Less than two weeks after the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship disembarked from the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally, the series hotfoots it to Wales for the first time this season as the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion [2-3 September] plays host to the final asphalt round of 2023.
After making its way into the hearts of the BRC crews in 2022, the Aberystwyth-based closed-road event is likely to be a tougher proposition this time around, with an extended offering of just over 100 miles of competitive action, spread across two, long days.
With eyes on inclusion in the FIA European Rally Championship in the future, the popular event retains its fan favourite Aberystwyth street stage, complete with M-Sport’s impressive Ford Puma Rally1 carrying out demonstration runs with Matthew Wilson behind the wheel during Saturday evening.
One certainty however, is that there will be a new crew standing on top of the BRC podium for the first time this season as current leaders Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria have elected to skip the event due to their FIA World Rally Championship commitments.
2019 rally winner and last year’s runner-up Osian Pryce, from Machynlleth, leads the way. The current Motorsport UK British Rally Champion is also contesting the FIA European Rally Championship and Tour European Rally series alongside Belgian co-driver Stefan Prevot and will take to the Ceredigion stages in a VW Polo Rally2.
Meirion Evans from Llanwrda, who is targeting victory in the Irish Tarmac Championship and the FIA European Rally Trophy, and co-driver Jonathan Jackson are number three in their VW Polo Rally2.
Adding to the battle is former World Rally Champion co-driver Phil Mills from Abermule, who is swapping seats to celebrate his 60th birthday. Co-driven by his son Iwan, the duo are competing in a replica of the Mk1 Escort which Roger Clark took to victory on the 1974 Welsh Rally.
