Welsh rally star Osian Pryce will chase this year’s Prestone British Rally Championship (BRC) title as well as glory on the world stage in his biggest and most exciting programme ever.
Pryce will drive an Alphera-Hills Ford-backed Ford Fiesta R5 in the BRC, starting with this week’s Border Counties Rally in Scotland.
In addition to his seven-round British commitment, Pryce will tackle three rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in a Ford Fiesta R5 prepared by two-time world champion squad M-Sport.
Pryce’s entry at Rally Poland and Rally Finland comes courtesy of winning last year’s Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy, the WRC-based one-make series for world rallying’s most promising young drivers.
“This is my biggest year ever,” said Pryce, 24, from Machynlleth. “It’s what I’ve been working towards since I started in the sport at the age of 16.
“The Prestone British Rally Championship is unfinished business for me. I competed against Britain’s best for three years; I finished third in the first season and second in the next two.
“I’ve got the chance to close the BRC out now and that’s really important for me.” The BRC has moved on since Pryce last competed at the highest level of British rallying.
The series is now dominated by high-tech, four-wheel-drive turbo-charged R5 category rally cars, cutting edge machinery designed to get the best out of the drivers while offering fans the best show on earth.
And there will be plenty of competition for Osian and co-driver Dale Furniss.
“The BRC is going to be a huge battle this year,” said Pryce. “There are a lot of drivers in different cars and all of them are capable of scoring well and challenging for the title. More importantly, a lot of the guys did the series last year and banked plenty of data from the rallies.
“I guess we come to the championship as underdogs; we’ve got less experience of the R5 car than most and we’ve been away from the BRC for a couple of years.
“Take this week’s Border Counties as an example, I’ve never driven these Tweed Valley stages before. But I’m not worried about that. Dale and I will just get on with what we’re doing.” Osian’s BRC is supported by Alphera and Hills Ford, with the Fiesta R5 prepared by Spencer Sport. “I’ve got a lot to thank Alphera and Hills Ford for,” said Pryce. “I’m looking forward to putting together a campaign which will repay their faith in Dale and I.
“As for Spencer Sport, they’re ideally placed to be running a car in the BRC; they have great knowledge of the rallies, the conditions and the set-up needed to get the most out of me and the Fiesta.”
Ten rallies at the highest domestic and world level of rallying represents the perfect year for Pryce. “Apart from a full World Rally Championship campaign, this is about the perfect season,” he said.
“The amount of time I’m going to be spending in the Ford Fiesta R5 will be invaluable this year and combining the BRC and WRC is a fantastic solution for us.”
Pryce’s first two WRC outings of the season will be backed by DMACK and M-Sport, while he returns to the Alphera/Hills Ford Fiesta R5 for his home WRC round, October’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.
Pryce’s programme was tailored following an invaluable morning spent at M-Sport’s Dovenby Hall headquarters in Cumbria, where he met with former British Rally Champion and now head of M-Sport’s vast world championship effort Malcolm Wilson OBE.
“The time I spent with Malcolm was so, so useful,” said Pryce. “We talked through everything and it became clear where my priorities lay.
“I want to win the BRC, but Poland and Finland give me the chance to get out at the highest level, driving for the team which is leading the World Rally Championship.
“That’s an unbelievable opportunity and one I want to make the most of. The priority will be to learn as much as we can during Poland and Finland and then have a big WRC attack when we come home to Wales for Rally GB.”
Border Counties Rally
March 17-18 Based: Jedburgh
Service Newtown, St Boswells
Stages: 9
Total distance 270 miles
Competitive distance: 60 miles