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. Read More »
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. Read More »
Steve Wood will begin his Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship title defence on the Reed Group East Riding Stages (Sunday 26 February) – and like all the events in last year’s calendar, this year’s opening round will be completely new to him.
The Aberystwyth driver will also start the season without his regular co-driver Dale Bowen, who is contesting another event in Portugal the same weekend – so Wood will be partnered by Mark Glennerster for the first time. His title-winning Ford Fiesta RS WRC will look different too, sporting new sponsorship from Trailhead Get Jerky. Read More »
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. Read More »
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. Read More »
Steve Wood, John Stone and Mark Kelly will head to the final round of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, the Chris Kelly Memorial Manx Stages (30 September/1 October), aiming to become the overall 2022 driver’s champion – and clinch the Protyre Trophy and prestigious BTRDA Gold Star award.
It will be an intriguing battle, as all three drivers have varying degrees of experience on the Isle of Man. Read More »
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. Read More »
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. Read More »
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. Read More »
The Jim Clark rally returned to the BRC and following the exclusion of Osian Pryce & Noel O’Sullivan (Polo R5) on the opening night, Keith Cronin & Mikie Galvin (Polo R5) to victory by 36.2s from James Williams & Dai Roberts (i20 R5). Garry Pearson & Dale Furniss (Fiesta Rally2) completed the podium in what proved to be a chaotic event. In the National event Steve Wood & Dale Bowen (Fiesta WRC) won from Mark Kelly & Neil Colman (Fiesta R5) and Steve Simpson & Neil Shanks (Fiesta Rally2) in 3rd. Read More »
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