Wood takes Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship lead while Williams scores maximum points on Rali Ceredigion

Steve Wood has taken the lead of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship at a crucial time in the 2022 series, after a skilful performance on the Get Connected Rali Ceredigion (3/4 September).

It was James Williams who took maximum points on the Aberystwyth-based closed road event in his Michelin-shod JDS Machinery Hyundai i20N Rally2 – becoming the first driver this year to score top marks more than once. What’s more, the result gives his navigator Dai Roberts the lead in the overall Protyre Asphalt co-drivers’ standings.

James Williams closes in on Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship lead after Jim Clark charge

James Williams has closed to just one point behind Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship leader Ruairi Bell after scoring maximum points on Round 2 of the series, the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally (27/28 May).

Co-driven by fellow west Walian Dai Roberts, James set a stunning pace in his Hyundai Power Products-backed Hyundai i20 R5 to score his best result to date in his Michelin-shod car.

Sensational Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship debut for Ruairi Bell as he wins Tour of Epynt at first attempt

Ruairi Bell made one of the most incredible rally debuts ever seen on Epynt by leading the Nigel Ferguson Fabricators Tour of Epynt from start to finish and recording an extraordinary 44 second victory to take the early lead in the 2022 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.

Driving his ex-Kalle Rovanperä Inspira-backed Škoda Fabia R5 in competition for only the second time, and the first time on asphalt, the 22-year old from London gained the praise of his rivals as they could only admire the uncatchable stage times that he set over the event’s fast and challenging seven stages.

Bell contributed much of his success to his co-driver Max Freeman and the trust he had in the pace notes – something you need in abundance over the blind crests and deceptive turns of Epynt. But at a venue where experience is considered vitally important, first-timer Bell was exceptional in his Pirelli-shod Fabia.

Tour of Epynt

Spectators were back up on Epynt for the first time since 2019 as the Tour of Epynt opened the 2022 Protyre Asphalt Championship. It was relative new faces to the championship who drew the most attention as Ruairi Bell & Max Freeman (Fabia R5) stunned all the others with fastest stage after fastest stage time, to take victory by 44s. They belied their lowly seeding of no.12 but in fairness it was their first time on the tarmac stages of Epynt. Mark Kelly & Neil Colman (Fiesta R5) has gone joint fastest on stage 1 with Bell, but it was stage 4 that saw them get a 20s time penalty, which briefly dropped them to 6th overall.

Bell cruelly denied Junior British Rally Championship win in Scotland

London rally driver Ruairi Bell dominated the top of the Junior British Rally Championship leader board at the Grampian Forest Rally last weekend (14 August) and was on course to take his second victory of the season, before a technical issue cruelly forced him out of the event almost within sight of the finish.

Bell rings in the changes with Junior British Rally Championship victory in Wales

London rally driver Ruairi Bell delivered a dominating performance in the Junior British Rally Championship last weekend (10 July) to secure his maiden victory in the series and get his title aspirations back on track at the Nicky Grist Stages.

Bell, 21 from Blackheath led the ultra-competitive Junior challengers for seven out of the eight stages to record his first ever win in the Championship and now lies just eight points shy of the lead of the series with five rounds remaining.

Bell makes British Rally Championship return

London rally driver Ruairí Bell has confirmed his 2021 campaign in the Junior British Rally Championship, driving an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally4.

Bell, 21 from Blackheath is a previous winner of the M-Sport and Pirelli Trophy which ran as part of the Junior BRC in 2019 and victory enabled him to mount a campaign on the FIA Junior World Rally Championship in 2020.

Bell gets Peugeot Iberica Cup opportunity with PT Racing

London rally driver Ruairi Bell will kick-start his 2021 competitive outings behind the wheel by contesting the opening round of the Peugeot Iberica Cup in Portugal, thanks to the motorsport preparation firm PT Racing.

Bell, 21 from Blackheath has contested selected events of the all-Peugeot series previously, but will now head to Rali Terras d’Aboboreira (30th March – 1st May) in a brand new Protec Temporary Protection and Marex backed 208 Rally4, to gain more experience of European events and, for the first time, will be partnered by Welsh co-driver Gareth Parry.

Bell proves his pace with Junior World Rally Championship podium

London rally driver Ruairi Bell set a blistering pace at the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship, ACI Rally Monza (3-6 December), claiming third place, fastest stage times and his best-ever JWRC result at the unforgiving Italian event.

The Blackheath based 20-year-old not only rounded off his season in style, but such was his speed during the notorious snow-laden Saturday leg of the rally, Bell also set a remarkable 14th overall fastest rally time, beating many WRC regulars in the process, setting him up perfectly to record his maiden JWRC podium at the legendary “Cathedral of Speed”. His result at the weekend also vaulted the Brit to fifth in the JWRC drivers standings.

Bell suffers Sardinia heartbreak

FIA Junior World Rally Championship contender Ruairi Bell endured a “rollercoaster of a rally” at the third round of the series, mixing encouraging pace with a devastating last stage retirement within sight of the finish line at last weekend’s Rally Italia Sardegna (8th- 10th October).