By Paul Evans
Jason Pritchard will start the Manx Auto Sport-organised Masterpixel Media Manx National Rally today as favourite – but such is the quality of the double-header Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship entry that the defending champion, series leader, four time event winner and number one seed will need to be at his very best to take the top spot once again.
Co-driven by Phil Clarke, the 30-year old North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC05 driver led the event from start to finish last year, and has always had an exceptional feel for the fast, narrow and bump Isle of Man roads. But with full Asphalt Rally Championship points awarded after day one and after day two of this year’s Manx National, his rivals will have even more motivation to halt Pritchard’s outstanding run of success.
Six time Asphalt Rally champion Damian Cole started the 2019 season well with a strong second place finish on the Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt, and despite a very good record of four podium finishes (including second in 2015) and two maximum Asphalt Championship points scores, he is still looking for his first Manx National win. The Abergavenny ace won the Dixies Challenge event last weekend, which was his 25th win in his Get Connected/Energizer-backed Ford Focus WRC05 and his 21st victory on Epynt. On the Manx, Cole will be co-driven by Max Freeman for the first time.
Ruthin’s Hugh Hunter won the Manx National in 2017 and returns to the Isle of Man in his recently-acquired ex-François Duval Focus WRC05. Last year’s Manx ended with an IDU electrical problem (in a Fiesta WRC) two miles into SS1, so he and co-driver Rob Fagg will be aiming to return to their winning ways in their P+R Benn-prepared ex-works Ford.
Last year’s Manx National couldn’t have been much worse for Bob Fowden, with an under bonnet fire severely damaging his Comline Auto Parts/NGK-backed Subaru Impreza WRC S11. It took nine months to repair the ex-Petter Solberg car, and the Llanelli driver (partnered by Den Golding) will be keen to put their vast experience to good use as they return to the island.
One driver intent on upsetting the World Rally Car applecart is Jamie Jukes. Co-driven by Hirwaun’s James Morgan, the Penrhiwllan pilot has scored some fantastic results on the Isle of Man and will be a force to be reckoned with in the impressive R5 spec Spencer Sport-built Mitsubishi Mirage.
Reigning B11 class champions Paul and Julian Doroszczuk will have a new high-spec normally aspirated Cosworth engine in their Drockspeed Motorsport Escort Mk2, after a major engine rebuild following their Epynt retirement. The Welsh brothers will resume their close class battle with Phil Turner/Ryan Griffiths in their rapid Toovey Race Engines/ST Motorsport-backed Escort Mk2, who are also looking for their first finish of the season.
West Wales crew Rhidian Daniels/Tomos Whittle will resume their B10 class battle in their rapidly driven Citroën C1 Max, defending B12 champion Mike Pugsley (Bedlinog) will contest the event for the first time in his stunning 1974 Escort Mk1 RS2000 and 1400s class leaders Llandysul’s Will Mains (co-driven by Claire Williams from Ammanford) will be aiming for another giant-killing performance in his WCS Environmental-backed Vauxhall Nova.
Jonathan Stepney, who represented Wales at Clay Pigeon shooting, will drive a self-built Peugeot 205 GTi. He’ll be co-driven by the very experienced Aled Davies from Aberedw, who started co-driving in 1978.
Osian Pryce is on the Isle of Man to support his co-driver Dale Furniss, who is contesting the event as a driver in a VW Golf GTI. He’ll also join fellow Machynlleth rally legend Howard Davies (former co-driver to Gywndaf Evans) in the live on-line broadcast Special Stage commentary team.
This year’s Manx National Rally contains 16 stages totalling 133 stage miles. The event starts at 6pm today, with the opening leg consisting of two loops of four stages, with the latter stages tackled in the dark. A further eight, all daylight, stages take place tomorrow, before the Saturday afternoon finish at the TT Grandstand.