Exciting new-look calendar of events announced for the 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship

A new-look calendar of events for the 2023 Protyre BTRDA Asphalt Rally Championship in association with Motorsport News has been announced* – with seven rallies/eight scoring rounds taking place over nine months and a good geographical spread of events designed to attract competitors from all regions of the UK.

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Wood becomes fourth Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship event winner this year after Down Rally triumph

Steve Wood has become the fourth different winner in as many rounds of the 2022 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship after scoring maximum points on the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally (Saturday 23 July).

Co-driven by Kenny Hull, the Welshman used all his experience of Irish closed road stage rallying to master the fantastic Bucks Head, Lough Erne, Drumaknocken and Hamilton’s Folly stages – particularly in the morning loop which was damp and incredibly slippery, causing an overshoot on SS2 – to finish 34.5 seconds clear of his nearest sealed-surface series rival. The result moves him up to third in the drivers’ standings.

Jonny Greer Secures NI Rally Championship Title with Victory at the Down Rally

Navigated by Dai Roberts, Greer claimed a start-to-finish victory aboard his Citroen C3. The crew powered to the top of the leaderboard after the opening stage and eventually sailed into the distance, leaving the destination of this year’s NI title beyond doubt.

“It has been quite a good year,” Greer said at the finish. “We had a bit of a rough start but it all came together at the end. Thanks to everybody who has helped.”

Down Rally

After 3 years away the Down rally was back and Jonny Greer took victory by 26s, co-driven by Dai Roberts in their C3 Rally2. 5 stage wins from 8 were enough to secure the win from Peadar Hurson & Damien Connolly (Fiesta WRC). The battle for 3rd was a close run thing with Cathan McCourt & Liam Moynihan (C3 Rally2) taking the final podium place by 3.9s from Jason Mitchell &Patrick McCrudden (Fiesta Rally2). Close behind in 5th and a remarkable performance too, were William Creighton & Shane Byrne in their Fiesta Rally3. In the 2WD section Damian Toner & Denver Rafferty (Escort MkII) took victory by almost 40s and were 10th overall too.

John Stone takes slender Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship lead to County Down

John Stone takes a two-point Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship lead into the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally (Saturday 23 July) – and extending that slender advantage at the top of the drivers’ standings is his number one target.

The Blackburn driver arrives in fine form having just taken the lead of the sealed-surface series in Argyll, and is quietly confident having scored maximum Protyre Asphalt points on the Down Rally in 2019.

Tour of Epynt to host opening 2022 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship round as Paul Morris takes over as series co-ordinator

The Nigel Ferguson Fabricators Tour of Epynt on Saturday 16 April will host the opening round of the BTRDA-run 2022 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship as Britain’s premier sealed-surface rally series completes a calendar, sporting regulation and management shake-up – with experienced rally navigator Paul Morris taking over as Championship Co-ordinator.

Stone relights his Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship title fire with maximum points in Northern Ireland

John Stone has re-ignited his Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship title challenge by scoring maximum points on the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally in his Legend Fires-backed Ford Fiesta WRC.

Co-driven by Jack Morton, the Blackburn driver was fastest out of the blocks on a very wet and slippery opening stage to open up an immediate advantage – which was the start of a titanic battle between Stone and arch rival Damian Cole, who immediately set about fighting back after an over-cautious start. As Cole began his fight back, Stone lost a slight bit of momentum on SS2 when a software issue with the new boost pack on his ex-Mikko Hirvonen car made it feel down on power, but he’d retained his lead at the end of a tricky opening loop of three stages.

From Virtual Reality to the Real Thing: Armstrong Wins Down Rally

Reigning World Rally Esports Champion, Jon Armstrong, has secured victory at a sensational Carryduff Forklift Down Rally, round four of the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship!

Down Rally

Over 120 crews took the startline at the Eikon Centre for the Down Rally, in a small window of good weather which surrounded the event. Jonny Greer & Kirsty Riddick (Fiesta R5) were defending their 2018 victory and came out the blocks faster than the opposition to take almost 10 seconds out of the next fastest crew Meirion Evans & Jonathan Jackson (Fabia R5), through the opening stage. By the time the crews had got to the first service Greer was first with just 1s chipped off his advantage but stage 4 would see Evans fall away as he dropped 7 minutes with a puncture. Jon Armstrong & Noel O’Sullivan (Mini WRC) had climbed up to 3rd overall after a fastest time on stage 2 but a puncture cost them 50 seconds on stage 4 so the top 3 was shook up. Daniel Harper & Chris Campbell (Mini WRC) were up to 2nd place with Stephen Wright & Liam Moynihan (Fiesta R5) up to 3rd place.

Competitors Rev Up for the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally

It has been more than three months since competitors in the McGrady Insurance Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Stage Rally Championship were in action but now they’re revving up to compete in round four of the series at this weekend’s Carryduff Forklift Down Rally!

Headquartered at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Balmoral Park, near Lisburn, a capacity entry of 130 high-powered rally cars from across the UK and Ireland are set to tackle stages on closed roads in County Down as well as two spectator tests in the grounds of the exhibition centre.