Callum Black/Jack Morton scored maximum Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship points on last year’s JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion – and having just taken the lead of the series for the first time this year, the defending champions will aim to repeat their 2023 success when they return to Aberystwyth for this weekend’s much longer event (30 August – 1 September).
The 586 Sport crew were 10th in the points standings after the Manx but have scored 88 points out of a possible 90 on the last three rounds to head the table in their Pallas Connections Ford Fiesta Rally2.
And having lifted the title by scoring maximum points on last year’s Rali Ceredigion, they return aiming to strengthen their grip on a potential back-to-back title win on this, the penultimate round of the series.
As always, they’ll have stiff opposition – not least from Neil Roskell, who like Callum forsakes his British Rally Championship campaign to contest the Rali Ceredigion National and thus score Protyre Asphalt points.
Co-driven on this occasion by Rob Fagg, Neil arrives in mid-Wales second in the standings in his ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Fiesta Rally2, with the Blackpool driver’s sights firmly set on a title that he’s twice just missed out on – and a prize test with M-Sport in a Ford Puma Rally1.
Kevin Davies/Owain Davies finished an excellent third last time out on the Nigel Ferguson Fabricators Tour of Epynt, which will come as a big confidence boost as they head into the Welsh lanes in their Melvyn Evans Motorsport-run Cobra Hydraulics Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
Sam Touzel has been flying this season and fought back from 22nd to finish seventh on his first appearance on Epynt after a front hub sheared. He has retained the vastly experienced services of co-driver Max Freeman as the Jersey driver aims for a Protyre Asphalt podium in his Smart Scaffolding/Express Auto Parts Fiesta Rally2.
Mike English/Simon Hunter had a fantastic run on the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally and will be aiming to better that big 19 points haul this time in their smart Proact Fiesta Rally2.
Wayne Jones was the top-placed 2WD driver on Epynt after a fantastic run in his 2.5-litre Millington engined Darrian T90 GTR. Co-driven by Dafydd Evans, the Llanybydder driver will face some stiff competition, not least from a squadron of powerful Escorts.
Leading that charge will be Darren Atkinson, who led the Protyre Asphalt Championship overall before electing to skip Epynt and put that event down as one of his two obligatory dropped scores. The Lancaster driver might have dropped to fourth in the overall standings because of it, but he maintains his lead in class B13 and together with Harry Stubbs alongside will be looking for another fantastic overall and class result in his Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2.
Aled Wyn Morgans is second in class and will be hoping for a good result on his home round. He’ll be co-driven as usual by Ian Taylor in their Aberystwyth Motorsport Escort Mk2.
Gordon Morrison is enjoying a great season and will make the long journey down from Johnstone to contest the event in his Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2, with Ian Parker on the pace notes.
Huw James finished third on Epynt in his A&D Tyres Escort Mk2, while Lewis Sim arrives in Aberystwyth leading the class B13 co-driver’s section.
Tim Cole makes the journey over from the Isle of Man to contest the event with David Sutcliffe in their Manx Automobile Assistance/MAA Logistics BMW E36 Compact, while Max Murray/Matty Owen team up in a Citroën DS3 R3T.
Michael Harbour/Cameron Dunn lead class B11 in their VS Pro Pressure Washing Services/Miller Waste Water Escort Mk2 and continue their close battle with the likes of Ben Crump/Ian Beamond (Coltech Escort Mk2) and Nathan Evans/Rhys Williams Edwards (Tuned Motorsport UK/The Kitchen Installers Renault Clio 3 RS).
William Hill will be looking for his fifth class B14 win of the season when he and co-driver Richard Crozier team up again in their Hills Ford Fiesta Rally3. The four-wheel drive 1.5 litre EcoBoost engined M-Sport built car will be more at home in the technical and twisty lanes than it was on the flat-out Epynt ranges, as the Worcester driver aims for back-to-back class titles.
Philip Hopkins was on inspired form on Epynt, winning class B14 in his Hopkins Race Transporters Mitsubishi Evo 6. The car will be a bit more of a handful on the narrow bumpy closed roads, but that won’t stop he and co-driver Sam Allen aiming for another class victory.
Nathan Bolton/Phil Kenny will want to make amends for just missing out on a class podium last time out in their Monza Installs Mitsubishi Evo 9, while Adrian Spencer/Ashley Trimble appear in their RED Industries/Adgespeed Subaru Impreza S11 WRC replica.
Rory and Paul McCann picked up a well-deserved class B10 victory on their Epynt debut. The son and father duo return to Wales aiming to extend their class lead in their Metalways Honda Civic. They resume their class battle with the likes of Kyle Casement/Liam McCann (Citroën C2).
The battle for the class B9 title is still wide open, with Will Mains/Tomos Whittle hoping to scoop up maximum points in their rapid Vauxhall Nova.
Will Rowlands/Emyr Hall return to the series for the first time since the Manx and will be aiming for top class H3b and BTRDA Historic Asphalt Cup honours in their gorgeous Escort RS1800 Mk2 – which won the Dynamic Fluids Best Presented Car Award on the Isle of Man.
Nikki Addison is zooming towards the Protyre Asphalt Ladies’ Challenge title. Co-driven by Iain Thorburn, the Inverness driver will be aiming for her fourth class win in a row in her Electric Center Honda Civic Type-R. Nikki is also third in class B11.
This year’s Rali Ceredigion will visit three counties – Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Powys – and has a route which is 90% new. The National section will follow the International event (which is a round of the FIA European Rally Championship) and contain the same 14 stages and 113.7 stage miles as the ERC. The event starts on Friday 30 August with two early evening runs over the 0.83 mile Aberystwyth town stage. Leg 1 resumes on Saturday 31 August with two runs over the Brechfa, Llyn Brianne (at 16.5 miles, the longest stage of the rally) and Nany y Moch stages, before ending with another two runs over the Aberystwyth town stage – a truly demanding day of 77.25 stage miles. Leg 2 is on Sunday 1 September, with two runs over the Bethania and Hafod stages (equalling 34.81 miles) before the finish on Aberystwyth Promenade at 16:20.
Action from Rali Ceredigion National Rally will be streamed live and free-to-view on the Special Stage TV Facebook and YouTube channels.
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