Jason Pritchard is hoping to kick-start his defence of the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship and improve on his two second-place finishes in round one and round two, as round three of the competition he’s won two years in a row heads to Carlisle this Saturday (29th 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 started their season in a solid fashion and the 28-year-old from Builth Wells is looking to try and finish one place better this weekend, although after failing to finish the event the past two years, he’s understandably cautious heading into the rally:
“I can’t wait to get going in Carlisle and I’m heading there to try and win, it’s a short and sharp event with long stages, so a good clean run is a must and having viewed the safety DVD, the stages look like they will be extremely high speed this weekend.”
Pritchard knows how testing the stages will be in Kielder and is preparing for another tough rally:
“Based in the Kielder forests, it’s got the nickname ‘Killer Kiedler’ and I only know this too well, having failed to make the finish the past two years, however I’m hoping for a change of fortunes this year! “The event 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! “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, especially after his victory in the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship last year and his last two second-place finishes this season are 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 I’ll be aiming for top spot this weekend. The last event in North Wales was the first time I’ve been in the car and was unable to find a good rhythm. “I tried changing my driving styles during the stages but nothing came off for me, every time I pushed harder we had a moment of worry so I decided to just get the car home and get seat time. “All of my main rivals now test their car before each rally so having failed to get confidence in the car last time out we recently did a test and straight away the feeling was there. “Hopefully I can carry this into Saturday and really kick start the defence of my Championship in style!”
