Jason Pritchard will be aiming to impress in the 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship this weekend as round four of the event comes to his hometown of Builth Wells.

Pritchard experienced some bad fortune during the third round of the Championship in Carlisle and was unable to finish, however he is hoping that his recent victory in the Isle of Man will be something to build on:

“It didn´t got to plan in the previous round but I need to forget that performance and concentrate on getting back on track during the Severn Valley Stages. The Isle of Man was a fantastic result and feeling, I want to get that feeling back in the Historic Rally Championship this weekend.

The Severn Valley Stages takes place on Saturday 30^th May and the service area this year is on the Royal Welsh showground, directly across the road from the Pritchard family run Toyota dealership and the 26-year-old’s place of work:

“It doesn’t always count on your side being so close to home, last year when leaving Builth, the bonnet pin on the car broke! It wasn’t the ideal start and I managed to secure the bonnet with the tools I carry in my car.“Unfortunately my handy work came loose during the second stage of the rally so I had to slow down and back off the pace to make sure the bonnet didn’t come up and smash the window. Our luck didn’t change and during the third stageand we had a fuel issue with the car, so I’m hoping we can have a bit more luck with the car this time round!”

Pritchard can’t wait to get going this weekend, on what he calls, “the best gravel roads in the world”:

“I love competing on these stages, they are in my opinion, the best gravel roads in the world. They have a hard base which don’t cut up so everyone in the field has a good road to drive on and in some places, it’s even smoother than Tarmac.“If we can avoid any of the niggling issues we encountered last year, I’m confident of being able to put in a good performance. After service in Builth last year and taking on the repeat of the morning stages we set a couple of the fastest times that day.“I’m certainly going to take confidence from those quick times of 2014 into this year and will be looking for a good points score for the championship.”

The 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship continues with round five on the Harry Flatters stages on Saturday 26^th July.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Jason is on Twitter and you can follow him at @JasonNRG

For more information or to arrange to speak directly with Jason, please contact:

Matthew Williams mpw.sportpr@gmail.com
07789 722 561 @MPWsportPR

SPONSORSHIP DETAILS

Jason is looking for sponsorship from individuals and companies for this event and future events, there is opportunity to feature on the car, Jason’s suit and helmet, or to sponsor his website and to be included in press releases and help out in any team building or away days

You can speak to Jason directly on 07889 916 123

Jason Pritchard was victorious yet again in the Isle of Man as he won the 2015 IMGold Manx National Rally over the weekend of the 8th and 9th May.

Heading to the Isle of Man with fond memories of last year’s victory firmly on his mind, the 26-year-old put in a fantastic performance to win the prestigious event for the second year in a row, this time finishing ahead of his closest rival by one minute.

Back in the Ford Focus WRC, Pritchard along with his co-driver Phil Clarke, overcame a number of challenging conditions over the two days and this victory follows last year’s top place finish. The Welshman also finished an agonising second in the 2013 Rally by a mere 3.4 seconds and only a sprinkling of people have won this event twice and no-one has achieved the feat of winning it three times in a row.

Pritchard is already thinking ahead to 2016 and trying to secure a hat-trick of wins:

“I can’t explain how happy I am to win this fantastic event again, it’s one of the biggest and best rallies out there and to win again is a great feeling. “The amount of work that goes into getting the car ready and the work that happens during the event is unbelievable and my family, team and sponsors show so much faith in me and my performances. “To be able to reward these guys with a top place finish means so much to me. As usual they were amazing from the word go and I can’t thank them enough. I also want to take this moment to thank Phil and how much he supports me during the drive – he’s one of the best co-drivers out there and it’s a privilege to sit next to him in the car. “Obviously I would be lying if I wasn’t thinking about next year and the hat-trick but for now I’m going to enjoy the win and concentrate on what’s ahead of me and future events, although when I’m back next year – I’ll be going for the win!”

The victory was all the more impressive for Pritchard as he hadn’t sat in the car all year and the last time he was behind the wheel in the car was the 2014 event in the Isle of Man:

“I haven’t sat in the car for 12 months, my father was planning to use it on a rally but unfortunately it suffered an engine failure. The car required a full rebuild of the engine and I only collected the car on the 4th May and to be honest I’d forgotten how to even start the car!”

The first leg of the event was incredibly wet and misty, which would usually cause issues for any driver; however Pritchard was troubled by malfunctioning windscreen wipers.

On the third stage they had completely broke and they were unable to fix them, so the remaining four stages were negotiated with no wipers and unfortunately the heavy rain and mist showed no sign of slowing down, so the Welshman was battling the wet conditions with no wipers:

“We lost a bit of time because of the incident but thankfully we managed to keep hold of second place going into the Saturday. The parts we needed had to be shipped over that night and the team did a great job in getting them in working order before we started on the Saturday.”

Overnight rain resulted in damp stages on Saturday morning but thankfully the rain had now stopped. Pritchard took time back from the leader (Paul Bird) during the second stage on the Saturday but on the third stage, a high speed spin meant that Pritchard was too far behind the leader so his main aim was to get to the finish safely:

“Paul Bird is an exceptional driver and I really enjoy our battles out here on the Manx. It was a huge shame to see him retiring but it resulted in us having a one minute lead over the last stages from Damian Cole. “I managed to keep it safe in the remaining stages and it was a wonderful feeling to arrive at the TT grandstand knowing that we had won this great rally again. To see the joy in my team’s face is a huge honour and I can’t thank them enough for another solid performance. “As always, I would like to thank my sponsors: North Road Garage Builth Wells, FCS Laser Mail and Pirelli tyres for their continued support.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

Jason is on Twitter and you can follow him at @JasonNRG
Please visit Jason’s new website at www.jasonpritchard.co.uk
For more information or to arrange to speak directly with Jason, please contact:
Matthew Williams
mpw.sportpr@gmail.com
07789 722 561
@MPWsportPR

SPONSORSHIP DETAILS
Jason is looking for sponsorship from individuals and companies for this event and future events, there is opportunity to feature on the car, Jason’s suit and helmet, or to sponsor his website and to be included in press releases and help out in any team building or away days.

You can speak to Jason directly on 07889 916 123

Jason Pritchard is heading back to the Isle of Man for the 2015 IMGold Manx National Rally over the weekend of the 8th and 9th May with fond memories of last year’s victory firmly on his mind.

The 26-year-old put in a fantastic performance to win the 2014 Manx National Rally, in what was a dramatic finish to the 14-stage, two-day event.

Pritchard along with his co-driver Phil Clarke have impressed in the Isle of Man on their previous visits and last year’s top place finish came a year after the Welshman had finished an agonising second in the 2013 Rally by a mere 3.4 seconds.

Finishing top of the pile last year was the pinnacle of Pritchard’s career and a moment he is keen to repeat in this year’s Rally:

“After finishing a very close second in 2013 and then to win last year, it was easily the biggest result of my career. It was a fantastic feeling and felt so good to be able to reward my family, team and sponsors who do so much for me and allow me to compete. “I’m heading out to the Isle of Man in good form and in good spirits, I know what it takes to win out there and I’m determined to get close again. The plan will be the same as the two previous years I’ll just go at a comfortable pace and build the pace as I get used to the car and the surroundings. “It’s an event I really enjoy and it has some of the best tarmac roads in the world!”

The Manx National Rally is a closed road asphalt rally, which takes place on the Isle of Man and since its inception in 1980, it’s one of the most popular rallies in the British Isles.

Pritchard will be back in the Focus WRC, however the car had a major engine problem when his father, Eian Pritchard, was about to compete in a rally last year:

“There is always a rush before this event; it wouldn’t be the same without it. The car has gone back to Msport and they have had it now for a few months, we are expecting to have the engine back towards the end of April and by then we’ll be raring to go! “I would like to thank my excellent team all the hard work they do in preparing the car for the rally and as always and also my sponsors, North Road Garage Builth Wells, FCS Laser Mail and Pirelli.”

NOTES TO EDITORS
Jason is on Twitter and you can follow him at @JasonNRG

Please visit Jason’s new website at www.jasonpritchard.co.uk

For more information or to arrange to speak directly with Jason, please contact:

Matthew Williams
mpw.sportpr@gmail.com
07789 722 561
@MPWsportPR

SPONSORSHIP DETAILS

Jason is looking for sponsorship from individuals and companies for this event and future events, there is opportunity to feature on the car, Jason’s suit and helmet, or to sponsor his website and to be included in press releases and help out in any team building or away days

You can speak to Jason directly on 07889 916 123

Jason Pritchard will be looking to build on his solid start in the 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship this weekend as the event arrives in Carlisle.

The Pirelli Carlisle Rally takes place on Saturday 25th April, the cars leave the start ramp in Carlisle city centre at 10:00am, with the rally’s stages located in the Kielder Forest complex, the biggest man-made forest in Europe.

The 26-year-old from Builth Wells won the first round of the competition on the Red Kite stages and finished a respectable 4th in the second round in Newton and is looking forward to the tough test ahead of him this weekend:

“I love competing in Carlisle and over the years I’ve had some mixed fortunes in Kielder; it’s famous for its big ditches and tough stages and it’s caught out the very best in the World over the years, including myself a couple of times!

The Pirelli Carlisle Rally offer spectators an unprecedented view of the high speed action and Jason is hoping to be involved in the business end of the action this weekend alongside co-driver Phil Clarke in his Ford MK2 Escort:

“There will be a very hot pace at the front this weekend so we will have to get into a good groove straight away, especially if I want to come away with a good result but you have to be careful not to get caught out by the loose surface and those big ditches waiting to suck you in.”

The 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship continues with round four, the Severn Valley Satges on May 30th.

Jason Pritchard finished a respectable 4th in last weekend’s second round of the 2015 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship (Sunday 1st March) building on his excellent start and victory on the Red Kite Stages last month.

Pritchard navigated his way round some difficult stages to finish 4th overall, first in class and only 4.5 seconds away from a second place finish in the Viking Motorsport/Links Electrical Mid-Wales Historic Stages, based in Newton.

The 26-year-old from Builth Wells was joined by co-driver Phil Clarke in his Ford MK2 Escort:

It was a really hard rally for me this time round, we struggled to find a rhythm we were happy with and it was only until the Myherin Pikes Peak on Stage Four when I felt 100%.

“During the first stages we thought the car might have had a puncture or two but it was actually the conditions which had a major impact on our performance.

“However, I’m delighted to finish with some points on the board and to take 4th spot. It’s encouraging to know that we were so close to a 2nd place position and the event will prove to be a great experience as we look towards round three in Carlisle.”

Weather played its part in the second round as snow and rain featured throughout the day, making the conditions really hard for all involved:

“I felt like a passenger in the car at times, it was really difficult. Although I shouldn’t complain as the poor team in the service area got soaked during the second service but I want to pay a special thank you to the team for the excellent job they all did in the tough conditions.

“With the gravel wet and in poor condition because of the weather, we had a couple of scary moments where we were aquaplaning on a number of occasions. Our main aim was to finish the rally in one piece so we were delighted to do this, and finish 4th in the process.

“I would like to thank my excellent team in service for all their hard work as always and also my sponsors, North Road Garage Builth Wells, FCS Laser Mail, Brightwells Auctions, Viking Motorsport and Pirelli.”

The 2015 West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship continues with round three, the Pirelli Carlisle Rally on Saturday 25 April.

Jason Pritchard was denied in his quest of securing his best ever finish in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) this weekend. A calamitous error of judgement by officials and marshals meant he was forced to retire during Stage 16 at the start of the Sweet Lamb. A ‘jump’ on the stage, which also ruined fellow Welshman Elfyn Evans Rally, should have been brought to all drivers’ attention on approach, however this didn’t happen and Pritchard’s previous good form over the first two days unfortunately counted for nothing.

Jason Pritchard was going great guns in the Wales Rally GB, until his North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza landed in the dangerous hole on Stage 16 and ended his attempt to record his best-ever result in his home Rally. Pritchard was 18th overall and 3rd in the Production World Rally Championship (PWRC), and when he was forced to retire, 2nd place was very much in his sight:

“I’m distraught that we couldn’t finish the race, I understand how testing this sport is and understand the consequences of driving at the speed we do, but this shouldn’t have been allowed to happen. We had been warned throughout the rally about dangerous landings after the jumps and we approached these stages in a controlled manner, however there was no warning about the situation on stage 16 – you only have to look at how myself and the other drivers went out to see that the marshals should have been slowing us down – it was crazy!”

Pritchard who was joined by co-driver Dale Furniss escaped the incident unhurt and Furniss also used his initiative to warn other drivers about the hole by waving the cars to slow down as they approached the jump, it was clear that his actions had saved a number of cars from following Pritchard’s fate but unbelievably Furniss was told he shouldn’t be slowing the drivers down:

“Dale reacted like anyone would’ve, he jumped out and warned approaching drivers to slow down, something the marshals should’ve been doing – I can’t believe they told him to stop the warning – we would’ve made it to the Sunday and the finish if someone was warning us.”

This year’s Wales Rally GB included a considerably revised route compared to previous years – following a Ceremonial Start in Llandudno, Thursday’s stages were on the spectacular winding cliff-face road around the Great Orme headland on the North Welsh coastline – a stage not used on the event for 30 years. The 1150-mile Rally ventured southwards with the high speed action on many of Wales’ most renowned forest stages and the event culminated with a Ceremonial Finish in Cardiff on the Sunday.

Pritchard made steady progress throughout the first few days, the start on the tarmac during the Great Orme stage was understandably cautious but Pritchard made good time through the gravel stage on the Friday which saw him finish the day 4th in the PWRC. On Saturday the 23-year-old from Builth Wells really stepped up a gear and made great progress throughout the morning and he moved up to 3rd place, with 2nd place a real possibility as he put pressure and gained time on the top two drivers:

“I was feeling very relaxed during Saturday’s stages, we were really up on the pace and I could feel myself getting quicker as the day progressed. That’s why it hurt so much to go out the race in the manner that we did.
“2011 has been quite unlucky and this incident kind of summed up how it’s gone. However, I’m taking the positives from how we finished the year and I know that I would’ve secured my highest finish this weekend if I hadn’t had the incident. 2012 is going to be a big year for me and I’m confident that my level of performance will only get stronger and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel again.”

Pritchard is planning to keep busy and intends to finish the year by working closely with his Communications team and external designers to build a new website that will be capable of holding blogs and video footage, allowing fans and the media to get closer access to the young Welshman. The website launch, expected to be in the summer 2012, will also co-inside with a new logo as Pritchard updates his look and feel away from the car.

Jason Pritchard and Phil Clarke put in a fantastic performance in their North Road Garage Ford Focus WRC over the weekend to win the 2014 Manx National Rally, after what was a dramatic finish to the 14-stage, two-day event.

Rewind back a year and Pritchard along with his co-driver Phil Clarke had just finished an agonising second in the 2013 Manx National Rally by a mere 3.4 seconds, so to finish top of the pile this year was the perfect response from the 25 year old Welshman.

Twelve months on and, in a fascinating finish to the 2014 Manx National Rally, Pritchard and Clarke arrived back at the TT Grandstand as victors. Pritchard put in a solid performance in difficult conditions during the Friday night and continued this right through to the Saturday to eventually win by a margin of 42 seconds from Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress.

The Manx National Rally is a closed road asphalt rally, which takes place on the Isle of Man and since its inception in 1980, it’s one of the most popular rallies in the British Isles, so Pritchard was over the moon with the impressive victory:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to win here in the Isle of Man, it was a while before all the times had been added up but the wait was well worth it when we were confirmed as the Manx National Rally winners. This is easily the biggest result of my rallying career, to win on the Isle of Man means so much to me. The venue is very special and is known right over the world for its motorsport events, so to be crowned winners of such a significant rally is an achievement I’m incredibly proud of.”

Friday was a nervous start for Pritchard who admitted that the car was struggling on the fast and bumpy sections of the first stages, so much so the team was forced into a setup change in the first service:

“We hadn’t been back in the car since the same event last year, so it took us a while to get back into the swing of things and also familiar with the stages again. Stage Four is always a stern test and I was pleased to get through this, we were the quickest car out there on Stage Five as we started to pick up the pace. We experienced problems in the later stages of the evening but managed to keep in touching distance of the leaders.”

Pritchard and Clarke were determined to start Saturday well and were right on the pace in the first three stages of the morning, the team were fastest on the first stage of the morning and this set the standard for the rest of the day:

“The first three stages on Saturday afternoon went really well, we were fastest on the first and third stage and that allowed us to build a good starting point for the challenge that lay ahead. I really felt comfortable in the car and back on the stages, the pace was really quick and we felt confident for the day’s stages.

“We were conscious of being careful with our tyres during the dry stages as we ran on wet weather tyres and encountered a problem with only a mile left, I got a right rear puncture and the car instantly started to brake up causing us a number of problems. We had some luck on our side when we ended up in ditch, as we weren’t going so fast, I managed to drive straight out again – much to our relief!”

Paul Bird had led the rally from the outset with co-driver Aled Davies, but they crashed out heavily on the Brandywell on Saturday morning, leaving the top places up for grabs and Pritchard was determined to be there at the finish:

“During the final loop of stage and less than half a mile in we saw that Paul Bird had gone off the road at very high speed but luckily and thankfully both Paul and Aled were out the car and ok. I turned out to be quickest on this stage but I didn’t know for sure my standing, if I was in-front or how far behind I was, so at this point all we could do was go flat out on the final 2 stages.

“Going into Stage 14, Phil and I were confident of putting in a strong finish. It’s a stage we both love and we went 12.9 seconds quicker than anyone else during the final stage – putting us in a really strong position.”

After a long wait for the final times to be added up and announced, it was confirmed that Pritchard and Clarke had won the Manx National Rally, a huge achievement which demonstrates the Welsh driver’s ability and desire to be at the very top of the rallying world:

“It was a very special victory and it’s a victory I couldn’t have achieved without all the fantastic people around me. My parents have been amazing and I can’t thank them enough for their support and faith in me throughout some difficult times and for making this achievement possible.

“This result could not have happened without the perfect performance from my co-driver Phil Clarke. He makes things happen and was a constant help throughout the build up to the event. As always, a huge thanks to the boys in the service for sorting out the car when we had a few problems. Another top performance!

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank North Road Garage Builth Wells and Pirelli for their continued support and last but not least, thank you to all the organisers and marshals who braved some terrible weather over the two days, if it wasn’t for all of you we wouldn’t have had such a brilliant event.”

Jason Pritchard is heading north of the border this weekend for the RACMSA Rally of Scotland and is confident hecan reproduce his fine form from his outstanding WRC debut out in Germany. Pritchard,who will be joined in his North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza by co-driverDale Furniss, is confident he’ll be challenging for top honours on Sunday.

Rally of Scotland’s stages are some of the fastest andmost spectacular on the calendar. Winding their way through the picturesque Perthshire and Stirlingshire countryside in the centre of the country, the stages use mainly closed-forest roads and Jason can expect blind crests, climbsand descents, sharp drops, tight junctions, off-camber corners and tree-linedstraights over the weekend.

Jason is looking forward to another competitive rally:

“It’ll be my first time on gravel since April thisyear and I’ve never competed in Scotland on gravel before so I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve been told by the guys who competed last year that they are some of the best stages in the world, I can’t wait to experience them for myself and I hope to have another clean run and a good result; I’m confident I can build on the performance out in Germany.

The event gets underway with two runs through the Carron Valley stage on Friday night following the ceremonial start at Stirling Castle. Carron Valley, which measures 8.36 kilometres in length, uses forestroads around Carron Reservoir close to Stirling and will provide an early testfor the IRC crews, who will tackle the stage in the dark.

Running on the afternoon ofSaturday 8th and all day Sunday 9th October, Saturday’s itinerary features three repeated stags in Perthshire: Craigvinean, Drummond Hill and Errochty. The finishes of Craigvinean and Drummond Hill have both undergoneminor changes for 2011 with the last two kilometres of Craigvinean featuringseveral high-speed crests, while the second Drummond Hill run will be held after dark.

National crews will get the chance to compete onsome of the best stages in the world before following the international rallyover the finish podium at Scone Palace on Sunday evening

Jason Pritchard took his fine form from his outstanding WRC overseas debut out in Germany to the Rally of Scotland this week as he triumphed in his North Road Garage (NRG) backed Subaru Impreza. Pritchard who was joined by co-driver Dale Furniss produced aconfident and stylish drive to clinch first place in group N and 12th overall.

Rally of Scotland’s stages are some of the fastest and most spectacular on the calendar and with strong wind and rain throughout the weekend, the stages proved tough on all competitors.

Winding his way through the picturesque Perthshire and Stirlingshire countryside in the centre of the country, Pritchard managed to deal with everything that came his way over the three days, including a broken damper, which a lack of spare parts meant he was unable to replace.

The team at NRG working with Pritchard, performed heroics on the car to ensure it finished the race and most importantly allowed Jason to repay their hard work with a stunning drive and fantastic final result. The23-year-old from Wales expressed his delight straight after the finish:

“I’m delighted to finish and delighted with my performance, this was one of the most testing events I’ve done and I can’t thank my team enough, everyone delivered this weekend and I’m so pleased to finish first in my class and reward the hard work”.

The stages proved tricky for many across the weekend, and a number of drivers had to retire because of the harsh surface and damage it caused the car. Pritchard’s Subaru Impreza suffered a broken damper during Saturday’s stages and at one stage it looked like the car wouldn’t be able to continue into the Sunday, however with an impressive determination from the team and Pritchard the final result was sign of Pritchard’s ability and skill:

“We did consider pulling out of the event on Saturday night but I’m thrilled we didn’t, each stage on the Sunday could have been mylast but it proved not to be the case and I’m just pleased that my form is continuing to gather pace before some big events towards the end of the year.”

Pritchard and his NRG backed Subaru Impreza almost didn’t make the start of the event as the engine failed on the car late Tuesday evening. Again, after a huge effort from his team, who worked around the clock to get a new engine and fit it to the car in time for the start.

“They worked so hard, even before we’d driven a stage here in Scotland, I can’t thank every member of my team enough, a real team effort and I’m so glad to have finished top”.

Tempest in Aldershot will be the next challenge and the event will be used as a shakedown for the upcoming Wales Rally GB in November, being on home turf, it will be fantastic for a result like the one achieved in Scotland for Pritchard and his team.

Jason Pritchard made his overseas World Rally Championship debut this weekend and made his mark during the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. Pritchard finished an impressive 28th overall and 3rdin his class and was “absolutely delighted” with the end result. The rally based in the historic town of Trier, saw Pritchard tackle 359km, of competitive rallying over the three day event.

Pritchard, who was joined in his North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza by co-driver Dale Furniss, made the long journey out to Germany the Sunday before the event but the trip was well worth it for the 23-year-old Welshman:

“I’m absolutely delighted with the end result” said Pritchard, “we came out to Germany after a run of a bad luck in our last few events, it’s great to finish and even better to make the podium in our Group N class, especially finishing behind two local drivers. It was a real team effort out here and I can’t thank the team enough for their support this weekend, it’s been superb from the word go.”

Pritchard gained invaluable experience from the event and is extremely proud with finishing 28th in such a prestigious field.

Sebastien Ogier was the number one driver over the weekend, finishing in front of fellow Citreon driver SebastienL oeb. Rallye Deutschland has the honour of being the first world championship event of the 2011 season to take place on asphalt, although it’s an asphalt rally like no other, offering a real test for drivers and their teams with all three days of the event held on different types of sealed surfaces.

Experiencing a number of testing conditions along the way, including temperatures in the high 30s most days, Pritchard encountered problems on the Saturday with a number of punctures during the second day. Even so, he overcame the trouble to finish strongly on the Sunday:

“You couldn’t allow your concentration to drop at any point over the three days; Ihad a tough day on the Saturday and experienced two punctures, the second one meaning I had to compete for 12km until I could change the wheel.

“If we hadn’t had problems on the Saturday we could have had a good chance of finishing higher on the podium but that’s rallying, we finished on a real high and I can’t wait to compete at this level again, the whole team excelled this weekend and the only way is up.”

Pritchard displayed grit and determination over the three day event and really demonstrated his potential and ability to compete at the very highest level in the world of rallying.