Pritchard takes Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship lead after winning Manx National for a fourth time

Jason Pritchard has taken the lead of the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship after winning the Bet On Aces Manx National Rally for a fourth time in his North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC05.

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Manx National Rally

The Manx National Rally was an event of huge contrasts as a deluge of rain hit the first loop of stages, on the Friday night, before glorious weather bathed the stages on Saturday. Jason Pritchard & Phil Clarke (Focus WRC) took their 4th win at the event, by over 3 minutes. The hard work was done on the opening night as Pritchard didn’t put a wheel wrong to lead by almost two minutes overnight. Daniel Harper & Chris Campbell (Mini JCW WRC) took a cautious approach to the wet conditions and were rewarded with 2nd overnight. Peter Taylor & Andrew Roughead (Fiesta WRC) were 3rd overnight, after denying Pritchard a clean sweep of stage wins, but they did not start the Saturday after being excluded.

Three-time winner Jason Pritchard heads strong Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship Manx National entry

Jason Pritchard heads a strong Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship entry on the Bet On Aces Manx National Rally (May 11-12), as the famous and challenging Isle of Man roads host Round 2 of the series.

Evans leads Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship after thrilling victory on the opening Tour of Epynt

Melvyn Evans won the opening round of the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, the Port Talbot MC-organised Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt (11 March), in his Subaru Impreza WRC S12b.

Tour of Epynt

The asphalt rally championship returned with a bang at Epynt, with a quality entry tackling the military ranges for the opening round of the revamped championship. After the first pair of stages Damian Cole & Jamie Edwards (Fiesta WRC) could not be separated from Melvyn Evans & Mark Glennerster (Impreza WRC). Close behind were 2017 Tour of Epynt winners Bob Fowden & Aled Davies (Imprzea WRC), just 4 seconds back. The next pait of stages saw Evans take 11 seconds out of Cole, with Fowden drifting a second further back. Evans then took a further 15 seconds out of Cole on stage 5 whilst Fowden retired after getting his car beached.

Revamped 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship kicks off in style with bumper Tour of Epynt entry

The revamped Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship returns in style this weekend, with a superb entry for the Port Talbot MC-organised Melvyn Evans Motorsport Tour of Epynt (Sunday 11 March).

Jason Pritchard: ‘calendar of events attracted me to the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship’

Having won the MSA British Historic Rally Championship for a record-breaking third time in a row last year, Jason Pritchard will return to more modern machinery this year for an all-out assault on the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship.

Star-studded Darrian field to challenge WRCars for top 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship honours

A star-studded squadron of powerful rear-wheel drive Darrian rally cars will contest this year’s Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship – each intent, and capable, of giving the top World Rally Cars a run for their money and challenging for the overall title.

Nigel Feeney attracted by new challenge of Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship – as Mini WRC joins growing list of top cars entered in the revamped 2018 series

Nigel Feeney will make his competition debut on the Isle of Man, in Northern Ireland and in Belgium this year after committing to a full six-round Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship programme in his Mini John Cooper Works Mini WRC.

Fowden celebrates 40 years of rallying with a push for the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship title

Bob Fowden is celebrating 40 years in rallying this year, and far from slowing down the popular Llanelli-based driver is upping the game and aiming for two titles in 2018, including the 2018 Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship, in his ex-works Comline Auto Parts/NGK-backed Subaru Impreza WRC S11.

Fowden began his long rallying career in 1978, driving a Mini on forest events. Impressive early performances soon attracted the attention of John Davenport, the British Leyland Team Manager, which allowed Fowden to upgrade to an ex-works Triumph TR7, in which he started to contest Tarmac rallies – winning the first Mewla Stages in 1982. An ex-works Rover 3500 Vitesse followed, with many more victories on Epynt until the big car began to show its age and was replaced in 1988 with a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.