New 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship awards announced

In addition to the recently announced Fuchs Lubricants and OnThePaceNote rewards for Junior drivers and co-drivers – plus the BTRDA Asphalt Historic Cup which will crown a new overall Historic asphalt champion – many more overall, class, event-by-event and end-of-season prizes have been unveiled for this year’s Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship in association with Motorsport News.

Title sponsor Protyre,  the largest supplier of Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier motorsport tyres in the UK, continues with its highly prized and generous driver incentive and bonus scheme. 

A total of 14 drivers received tyre rewards last year, as they are awarded after each event and spread amongst the classes throughout the season. Full details of the Protyre incentive and bonus scheme are published in the Championship Regulations.

Other awards include:

Ford Escort Challenge
An end-of-season award which is open to all two-wheel drive Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 RWD Ford Escorts entered in the 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship. Darren Atkinson/Phil Sandham were worthy winners of the Ford Escort Challenge in 2022, after a superb season in their Atkinsons Sandblasting/S&W Fabrication Ford Escort Mk2.

Mintex Award
This award is presented to the registered driver who has recorded the best improvement on starting position (aka, finishes the most places up from their start order position) on each round. The prize is one axle set of Mintex brake pads to suit the caliper used on the winning car. The winners last year were Mike Pugsley (twice), Jonathan Stepney, Brad Cole (twice) and Richard Clews.

Nicky Grist Award
In a change to 2022, Nicky Grist Motorsport will present a £100 voucher to the highest-placed 2WD driver and co-driver in the overall championship table at the end of the season.

Dynamic Fluids Award
This award from Lloyd Morgan of Dynamic Fluids, which goes to the owner/driver of the best-presented car chosen by the event’s chief scrutineer, was introduced in 2022 – quickly established itself as a highly-sort after prize. Winners of this award were Dave Jenkins (Tom Llewellin’s Ford Escort Mk2), Paul Megretton (John Stone’s Legend Fires Volkswagen Polo GTI R5), Mark Kelly (Roccia/Tile Master Ford Fiesta R5+), Roger Moran (Škoda Fabia R5+), Geoff Glover (Vauxhall Astra Mk3 RWD) and Dan Hiorns from ATM Sport (Neil Roskell’s ND Civils/Burdens Ford Fiesta R5+).

Tony Davies Memorial Award
This award will be presented to the individual who has done something special in relation to the 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship at the discretion of the Championship Co-ordinator. The recipient of the 2022 Tony Davies Memorial Award will be announced at the Protyre Asphalt gala prize-giving at the Drayton Manor Hotel on Saturday 4 February.

Overall
As before, the winning overall driver will receive The Protyre Trophy and the overall winning co-driver will receive The Motordrive Seats Perpetual Trophy. Both will also be presented with prestigious BTRDA Gold Stars. 

The crews who finished second and third overall, plus the top three in each class, will be presented with trophies.

Fuchs Junior Driver Award 
The Fuchs Junior Driver Award will present five litres of Fuchs oil to the highest-placed Junior driver on each rally. To be eligible, a Junior driver must have been 25 or under on 1 January 2023 and compete in class B9, B10, B11, B12, R2, H1, H2, H4, H5, H7, H8, H10, H11, H14 or H15. 

OnThePaceNote Junior Co-Driver Award 
The OnThePaceNote Junior Co-Driver Award will offer the Championship winning Junior co-driver at the end of the season a professional co-driver’s bag filled with many of the tools needed to do the job efficiently, together with OTPN merchandise. OTPN will also give free access to the OnThePaceNote training course, while Craig Parry and Killian Duffy will personally offer advice to the winning co-driver during the 2024 season. All classes are eligible for the OnThePaceNote Junior Co-Driver Award, and the Junior co-driver must be sat with a registered Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship driver – but not necessarily a Junior driver.

Other awards may be presented at the discretion of the Championship Co-ordinator.

For full details of all the awards, points systems and eligibility, please download the 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship Regulations at asphaltrallying.com.

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