Hard Luck Jason!

Jason Pritchard taking on the Great Orme stage in his Subaru Impreza

Jason Pritchard was denied in his quest of securing his best ever finish in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) this weekend. A calamitous error of judgement by officials and marshals meant he was forced to retire during Stage 16 at the start of the Sweet Lamb. A ‘jump’ on the stage, which also ruined fellow Welshman Elfyn Evans Rally, should have been brought to all drivers’ attention on approach, however this didn’t happen and Pritchard’s previous good form over the first two days unfortunately counted for nothing.

Jason Pritchard was going great guns in the Wales Rally GB, until his North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza landed in the dangerous hole on Stage 16 and ended his attempt to record his best-ever result in his home Rally. Pritchard was 18^th overall and 3^rd in the Production World Rally Championship (PWRC), and when he was forced to retire, 2^nd place was very much in his sight:

“I’m distraught that we couldn’t finish the race, I understand how testing this sport is and understand the consequences of driving at the speed we do, but this shouldn’t have been allowed to happen. We had been warned throughout the rally about dangerous landings after the jumps and we approached these stages in a controlled manner, however there was no warning about the situation on stage 16 – you only have to look at how myself and the other drivers went out to see that the marshals should have been slowing us down – it was crazy!”

Pritchard who was joined by co-driver Dale Furniss escaped the incident unhurt and Furniss also used his initiative to warn other drivers about the hole by waving the cars to slow down as they approached the jump, it was clear that his actions had saved a number of cars from following Pritchard’s fate but unbelievably Furniss was told he shouldn’t be slowing the drivers down:

“Dale reacted like anyone would’ve, he jumped out and warned approaching drivers to slow down, something the marshals should’ve been doing – I can’t believe they told him to stop the warning – we would’ve made it to the Sunday and the finish if someone was warning us.”

This year's Wales Rally GB included a considerably revised route compared to previous years - following a Ceremonial Start in Llandudno, Thursday’s stages were on the spectacular winding cliff-face road around the Great Orme headland on the North Welsh coastline - a stage not used on the event for 30 years. The 1150-mile Rally ventured southwards with the high speed action on many of Wales' most renowned forest stages and the event culminated with a Ceremonial Finish in Cardiff on the Sunday.

Pritchard made steady progress throughout the first few days, the start on the tarmac during the Great Orme stage was understandably cautious but Pritchard made good time through the gravel stage on the Friday which saw him finish the day 4^th in the PWRC. On Saturday the 23-year-old from Builth Wells really stepped up a gear and made great progress throughout the morning and he moved up to 3^rd place, with 2^nd place a real possibility as he put pressure and gained time on the top two drivers:

“I was feeling very relaxed during Saturday’s stages, we were really up on the pace and I could feel myself getting quicker as the day progressed. That’s why it hurt so much to go out the race in the manner that we did.

“2011 has been quite unlucky and this incident kind of summed up how it’s gone. However, I’m taking the positives from how we finished the year and I know that I would’ve secured my highest finish this weekend if I hadn’t had the incident. 2012 is going to be a big year for me and I’m confident that my level of performance will only get stronger and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel again.”

Pritchard is planning to keep busy and intends to finish the year by working closely with his Communications team and external designers to build a new website that will be capable of holding blogs and video footage, allowing fans and the media to get closer access to the young Welshman. The website launch, expected to be before Christmas this year, will also co-inside with a new logo as Pritchard updates his look and feel away from the car

Jason Pritchard takes on home event

Jason Pritchard hopes that he can continue his fantastic form from the past month as the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) comes to Wales this weekend. Wales Rally GB will be another test for the talented driver but with home advantage on his side, confidence is high from the 23-year-old Welshman.

Jason Pritchard will start this year’s Wales Rally GB in a confident mood in his North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza after strong showings in Scotland and Tempest over the past month.

Pritchard who will be joined by co-driver Dale Furniss has produced two stylish drives to clinch first place in group N and 12th overall at the Rally of Scotland and he also won his class and finished 3rd overall in the Tempest Rally last weekend.

“I’ve been delighted with how I’ve driven during the last two events; the car’s been fantastic and this has been matched by the excellent work from my team at North Road Garage. However, it will all count for nothing if we can’t get a good result here in Wales. I’m so proud to be competing in Wales and even more so because the Central Service Park is in my hometown
Builth Wells.”

This year's Wales Rally GB includes a considerably revised route compared to previous years - following a Ceremonial Start today (Thursday 10th November) in Llandudno the opening action is on the spectacular winding cliff-face road around the Great Orme headland on the North Welsh coastline - a stage not used on the event for 30 years.

Over the next three days the 1150-mile event will venture southwards with the high speed action on many of Wales' most renowned forest stages interspersed with a Central Service Park at Builth Wells. The event, and the 2011 World Rally Championship, will culminate with a Ceremonial Finish - and the crowning of this year's WRC Champion - in Cardiff on the Sunday (13 Nov).

The forests of Wales will be reverberating to the sound of over 160 rally car engines from today onwards and Pritchard will be hopeful of bettering his 20th finish last time the WRC was in Wales:

“We were delighted with the last WRC here in Wales, if I can produce a similar performance I’ll be delighted but I’m always aiming to improve and there is no better place to deliver than on the world-stage and amongst some of the world’s best drivers.

“I can’t wait to get started, my preparation leading up to the event has been excellent and I’m ready and raring to go, it’s a long event so concentration is crucial, I need to be fast and up there throughout the next three days to really finish the year on a high.”

Wales ready to welcome WRC

Wales Rally GB and it's associated national event
covers nearly the entire length of the country

The biggest prize in motor rallying will be won in the UK in less than two weeks time when France’s Sebastien Loeb and Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen go head-to-head for the FIA World Rally Championship crown in one of the most challenging events of the year – the season finale, Wales Rally GB, from 10-13 November.

Loeb, competing for Citroen Total World Rally Team, has emerged as the most successful rally driver in history with seven consecutive World crowns in the past decade. But Hirvonen, who drives for the UK-based factory Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, could be about to end the seemingly invincible Loeb’s reign at the top.

The Frenchman will arrive in Wales with a slender eight-point lead over the Finn – but with 25 available for a win the game is very much still on. Furthermore, an increasing number of rival crews – including those from iconic British manufacturer MINI – will be challenging for victory on some of the world’s most daunting forest stages. There is no doubt the WRC season is all set for a highly dramatic and unpredictable finish.

Meanwhile Loeb knows a second-place result in Wales will effectively secure him an eighth straight title but, with three bonus points on offer during the event’s concluding Power Stage on the final day of action (Sun 13 Nov), he won’t be relaxing behind the wheel of his Citroën DS3 WRC. The 37-year-old from Alsace, who has won the last three Wales Rally GBs, commented: “If Mikko is winning I have to be second with some good points from the Power Stage. For sure I will try to fight with him and not to be behind. It’s a very open situation and it’s not easy. We will have to fight hard in GB. We know it can be very difficult so we will see what happens. It will be interesting.”

Hirvonen almost pipped Loeb to the WRC crown in Wales in 2009, only for his car’s bonnet to smash into its windscreen. Two years on Hirvonen can expect great support from his on-form team-mate Jari-Mari Latvala. The ‘flying Finn’ now has much more experience and, having pushed Loeb for the win in Spain two weekends ago before backing off and allowing Hirvonen to finish second, could play a crucial role in the title outcome.

“Of course Jari-Matti did me a big favour in Spain, which was really nice and gives me a chance to fight again in GB,” said 31-year-old Hirvonen, who achieved victory in Wales in 2007 with the same Cumbrian-based M-Sport operation which prepares his Fiesta RS WRC. He added: “It’s going to be a tough one. Everything needs to be perfect. The only thing I can do is win the rally and the Power Stage as well. In previous years I have always had really good pace there so I believe that will be the same this year. We will have a good fight. I just need to make sure the bonnet pins stay closed.”

Equally Loeb’s team-mate, fellow Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, is likely to play a similar tactical supporting role for Citroën. Although only in his second full WRC season Ogier is equal on five wins with Loeb so far in 2011. And maverick Norwegian Petter Solberg, one of only two drivers to have previously won the event four times (2002-03-04-05), is another they all need to watch in his Citroën DS3 WRC.

However many of the hugely enthusiastic spectators will surely be rooting for the MINI World Rally Team and its pair of Mini John Cooper Works WRCs, prepared by the Banbury-based Prodrive organisation that previously achieved WRC glory with the likes of Colin McRae and Richard Burns. The famed British marque has not been represented in top-level rallying since the Sixties but what an impact its 2011 cars, driven by Spaniard Dani Sordo and Northern Irishman Kris Meeke, have had already. In just five appearances Sordo has achieved four strong points results and almost won a month ago in France. Meeke, in his debut WRC season, was a fine fifth two weeks ago in Spain and, on terrain he knows well, could cause a real upset on his home event. Indeed a British driver has not won Rally GB since Burns’s triumph in 2000 and MINI’s only previous victory on the event was in 1965 (with Rauno Aaltonen in a Mini Cooper S)!

Other stars to look out for include former F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and YouTube hero Ken Block – both are sure to be crowd favourites and in huge demand from autograph hunters.

It all adds to up to a fitting season finale for the reinvigorated WRC which, looking to the future, is entering its most exciting chapter for years with the re-installation of the classic Monte Carlo Rally on its 2012 calendar plus the arrival of MINI as well as German manufacturer VW in 2013 to add to the competition.

Simon Long, CEO of WRC promoter North One Sport enthused: “It’s going to be a thrilling and nail-biting end to what’s been a very dramatic first season for the dynamic new-look WRC with the latest technical regulations and live TV ‘power stages’. Now we’re all set for a thrilling finale in the notoriously tricky and treacherous Welsh forests...

“As well as the duel for the world championship the return of MINI on home ground is certain to generate even more interest and intrigue – more so as the team has already underlined its intentions by scoring two podium results from its first six starts. Which ever way you look at it we’re in for a dramatic climax to 2011.”

Meanwhile this year’s Wales Rally GB includes a considerably revised route compared to previous years – following a Ceremonial Start on the Thursday (10 Nov) in Llandudno the opening action is on the spectacular winding cliff-face road around the Great Orme headland on the North Welsh coastline – a stage not used on the event for 30 years. Similarly, there is a return later that day to the Clocaenog forest stage, last part of the route in 1996. Over the next three days the 1150-mile event will venture southwards with the high speed action on many of Wales’ most renowned forest stages interspersed with a Central Service Park at Builth Wells. The event, and the 2011 World Rally Championship, will culminate with a Ceremonial Finish – and the crowning of this year’s WRC Champion – in Cardiff on the Sunday (13 Nov).

FIA WRC Drivers’ Championship (after 12 of 13 rounds)

1. Sebastien Loeb (FRA) Citroen DS3 WRC 222
2. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 214
3. Sebastien Ogier (FRA) Citroen DS3 WRC 193
4. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 146
5. Peter Solberg (NOR) Citroen DS3 WRC 110
6. Mads Ostberg (NOR) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 70
7. Dani Sordo (SPA) MINI John Cooper Works WRC 57
8. Matthew Wilson (GB) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 53
9. Henning Solberg (NOR) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 44
10. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Citroen DS3 WRC (FIN) 34