A brand new BTRDA Asphalt Historic Cup will form a big part of this year’s Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship in association with Motorsport News – which will ultimately crown a new overall Historic asphalt champion.
With the popularity of Historic rallying growing fast in the UK, and a huge variety of cars now competing, the UK’s premier asphalt rally championship has significantly increased the number of Historic classes – from H1-H3 in 2022 to H1-H16 in 2023.
Giving Historic rally car competitors a proper asphalt challenge is one of the long-term aims of the series promoters, and in 2023 – which is the 40th anniversary of the Asphalt Championship – the first major steps towards this goal have begun.
The Historic classes will welcome cars from Categories 1 to 4b (MSUK Bluebook) and from the FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship Regulations. Full class details and structure have been published in the 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship Regulations, which can be found at asphaltralltying.com.
Furthermore, the Championship promoters are working closely with the individual event organisers to ensure that Historic cars are well catered for. For example, the Historic cars will run first on the road at the Down Rally – an event which uses one of Northern Ireland’s most famous stages, Hamilton’s Folly.
“Expanding the Historic section of the Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship is something that we have spoken to a lot of competitors about, and the feedback is overwhelmingly in support of putting together a more attractive Historic package – hence the creation of the BTRDA Asphalt Historic Cup,” says Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator Paul Morris.
“Historic rallying is extremely popular in the forests and now there is an equally interesting and challenging asphalt option, which includes some great closed road events. It’s an idea that we want to develop with competitors – and whilst we want this first year to be successful, we acknowledge that it may take a year or two to fine-tune the concept before it fulfils its full potential.
“I’d say to competitors with Historic spec cars who are thinking about asphalt rallying to come and give the Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship a go and help us develop the Historic section of the series.”
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