A record number of drivers and co-drivers have registered in record time for the 2024 Motorsport UK Protyre Asphalt Championship – with more registrations received in the first three weeks of championship entries opening than in the whole of 2023.
With registrations coming in every day, at the time of writing a total of 118 competitors had committed to joining the UK’s premier sealed-surface series.
These equate to 71 drivers and 47 co-drivers who have confirmed plans to contest this year’s BTRDA-run championship. Around 50% of those drivers and co-drivers are new to the Protyre Asphalt Championship.
There is a high level of interest in the battle for overall honours, and throughout all the classes.
Returning are defending champion Callum Black, who will be co-driven by Jack Morton in his Pallas Connections-backed Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Also returning is the 2022 champion Steve Wood (Citroën C3 Rally2), twice Protyre Asphalt runner-up Neil Roskell (ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally2), 2018 runner-up and class B14 champion Wayne Sisson (AMS Arnside Motorsport-Mitsubishi Evo 10) – plus series frontrunners Mark Kelly (Kelmore Škoda Fabia R5), John Stone (Legend Fires Volkswagen Polo GTI R5), David Wright (Grove Hill Garage Ford Fiesta R5), Kevin Davies (Cobra Hydraulics Volkswagen Polo GTI R5), Hugh Hunter (Fiesta Rally2), Hugh Brunton (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), Mike English (Proact Fiesta Rally2), Chris Ford (Citroën C3 Rally2) and Ant Eaton (Autotest Fiesta R5).
The battle for the Escort Challenge will be as fierce as ever, thanks to the likes of defending champion Darren Atkinson, Brad Cole, Aled Morgans, Ian Robertson, Malcolm Boyd and Michael Harbour all appearing – to name but a few.
A huge array of cars will do battle in the various classes, driven by Nathan Evans, Kenny Watt, Ben Crump, Matt Turner, David White, Huw James, Billy Grew, William Mains, Martin Melling, Richard Cookson, Geoff Glover, Ashleigh Morris, Jonathan Jones, Willie Nelson, Roger Duckworth, Alex Roscoe, Nikki Addison, Matthew Dance, Adrian Spencer, Chris Marshall, Roger Henderson, Tim Cole, Kyle Casement, Alan Marriage, Barry Stenhouse, Geoff Roberts, Bobby MacDonald, Max Albert Murray, Will Onions, Roger Holder, Rory McCann, Steve Black, Danny Shalev, Archie Swinscoe, James Labey, Wayne Jones, Peter Jackson, Philip Jones, Nathan Bolton, Maxwell Jones, Chris Butcher, Chris West, Nicky Cowperthwaite, Chris Berry, Kevin Davies, Eynon Price, David Willett, Rob Hughes, Mark Jasper and Simon Hunter.
Registered co-drivers include Emma Morrison, Andy Robinson, Ian Taylor, Laura Marshall, Ian Jackson, Lewis Sim, Rob Fagg, Jonathan Hawkins, Iain Thorburn, Craig Nelson, Paul McCann, Stephen Roscoe, Jason Davies, Neil Colman, David Sutcliffe, Jack Bowen, Richard Crozier, Keith Barker, Martin MacCabe, Matthew Owen, Neil MacDonald, Robert Wiggins, Will Atkins, Dafydd Evans, Paula Swinscoe, Jamie Vaughan, Sam Spencer, Andy Scott, Chris Sanderson, Tomos Whittle, Phil Kenny, Jane Nicol, Alun Cook, Cameron Dunn,Tommi Marek Henderson, Matthew Daniels, Keith Hounslow, Jonathan Lee Cragg, Owain Davies, Alan Thomas, Don Whyatt and Tom Bishop.
Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship registrations will remain open until the start of the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally on Friday 24 May, so many more drivers and co-drivers are expected to join.
The modest Championship registration fee includes full membership of the BTRDA – while Championship registration and BTRDA membership is free to new members under 25 for their first year of registration.
Protyre Asphalt Championship regulations, entry forms and more information are available at: asphaltrallying.com.
It’s all building up to be a fantastic 2024 Motorsport UK Protyre Asphalt Championship – which begins with the Legend Fires North West Stages (22/23 March).
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