Largest ever event-by-event and season ending prize packages unveiled for 2026 Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship

This year’s Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship will contain more event-by-event rewards and overall and class end-of-season prizes than ever before – including Protyre motorsport tyre rewards, Vital Equipment incentives, OnThePaceNote co-driver prizes and an M-Sport Puma Rally1 test for the top-placed Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver.

Protyre, the UK’s largest supplier of Pirelli, Michelin and Hoosier motorsport tyres, is, for the ninth consecutive year, offering an incredible event-by-event tyre rewards package.

Drivers in each class will have two opportunities to win tyres, redeemable on the following championship round. Full terms and conditions are outlined in the championship regulations. Furthermore, Protyre Motorsport will continue to operate a full fitting service at each round and be on hand to offer expert advice.

Vital Equipment will offer an event-by-event incentive whereby successful drivers will be rewarded with 25-litres of ETS Racing Fuels. Every class will have at least one opportunity to benefit from this incentive.

Mintex will continue with its incredibly popular best improvement on starting position award, with the winner receiving one axle set of Mintex brake pads (to fit the calliper used on the winning car).

Dynamic Fluids will continue with its highly prized Best Presented Car Award, which will be selected at each event by Protyre Asphalt Championship scrutineer Geoff Doe.

Fuchs UK will present the top-placed Junior driver on each round with 5-litres of oil.

OnThePaceNote will reward the winning Junior co-driver on each round with a £50 voucher, redeemable against OnThePaceNote Subjective Route Notes for rallies in Ireland and the UK. It will also present a special co-driver’s gift bag, containing essential navigational items like a Fastime watch and a stage time book, to the winner of the Dai Roberts Memorial Trophy at the end of the season.

One of the biggest prizes in British national rallying is a test in an M-Sport Puma Rally1.

M-Sport has very generously offered this magnificent prize for a third year running, and it will be awarded to the top-placed Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver at the end of the season. The private test will take place at the M-Sport Evaluation Centre test track near Cockermouth in Cumbria. Whoever wins the prize this year will follow in the footsteps of Protyre Asphalt champions Callum Black and Sam Touzel and join a very short and elite list of drivers worldwide who have driven a WRC Rally1 car.

End of season awards will also include the Protyre Trophy and BTRDA Gold Star to the overall winning driver, the John Price Memorial Cup and BTRDA Gold Star to the overall winning co-driver, and top three trophies for each class – plus trophies for the top-placed crews in the BTRDA Historic Asphalt Cup, Ford Escort Challenge, Mini Challenge, Juniors, Newcomers, Ladies Challenge and the brand new Seniors categories.

Special Stage TV will once again be at every event to live-stream coverage for free on its Facebook and YouTube channels. This exceptional coverage will include live stage-side action, driver interviews and features. 

The championship will run in association with Motorsport News, guaranteeing excellent written coverage in print and on-line, and run a dedicated PR and photographic service.

None of the above would be possible without the aforementioned sponsors, plus the generous support of Kelmore, Hydroline Solutions, Witham Motorsport, Race and Rally (Lisburn), Legend Performance, Questmead, Vehicle Vault Storage, Pit Stop Garage (Pengam) and Spencer Quantum.

The UK’s premier sealed-surface series, which is run and promoted by the BTRDA, features a magnificent seven-round calendar of events spanning England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man. The names of the events will be familiar, but with new dates, new routes and new formats, plus an exciting brand-new event location, the 2026 Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship is guaranteed to provide a fresh and exhilarating challenge for every competitor – with exciting and big money-saving incentives to match.

To be eligible to score points, registered drivers and co-drivers must be a member of the BTRDA – and this is included in the small championship registration fee. Championship registration and BTRDA membership are free to new members under 25 for their first year of registration. A BTRDA membership link is in the championship regulations.

“We’re delighted to offer competitors the biggest incentive package ever, with outstanding and money-saving event-by-event rewards and some of the biggest end-of-season prizes in British rallying,” says Paul Wakely, Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship Co-ordinator.

“Protyre has been the championship’s title sponsor since 2018, and its enthusiasm and support of the series has grown and grown over the years. Its event-by-event tyre rewards scheme remains one of the most generous incentives in British rallying, and once again this is available to drivers in every class. Not just once, but twice this season. 

“We’d like to thank all the companies and individuals who have come on board this year to support the championship.

“The other event-by-event rewards from Vital Equipment, Mintex, Dynamic Fluids, OnThePaceNote and Fuchs are real savings for successful competitors, while the generous support from Kelmore, Hydroline Solutions, Witham Motorsport, Race and Rally, Legend Performance, Questmead, Vehicle Vault Storage, Pit Stop Garage and Spencer Quantum allows us to live stream every round and offer fantastic end-of-season rewards. And for that, we thank them wholeheartedly.

“And of course we have to give a massive thanks to Malcolm Wilson, Rich Millener, Tom Krawszik and everyone at M-Sport for its world-class prize of a test in a Puma Rally1 for the top-placed Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver at the end of the season. It’s the biggest prize in British national rallying, and whoever wins it will be one of the very few to have ever driven a WRC Rally1 car.

“This year’s Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship is shaping up to be a classic. We’re ready to go and are looking forward to the opening round – the two-day East Riding Stages on 21/22 February.”

2026 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship
21/22 February….East Riding Stages Rally
8/9 May….Manx National Rally
22/23 May….Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally
19/20 June….Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally
25/26 July….Tour of Epynt
22 August….Down Rally
19/20 September….Hills Ford Stages

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