two-day closed road event. Having hosted a sensational 2021 BRC season finale, the bumpy and challenging lanes will also see the BRC, and Irish Tarmac Rally Championship crews resume their friendly rivalry for top spot in Newry in August.

The Get Connected Rali Ceredigion made its way into the hearts of the BRC crews after a stellar event this season and returns for a repeat run in 2023. The Aberystwyth-based closed-road encounter provides an exceptional challenge across the bumpy and unforgiving moorland roads in September.

Switching back to gravel for the final two rounds of the season, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire offers yet another impressive forest test as the rapid, yet narrow stages offer little room for error. The now traditional Friday night foray through Dalby sets the scene perfectly for this popular event at the end of September.

Once again rounding out the season, the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally brings the curtain down on 2023 in North Wales. Iconic stages, made famous by Wales Rally GB, could well be the deciding tests of the championship and the event will continue its Friday night leg to kick off the event.

British Rally Championship Manager Reece Tarren said:
“We are extremely excited to reveal the 2023 British Rally Championship calendar which has undergone a significant transformation compared to this season.

It was a thrilling championship in 2022 which once again saw some impressive battles and a sensational pace, but of course we understood the series needed to move in a certain direction. As the country’s premier rally championship, we made the decision to look to longer, tougher, and bigger events worthy of the BRC marker.

Each event in the calendar is unique and has its own identity but offers a significant challenge which I believe is a fundamental part of the championship.

The inclusion of a new event ensures a fresh feel, whilst the return of iconic and well-respected rallies gives the BRC the package that competitors deserve. It was important to visit each one of the home nations on both gravel and asphalt and I`m excited to return to Northern Ireland, as well as the sensational Ypres Rally in Belgium.

There are only two set-up changes in the year to make it easier for crews and we will be shortly announcing a package of incentives and prizes which will go some way to assist competitors in their season-long campaigns.

The British Rally Championship remains highly regarded across Europe and we hope to welcome both BRC regulars and newcomers to the series next season.”

Championship Rounds

Posted: December 26, 2022 10:50 AM

1. Malcolm Wilson Rally - (Sat) 11 Mar 23
2. Jim Clark Rally - 26-28 May 23
3. Ypres Rally WRC - 23-24 Jun 23
4. Ulster Rally - 18-19 Aug 23
5. Rali Bae Ceredigion/Cardigan Bay Rally - 2-3 Sep 23
6. Trackrod Rally Yorkshire Forest Stages - 23-23 Sep 23
7. Cambrian Rally - 27-28 Oct 23

British Rally Championship