The re-engergised new look MSA British Rally Championship has been attracting a lot of media attention and interest of late, and for good reason. After a years sabbatical and a disappointing three years with unspectacular 2WD cars, the BRC is coming back strong, and coming back with a bang! The British series used to be the national rally championship, with in some cases fully fledged manufacturer teams, up to date and spectacular cars and top class drivers. You only need to look at the former champions list to know what I am on about. I have very fond memories of the British Rally Championship as I have explained in previous posts. It is the championship that got me into the sport of rallying which is where I hope to fledge my professional journalism and media career. I used to watch the stars stageside on my local Jim Clark Rally, and then catch them on the TV later. I have even bought some of the season reviews over the last year to relive these moments. The nostalgia the Formula 2 and WRC days of the series (late 1990s - 2005) give me is unreal, and it's what makes me even more excited than I otherwise would be for a British Rally Championship that is attracting giant interest. There were certain elements that made the BRC so great, and I firmly believe the revitalised 2016 series is well on its way to hit all of those without fail. Below is why 2016 promises to be the first genuinely excellent BRC in a long time. Competitive CarsThe 2016 BRC includes a large variety of vehicle classes, but it is the BRC1 class for R5, S2000 and RRC cars that is drawing in the numbers and the interest. The R5 class cars have been a huge revelation since their birth in 2013, costing less than half that of a WRC car with performance figures that are not far away from their bigger, meaner brothers. With models from M-Sport (Ford), Citroen, Peugeot, Skoda and Mitsubishi there is a large choice within the category which importantly is the exact opposite of the last ten years. The R3 cars from 2012-2014 were predominantly just Citroen DS3s with the occasional Renault Clio, and the N4 cars that proceeded them were mostly just Subarus and Mitsubishis, with the odd S2000 car sometimes thrown into the mix. Variety often leads to unpredictability and definitely adds more elements to the competition. Back in the '90s we saw fierce battles between various models from the likes of Renault, Vauxhall, Seat, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Ford. The WRC era also brought about a mix from Subaru, Toyota and Ford to name a few. Another definite advantage of the R5 cars is they are more exciting to watch than the R3 cars that previously headed the championship, and because they are eligible for lots of national and international championships, they help hit the second element that I believe makes a great BRC. International InterestA flavour that made championships of yester-year more interesting and exciting was international interest, both in terms of presence from the international scene and drivers from other countries coming to rally on British soil. Looking at drivers linked with the international and world stage first, the 2016 BRC has already hit the jackpot. Former M-Sport World Rally Team works driver Elfyn Evans is to contest the full 2016 season on the back of achieving his first two podiums at world level in 2015. This is a massive statement and creates a fantastic dynamic to see who can get close to him. The BRC also has a great platform set up to help young drivers progress with their careers in the DMACK Junior BRC. The winner of the series which is for drivers under 26 years of age and R2 specification cars will win a prize drive in the WRC 2 in a DMACK backed Fiesta R5. Yet another link the new BRC has with the international stage. And back to that point at the end of the previous paragraph; as the R5 cars are used all across Europe, lots of drivers have them which in turn enables foreign drivers to enter the BRC. This is something that made the series so great in the past. 1999 Champion Tapio Laukkanen is a prime case in point. The 2016 BRC has scored here too, attracting son of British and World Champion Ari Max Vatanen, who will partner Elfyn Evans in the DMACK team. Also from Scandinavia, Swede Fredrik Ahlin has confirmed himself for the season in another Fiesta R5, and Irishman Desi Henry is contesting the BRC as well as the Irish Tarmac Championship in his Skoda Fabia R5. The rest of the BRC1 field is made up of a bunch of talented drivers from the UK. Tom Cave is one of the biggest names to have entered with his Fiesta R5, having competed in the WRC support series' the past couple of years. David Bogie and Euan Thorburn too are both Scottish champions, with David having five to his name and also one British title. He therefore is a strong favourite for success. Thorburn has done well in Ford power, but is representing Peugeot in 2016 as he campaigns a 208 T16 R5. Other notable drivers are former BRC drivers Neil Simpson (Fabia R5), Marty McCormack (Fabia S2000) and defending Asphalt Rally Champion Damian Cole (Fiesta S2000). As you can tell by the amount I have written, the entry list is truly sensational. BRC vs IrelandPhoto Credit: Really Mean Sounds / Graham Curry The third and final element I believe makes a great BRC is the mixed competition between the British series and other series, specifically the Irish Tarmac Championship.
Back in the early 2000's, the Jim Clark, Ulster and Manx Rallies were both rounds of the British and Irish Championships. As both series' used WRC cars, this saw epic fights for victory between the likes of Andrew Nesbitt, Eugene Donnelly, Derek McGarrity and then the Brits of Jonny Milner, Mark Higgins, David Higgins and Tapio Laukkanen. Such battles look set to return, most notably and excitingly on the Circuit of Ireland Rally in April. Not only will the British boys of Evans, Bogie and Vatanen be doing battles with the Irish boys of Keith Cronin, Alastair Fisher and Jonny Greer, they will be joined by the European Rally Championship contingent, making this rally a massive clash of the titans and one you do not want to miss! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I firmly take my hat off to Iain Campbell, Ben Taylor and the rest of the team for organising what appears to be a truly fantastic championship. And not only that, it looks as if the BRC's legendary status will be restored and we have a championship in Britain we can be proud of. And oh, did I forget to mention that highlights from each event will be shown on Channel 4 and BT Sport so you can relive all the action? Bring it on!
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BRITISH RALLYINGArticles covering rally in Britain, looking at the MSA BRC Archives
September 2017
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