Photo Credit: Lindsay Photo Sport The 2017 MSA British Rally Championship is a topic of hot discussion this month, with plenty of driver announcements and a new title sponsor coming in for the new season. with all being revealed next week at the Autosport International Show.
However, today some shocking news broke in that the scheduled first round of the championship, the Mid Wales Stages, has been cancelled in response to the ongoing saga in Wales regarding the prices of forest use. Rally4Wales looked to have secured a good deal in covering the costs of repairing the tracks destroyed by rally cars, but for a misunderstanding in VAT prices resulting in some clubs having to pay 20% of the what Rally4Wales are to repair the roads. Newtown & District Club who organise the Mid Wales Stages are one of these clubs, and so the decision was made with such little time until the start of the rally to cancel it. In its place comes the Border Counties Rally, round 2 of the ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship and now the opening round of the BRC. This means the two series' will compete on the same event twice in just three months, with the two meeting in May for the RSAC Scottish Rally. It has been a quick turnaround from the BRC organisers and the organisers of the Jedburgh based rally to cement the deal, and although this is bad news for the Welsh rallying community from my own personal bias as somebody from the Scottish Borders it is fantastic. The Borders has long been craving its star-attraction rally since the closed public roads of the Jim Clark Rally disappeared from the national rally calendar. The Border Counties runs every year as part of the SRC, but adding the BRC to the mix is a big boost for the event's status and the local community with both BRC and SRC rally fans flocking the Jedburgh area. And this boost to the economy has been a big loss to the Borders businesses sicne the Jim Clark Rally was cancelled. Although technically today's news isn't good news, it is to me. I for one and more excited for the start of the British Rally Championship season now. With the rally being contested in the classic Tweed Valley and Kielder Forest the BRC couldn't have picked a better backdrop, and I'll be there to see it all happen!
0 Comments
"The BRC is back" was the prominent message that donned the championship's promotion campaign, but was it? After a year's sabbatical in 2015, the national championship previously touted as the best in the world was returning for 2016, with the IMS coming in to run the championships' reincarnation. This in itself, with well-known rallying names in Iain Campbell and Ben Taylor, was a positive sign that the new MSA British Rally Championship was not just there to make up the numbers; it wanted to return to its roots and become the best national championship in the world of rallying. And as news continued to filter through about the series, it became clear the British Rally Championship was indeed coming back with a bang, and back to its very best. Followers of This Is Rally may remember a feature I did in November 2015 looking ahead to the new BRC, written as one of my assessments for my university degree. Taking inspiration from that, I've decided to write a bumper preview with the help of those involved with the series for the 2017 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, which has arguably an even tougher task than its predecessing season. 2016 was the new-born baby and thus had pressure to succeed which it managed to do superbly in my opinion. But maintaining those excellent standards is something that should not be underestimated. Can the 2017 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship continue to deliver? To understand the standards that have been set, let's remind ourselves of the successes of the 2016 season, with the help of MSA BRC Media Manager Ben Buesnel. "I think the British Rally Championship has to be a success to make rallying a success in Britain." Ben said. "It is massively important for rallying in the British Isles as the sport needs a flagship series. My initial reaction [to 2016] was one of excitement. The phone calls with Iain Campbell and Ben Taylor every other day were exciting, and we knew we were in for a stellar year ahead. "I was fortunate enough to be one of the first to know when drivers first signed up and to write the stories. That really filled me with excitement. So many wanted to see the BRC back with a bang and what a bang it came back with. To add names such as Evans, Vatanen, Cronin, Cave and Bogie into the pot made it very feverish." But it wasn't just the household names that made a good account of themselves last year, as Ben explains. "There were so many stand-out performers as I think everyone developed over the course of the year. Alex Laffey is a prime example. Having never really driven on gravel before, he struggled at the start but by the end was into the top ten on the time sheets. Switching focus to the 2017 season, which now has a title sponsor in Prestone, who should we be looking out for in 2017? Over to Ben. "Three drivers impressed me in BRC1 last year and could be ones to look out for in 2017. Tom Cave got a lot of much needed seat time in an R5 and by the Scottish Rally looked composed and relaxed. Desi Henry got to grips with his Skoda quite quickly to be on par with Cave by the end of the year. He is another who needed the seat time but with a year under his belt he could be one to watch in 2017. Finally, Jonny Greer kept his head down and chipped away all season. Underrated by many, Greer kept it consistent and for me showed improvement with every event. "The gauntlet has been thrown down with several drivers announcing their plans early. Marty McCormack for me is the dark horse. His performance on the Circuit of Ireland in an S2000 car was nothing short of sensational. With an R5 car he will be in the mix. Matt Edwards [2016 BRC2 Champion] is improving all the time and will spring a surprise or two this year." Ben Buesnel is just one of the many talented personnel involved in the BRC's transformation from nothing short of an embarassment in 2014 to a championship that was even discussed in the service park of WRC events in 2016. I think I speak for every British rally fan in saying a big thank you to the BRC team, not least Championship Manager Iain Campbell. The Scot, who is also the Clerk of the Course for Wales Rally GB, spoke to me about the challenges he and the organising team faced last year to put the spring back in the step of Britain's premier national rally championship. "The BRC in 2016 surpassed everybody's expectations. At the end of the season on the Isle of Man, I was very proud of what we as IMS had achieved but also relieved that we had survived the full year, whilst also feeling full of apprehension of what we had to do to do it all again in 2017. "We honestly didn't know if anybody would want to come and join the BRC at the start of the year and now we had the issue of how would we keep all of these competitors happy until the end of the year? Of course, we didn't manage to keep them all on the journey to the seven rounds with us but we did manage to average 40 entries per round. "Everything was a challenge. Everything was new and it was being run by a team who had never run a championship before. It was hard work but it's amazing what adrenaline, excitement, fear and sheer determination can get you by on. That and what the BRC really has going for it was everyone wants it to succeed. There is enormous support for the championship and we fed off that goodwill a lot in 2016. Perhaps we can't feed off it so much this year but the desire from everyone to make it succeed is still as strong." The 2017 season sees subtle changes to the rule-book, with the points-scoring system being adjusted and with it changes to the effect each driver's nominated Joker round has. 'Skunner' explained: "We learnt a lot in 2016 but it is always important not to just keep doing the same things. We are always looking for change if it will mean that things will improve. The points system was designed to reward winners in 2016. There was a definite advantage to getting on the top step of the podium instead of having a consistent run of seconds and thirds to base your championship on. Competitors asked us to adopt the FIA point system for 2017, so we have. "The Joker points have been retained, however the reward for scoring on your Joker round has been reduced to 5 for a win, down to 1 point for 5th place. Interestingly we had decided on 5-1 points before the FIA decided to do the same with the WRC Power Stage points." The BRC's decision to head overseas to Belgium and the Ypres Rally in 2017 has been met with scepticism in some parts, notably myself at first, as it means the British Rally Championship is heading away from the British Isles. However, Iain Campbell has the perfect response to any of the doubters (I don't think he realised I was one of them when I asked!) "Our desire for the BRC is to be an international championship. What better way is there to promote what the UK can offer to overseas competitors than to go to them and to show them our pace, our promotion and to speak to them direct, to see if we can entice them across the Channel to the BRC. "Ypres is the most fantastic of events. It's superbly promoted, has a great atmosphere and it's a great occasion for our competitors to experience a foreign event whilst still scoring points in the BRC. For many in the south it is actually their local BRC round! We can only see benefits from this rally being the fourth round of the British Rally Championship. Everyone needs to look outside of what is regarded as the norm or the traditional and challenge it." So since I've got one of the main driving forces behind the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, let's find out what the aims are for the 2017 season. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Skunner sees the new BRC's second season as a platform on which to build on from last year. "2017 is very much about taking the lessons from 2016 and learning from them." He said. "We also have a title sponsor this year [in Prestone] who are incredibly enthusiastic and excited about their involvement. We need to deliver on their objectives but also use their high street brand to raise the awareness of the BRC and UK rallying. "2017 is a year that will hopefully offer great competition on the stages and continues to find new UK talent. It is also the year where we really have to start building on the foundations laid out over the last 18 months. "Our events now know what we bring to them, what our expectations are, as we now know them. They all have new ideas on what they can do in 2017 to create an impact on the regions we visit. These are the things that excite me. I've already started on a proposed calendar for the 2018 championship. We have 11 events that are either part of the current calendar or have expressed an interest in being part of the championship next year. This is a nice position to be in." Speaking of nice positions to be in, things could be a lot worse for young rally driver Rhys Yates. The Englishman took part in his second full season of rallying in 2016, competing in the MSA British Rally Championship with a Ford Fiesta R5 and later on in the year with the upgraded Fiesta R5 Evo. Yates was one of the first drivers to sign up to the new-look BRC, and made real progression across the seven rounds in 2016. I spoke to the young charger, who explains the appeal of the BRC to a competitor. Rhys said: "The BRC is the most competitive championship in the UK and the R5 class definitely attracted us. The pace was very fast [last year], with some guys doing WRC2 and winning rallies proving this. So the BRC has definitely brought us all on, and we got a bit closer as the season went on." 2017 marks Yates' second full season at the wheel of M-Sport's R5 machine, and will be his second stab at the British Rally Championship, where he is hoping to continue where he left off in 2016. "After a full season under my belt, I feel more comfortable with the rally formats, recce, pace notes and with the car, so we feel a lot better prepared than last year. We've just got to keep having fun and push on when I feel comfortable. "The calendar looks great. It's a shame to lose the Mid Wales Stages but that isn't the BRC's fault, and they dealt with it straight away and sorted out a solution which is great! The rallies look evenly spread out which is great for me, as there's not massive time-gaps between events giving just enough time to re-prepare the car and be ready for the next round. "I was never involved with rallying when the championship was run without four wheel drive cars, but the R5 class is great for the championship and the overall competitiveness. I think's its building reputation and the pace really shows when lads do WRC2 from the BRC. I think it's a great championship and definitely the championship to do." Actions speak louder than words, but if what Ben Buesnel, Iain Campbell and Rhys Yates have said does not get you excited for the upcoming season in the British Rally Championship and fill you confidence that the championship has a healthy future then I guess you just aren't a fan of rallying. I personally can't wait to see how 2017 unfolds, especially considering the title race is expected to be closer with the departure of 2016 Champion Elfyn Evans to the World Rally Championship.
And I have every confidence in IMS to deliver a successful championship for years to come. I'll leave the final words to those on the inside. Why should we be paying attention to the 2017 BRC? Ben Buesnel: "Ari Vatanen last year likened the BRC to a mini world championship as the series has the lot. Bumpy Irish Asphalt, rough and challenging stages in Scotland, smooth Tarmac on the Isle of Man, high-speed gravel on the Pirelli, the demanding mixed-surface test or the Nicky Grist and even snow and ice on the Mid Wales Stages last year! I don’t think other domestic series offer the range of surfaces that the BRC does. "I think 2017 is going to be a year for British talent to shine in the BRC and I cannot wait for the season to get underway on the Border Counties Rally. ...And just in case you needed convincing... Iain Campbell: "The British Rally Championship is really the national championship that offers the competitor the opportunity to compete on all the surfaces that they are likely to face in our sport. Few other championships in Europe can do that: most are either purely asphalt or purely gravel. There are also so many variations to our stages that you can’t drive a forest test and just call it a ‘typical’ UK stage. The heritage that this series has is so rich. It has started so many careers and we have to use that to promote the sport, whilst offering great competition on the stages. As for going to watch BRC, why wouldn’t you want to watch the best drivers, in the best cars on the best stages? Come and join us, it is going to be good." Head over to my Facebook page where the full interviews will be posted in the coming days, and make sure you follow me on Twitter for all the latest from This Is Rally. Massive thank you to Ben Buesnel, Iain Campbell and Rhys Yates for the words. |
BRITISH RALLYINGArticles covering rally in Britain, looking at the MSA BRC Archives
September 2017
Categories |