Jason Pritchard
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15/03/2019 by admin

PRITCHARD BACK IN ACTION IN EPYNT

MSA Asphalt champion Jason Pritchard will compete in his first race of 2019 in the opening round and his defence of the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship. 

The Rallynuts National Tour of Epynt Rally, on Sunday 10 March, includes a jam-packed entry list featuring British asphalt rally drivers in World Rally Cars to an array of class cars.

The Welshman, who won the Championship in 2018, will be kick-starting the defence of his title in his North Road Garage-backed Ford Focus WRC05. Joined by co-driver Phil Clarke, Pritchard will be looking to build on the three victories he achieved in the Championship last year, and victory in Epynt this weekend will be the perfect start to his campaign.
 
The three-time British Historic Champion, added the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship title last year and he’s looking forward to getting back behind the wheel.

 “I can’t wait for Sunday, it’s certainly felt like a very long time since my last rally. It was another fantastic season for myself and Phil, we were delighted to win the Championship last time out. I want to try and keep that momentum going and replicate that winning feeling from last year this Sunday in Epynt.

“I’m going to be driving the Focus WRC on Sunday, in this event last year I used the Fiesta S200, a combination of bad snow and work commitments meant we couldn’t pick up the Focus. I will be reverting between both cars again this season, but I can’t wait to sit behind the wheel of the Focus again.

“I haven’t even seen the car let alone sat behind the wheel for the past five months so I’m expecting to be a little rusty to start with, but as we all know, a championship isn’t won or lost at the first event. Many of my closest competitors were out competing last weekend as they looked to get some seat time, so it should be a really interesting battle out there.”

The event is local to Pritchard, based in Llandovery and the stages as per last year are on the Epynt military ranges. The only time the 30-year-old used the WRC car on these stages was for the Mewla rally last year, in which Pritchard endured the worst conditions he’s seen on Epynt but he still managed to win that day. Epynt holds special memories for Pritchard:

“Epynt has a number of experts and some of the guys I’m up against have been competing there since before I was born. I know many from when they competed against my Dad, they’re still extremely quick, talented and special drivers so we will have to do our best as always if we want to start well.

“I’d like to thank my sponsors North Road Garage Builth Wells, Pirelli  and Harkness Competition Tyres, without their help I wouldn’t be able to compete.”