Jason Pritchard is hoping to follow up on his impressive victories in round one and round two of the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship as round three of the competition heads to Carlisle this Saturday (30th April).

The Pirelli Carlisle Rally will host the third round of the British Historic Rally Championship and offers drivers the challenge of four special stages of 45 miles – making use of the best stages from the famous Kielder Forest.

Pritchard and co-driver Phil Clarke have kick started their season in style with victory in the opening round and produced another solid round of rallying to make it two wins out of two during the second round of the championship in North Wales on Saturday 2nd April.

The 27-year-old from Builth Wells is understandably thrilled with the start but understands how important it is to keep his concentration ahead of this weekend:

“I’m delighted with the start we’ve made, the second round in North Wales was a tough rally and to finish ahead of some fantastic drivers and cars, was a brilliant feeling. “I’m going to try and replicate that feeling in Carlisle over the weekend but most importantly, I’ll be aiming to finish the rally so we can continue to build on the start”

Pritchard knows how testing the stages will be in Kielder and is preparing for another tough rally:

“Kielder has a fierce reputation, and not without good reason – the stages are always sharp and a real test for everyone involved. The stages tend to be rough so it’s very easy to damage the car but even easier to find one of the big ditches that line the stages – which is something I’ve fallen foul of in the past! “I will be starting as car 1 and will be first out on the road this year and I really can’t wait to get going. As mentioned, I’ve had some mixed fortune on these stages and last year I had to retire with clutch failure. “My aim for this weekend will be to ensure I finish and if I can pick up some decent championship points along the way, then I’ll be delighted.”

Pritchard’s shown he can handle the challenge of being up on the pace and his last two first place finishes is testament to not only his skill behind the wheel but also his ability to deliver under pressure:

“I know that the pace at the front will be hot on Saturday, so even getting good Championship points will be hard but like the previous rounds, I will try and use my head and drive at a fast but sensible pace. “Kielder has a tendency to bite and even if you go slightly off line and slip into one of the ditches, you have no chance of getting the car out. It really is one of the toughest rallies out there and I can’t wait to tackle the stages on Saturday”.

As always, Pritchard spoke highly of the his support team and sponsors which allow him to take part in the Championship:

“I can’t thank the team enough that help me at each rally, they really are the unsung heroes. Also a big thank you to my sponsors who are a huge help: North Road Garage Builth Wells, FCS Laser Mail, Pirelli and Viking Motorsport. “Also, a big thank you to everyone who will be helping over the weekend: all the marshals, supporters and the organisers for what I know will be a fantastic event.”

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