Rally of Great Britain : Welsh crews fight for British Rally Championship title

Welsh crews fight for British Rally Championship title

Wilks and Pugh

1 December 2008, 6:09 pm

Welsh and Wales-based drivers and co-drivers will fight it out for Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship glory on home soil this weekend, at the final round of the series, Wales Rally GB (December 4-7).

Powys-based brothers Mark Higgins (Abermule) and David Higgins (Trefeglwys) are tied for the lead on 78 points. Mark, driving an Atlas TEG Sport Subaru Impreza, has the better chance winning his fourth British title as he has more rally wins, while David, driving a Team TQ.com Impreza, will be hoping consistency and speed will carry him to title success for a second time.

After a successful appeal to the MSA against his initial exclusion on the previous round, Rally Yorkshire, Guy Wilks’ victory there puts him in with a chance of retaining his BRC title. Co-driven in his Mitsubishi Lancer by Phil Pugh, from Tywyn in Gwynedd, Wilks is just two points behind the Higgins brothers – and even with double points available on Wales Rally GB, the British Rally Championship title will go to one of these three drivers.

However, another Welshmen has been drafted into the Mitsubishi squad to help it win the Teams’ title. Gwyndaf Evans, from Dinas Mawddwy in Gwynedd, will drive the team’s second Mitsubishi Lancer. Co-driven by Gareth Roberts (Bronwydd, near Carmarthen), the 1996 British Rally Champion will start Wales Rally GB for the 20th time in 2008, making him one of the most experienced drivers in the field. Entering Wales Rally GB, TQ.com leads Mitsubishi by just three points in the Teams’ standings.

Other Welsh competitors bidding for British Rally Championship points on Wales Rally GB include Pwllheli-born Hugh Evans (who now lives in Safat, Kuwait) and his Abersoch co-driver Iestyn Williams driving the second TQ.com Subaru Impreza. They are teamed with David Higgins and Carmarthenshire's Ieuan Thomas.

Young Jason Pritchard (Builth Wells, Powys) is following in his father Eian’s footsteps when it comes to skill and speed behind the steering wheel, as the 20-year old driver has already won the Citroën C2 title. Co-driven by George Gwynn, Pritchard, who is still undergoing treatment on a foot injury, will be aiming for another giant-killer performance in the little car.

The winner of this year’s Silverstone Tyres BRC Challenge, as in 2007, is rewarded with a fully-funded drive on Wales Rally GB. Young Manxman David Harrison and his co-driver Glyn Thomas will be hoping to emulate last year’s winner Luke Pinder, who won class N1 on the gruelling event, when they take to the Welsh forestry stages in their 1400cc Group N MGZR.

For comprehensive information on all the drivers registered for points on the final rally of the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, visit www.rallybrc.co.uk

To keep up to date with news and information about Wales Rally GB visit www.walesrallygb.com or to book tickets call the booking hotline on 0844 8472251. To get the best prices on tickets purchase them before 6 December.

Ends.
For further information please contact Zoe Liberty or Richard Postins at Prova on 01926 776900 or email zoel@provapr.co.uk

Notes to editors:
Wales Rally GB:
Copyright-free images from the 2007 Wales Rally GB can be downloaded from; http://www.worldrallypics.com/walesrallygb

www.walesrallygb.com is the official website and provides regular news updates and a link to copyright-free images.

Since its inception in 1932 the rally has been run 63 times; this year's event will be the 64th edition. Enforced stoppages have included World War 2, Suez Crisis (1957) and Foot and Mouth (1967).

Wales Rally GB is the British and final round of the 15-round FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). It is one of only four events that have retained their unbroken World Championship status since the WRC was established in 1973.

Cardiff first hosted the rally in 2000 and the Welsh Assembly Government has been the main sponsor of the event since 2003.

The City and County of Swansea has provided the Service Park since 2001.

WRGB is the finale of the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship (rounds six and seven) and the eighth and final round of the FIA Production World Rally Championship.

Wales Rally GB is held annually and is the UK’s biggest motor sport event. It is organised and promoted by International Motor Sports Ltd (IMS), the commercial arm of the Berkshire-based Motor Sports Association (MSA), the governing body for all UK motor sport.

For 2008 Wales Rally GB has become the first round of the World Rally Championship to offset all its carbon emissions, including all spectator travel. The event has been awarded CarbonNeutral® event status, confirming that the event’s carbon footprint is now ‘net zero’.

Access to all 19 special stages is by ticket. Buy tickets in advance for the best value for money:
• by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 847 2251
• online via the official website: www.walesrallygb.com
• or in person from Ticketline, 47 Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1TL

Details on high quality hospitality packages can be obtained from Alyson Beach at Viking Hospitality, telephone: +44 (0)2920 766661 or e-mail: hospitality@walesrallygb.com.

Sebastien Loeb has won Rallye Monte-Carlo for a sixth time following a dominant performance behind the wheel of the Citroen DS3 WRC he shares with Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena.

Of the 74 starters who began Wales Rally GB in Llandudno on Thursday 10th November, 40 were classified at the end of the four-day,1860 kms rally which featured 23 timed special stages as it wound its way from the North coast to the ceremonial finish in Cardiff.

As this year's Wales Rally GB - the final and deciding round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship - draws to a close, Business Minister, Edwina Hart has announced a funding package of £1.4 million for the 2012 event.