Callum Black and Jack Morton win the 40th anniversary Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship title

Callum Black and Jack Morton are the 2023 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship drivers’ and co-drivers’ champions, having scored maximum points on both days of the double header JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (2-3 September).

The new champions won the title for the first time on the 40th anniversary of the UK’s premier sealed surface series, and were the only crew to score maximum points on more than one round, with victory the Manx National (day two), Argyll Rally and the penultimate and final rounds held over the two day Rali Ceredigion.

Neil Roskell and Callum Black go head-to-head at Rali Ceredigion in fight for the 40th anniversary Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship title

Neil Roskell and Callum Black go into a head-to-head fight for the 40th anniversary 2023 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship drivers’ title on the final double header round of the series, the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (2-3 September).

Roskell, who finished runner-up last year, leads the UK’s premier sealed surface series after six high-scoring finishes in his Michelin-shod ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally2. However, the Blackpool driver has a large total of 46 points to drop (unless he scores less on the final two rounds) – as the best six scores from eight rounds count. Co-driven by Andrew Roughead, the very worst that can happen is that Roskell remains on his current 157 points – which will at least secure him second place again. Not that he’ll be happy to settle for that two years running.

Steve Wood and Neil Roskell separated by just 0.1 seconds after a dazzling Down Rally battle

Reigning champion Steve Wood and Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship leader Neil Roskell were separated by just 0.1 seconds after a dazzling battle on the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally (Saturday 22 July).

The top Protyre Asphalt position swapped several times – and neither driver escaped the eight challenging Northern Ireland stages unscathed as they pushed hard in the often damp and slippery conditions.

Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship battle hots up on the Down Rally

Just 15 points separate Neil Roskell and Callum Black at the top of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship leaderboard as they head to Round 6 of the series, the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally on Saturday 22 July – although there are plenty of other drivers in the title chasing pack, and others who could take valuable points away from the would-be champions.

Roskell had a good run on the Northern Ireland event last year, despite the bonnet flying open and smashing the windscreen on the famous Hamilton’s Folly jump.

Series leader Neil Roskell targets first Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship win of 2023 in Argyll

There have been four different winners from the first four rounds of this year’s BTRDA-organised Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, setting the scene for an exciting second half to the UK’s premier sealed-surface series – which begins with the Dunoon presents Argyll Rally (23/24 June).

But it’s Neil Roskell who leads the overall drivers’ standings going into Round 5 of the eight-round series – despite not having won a round so far this year. And that’s something the Blackpool driver is keen to put right on the challenging Argyll and Bute closed roads, having finished second and third on the last two rounds respectively.

Callum Black keeps his promise to win the Manx National, while Neil Roskell takes the Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship lead

Callum Black said that he was going to win the Manx National Rally – and despite it being his first asphalt rally for 10 years, the Brackley driver was true to his word as he and co-driver Jack Morton won the event in their 586 Sports-prepared and Pirelli-shod Pallas Connections Ford Fiesta Rally2.

The 3min 17.9sec winning margin doesn’t reflect the incredibly close and fierce flat-out battle he had for victory with David Wright/Paula Swinscoe – and whilst Black scored maximum Round 3 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship points for coming out on top on the final day two, it was Wright who took maximum Round 2 points for leading after day one.

Steve Wood clinches the 2022 Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship title after a battle royal on the Isle of Man

Steve Wood has clinched the 2022 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship title after a battle royal on the final round of the series, the Best Cars Chris Kelly Memorial Manx Stages.

Co-driven by Dale Bowen, the Aberystwyth driver was lying third after an extremely wet and stormy start, which had seen rivers of water running down some sections of the famous Isle of Man stages on Friday’s opening two legs.

Despite a misfire in his City East Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Wood completed the third and final leg on a much drier Saturday to finish second – which was enough to secure him the UK’s premier sealed-surface title, the Protyre Trophy and prestigious BTRDA Gold Star award.

Chris Kelly Memorial Rally

The conclusion of the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship saw 3 drivers fighting for the title. It would have been 4 had the Three Shires not been cancelled, as the countback denied Neil Roskell the chance to fight for the title he won in 2021. Mark Kelly & Neil Colman (Fabia R5) were fastest through SS1 and with SS2 cancelled they continued on through the rain soaked and flooded stages to the frist running of the Lhen. They went off in the appauling conditions and handed the lead to Peter Taylor & Jack Morton (Fiesta WRC). Neil Roskell & Andrew Roughead (Fiesta R5) had a point to prove and they went fastest through SS4 to grab the lead from Taylor.

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.

Henderson takes Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship honours in Argyll as Stone snatches series lead

David Henderson scored maximum Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship points the first time out in his new Michelin-shod Keco/PAR Petroleum-backed Ford Fiesta Rally2 after a magnificent run on the Dunoon presents Argyll Rally – while third has given John Stone the lead in the drivers’ standings.