Builth Wells based Jason Pritchard continued his steep learning curve on board his North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza N11 when he combated snow, ice and thick fog to end the Coniston based Grizedale Forest Stages seventh in the production class at his first attempt.

With the Grizedale Stages being Jason’s third event in the Subaru he proved that he was adjusting to the bigger four wheel drive and ran inside the top twenty all day long. Whilst Jason, a member of the British Rally Elite, and Welshpool based co-driver George Gwynn, struggled a bit with organiser’s notes they opted to tackle the event with an eye on finishing, rather than setting quick times and risk going off. The only incident the pair had all day was when Jason was caught out by blinding sunlight as he exited a thick cloud of fog and slid wide into a ditch. Minimal time was lost and the pair carried on unperturbed to end the rally fourteenth overall and seventh in class.

A cautious start to the rally saw Jason and co-driver George Gwynn down in twenty fifth overall after the opening test. However the young Welshman gradually upped his pace and by stage four, Yateley 1, Jason was setting top ten times. With each stage used twice Jason showed how his confidence had grown. On the second run through Ash he hustled the North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza through an incredible 53 seconds faster than on his first pass! Times like this were good enough to move the youngster up into the top ten overall for the second time in as many rallies.

“This was a really good rally for us as the changeable road conditions made it quite challenging. The Hankook tyres were great and gave me a lot of confidence. Both George and I are now looking forward to the Wales Rally GB. It’s an event I’ve done before and we are back in the Citroen for this one. Best of all, we get to make our own notes again.”

Jason and George have a busy week ahead as the pair prepare for the championship showdown. Wales Rally GB marks the final two rounds for the Citroen C2R2 cup and Jason is in the thick of a three way fight for the title. The event begins on Tuesday when the crews have two days to visit the stages and write detailed notes before the rally proper begins with a ceremonial start in Cardiff on Thursday night.

Three long and difficult days of high speed rallying over some of the best forestry roads in Wales then follow before the survivors return to Cardiff for the ceremonial finish on Sunday afternoon.

A short youtube video can be found on our videos page.

British Rally Elite member Jason Pritchard showed how rapidly he is adjusting to a four wheel drive machine with over double the horsepower that he is used to when he put in a faultless drive to eighth overall and fourth in class on last weekends Tempest Rally.

Based in Aldershot, a mere 30 miles from London, the 2008 Suzuki Tempest Rally attracted a strong quality of entries. And to ensure that all the competitors were challenged to the max the weather was atrocious all day long, alternating between fierce sunlight and heavy showers of rain. Not only was this the second rally in a four wheel drive for Jason but the final loop of stages would be run in the dark, good practice for Wales Rally GB next month, but still a massive challenge for the 20 year old.

A cautious start to the rally saw Jason and co-driver George Gwynn down in twenty fifth overall after the opening test. However the young Welshman gradually upped his pace and by stage four, Yateley 1, Jason was setting top ten times. With each stage used twice Jason showed how his confidence had grown. On the second run through Ash he hustled the North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza through an incredible 53 seconds faster than on his first pass! Times like this were good enough to move the youngster up into the top ten overall for the second time in as many rallies.

“The day went really well. I am still adapting to the car and it showed in the morning, as I struggled to get around the chicanes. The Impreza was faultless all day and as my confidence built I was happy to push harder… but we nearly over cooked it at a tightening bend on the very last stage! Now I’m really looking forward to the Grizedale Stages.”

Jason and George have a very busy couple of weeks coming up as the pair prepare to tackle the Grizedale Stages in the Subaru Impreza on Saturday 29th November before travelling to Swansea immediately after to begin preparations for the title deciding Wales Rally GB, an event they will contest in their North Road Garage supported Citroen C2R2.

A short youtube video can be found on our videos page.

Builth Wells based Jason Pritchard proved that he is indeed a talented driver by taking a perfect podium on his first ever rally in a four wheel drive rally car, adapting to not only double the horsepower that he is used to, but also to handling a much bigger and heavier car than normal as he drove to fourth overall on last weekends Bulldog Clubman Rally.

20 year old Jason is more used to challenging for class wins in his Citroen C2R2 in the British Rally Championship but as the young British Rally Elite member looks to the future he felt he needed to experience four wheel drive rallying sooner, rather than later. Despite minimal testing in his ex Richard Cathcart Subaru N11 Jason was still pleased with eighth fastest overall on the opening run through Dyfnant, despite adopting a cautious approach.

As his confidence grew so Jason increased his pace, but admitted to struggling with the organisers notes. Having spent the last two seasons making his own ‘pace notes’ Jason found it hard to trust the safety notes. Also the youngster had to get used to a ‘normal’ gearbox which took a bit of time, after spending two years in the Citroen which is equipped with a sequential gearbox. Even so Jason and co-driver George Gwynn ran well inside the top 10 all day long as they came to grips with their North Road Garage backed Subaru Impreza, eventually returning to Oswestry with second in the production class and fourth overall.

“Wow, driving the Subaru is totally different to the C2, it was like learning to drive again. George and I agreed that we would take it cautiously so I was really pleased to see our times, especially when we compare them to the top runners in the National rally. I struggled to trust the notes but apart from that it was a great day. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Geoff Jones who has helped me a lot recently and to Hankook, the tyres were fantastic all day long.”

Jason now has another test planned ahead of the Tempest Rally which is the second of three rallies he is planning to contest in the Subaru before switching his attention back to the task of winning the C2R2cup on Wales Rally GB in December.

A short youtube video can be found on our videos page.

Builth Wells-based Jason Pritchard scored a dominant victory on last weekend’s International Rally of Yorkshire, an event which marked his first gravel rally in almost a year and a result which sets the 20 year old up for a late season championship challenge.

Jason, a member of the British Rally Elite, had missed the opening round of the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, the Pirelli International Rally, with a broken ankle. Since then the championship has featured three tarmac rallies in a row, of which Jason has taken two podiums. This weekend’s Pickering-based International Rally of Yorkshire marked the series’ return to gravel and despite never having driven his left hand drive North Road Garage-backed Citroen C2R2 on gravel before Jason was imperious, winning six out of the nine stages and eventually returned to the ceremonial finish with a margin of more than a minute over his nearest rival.

The only drama for the Quick Motorsport-run Citroen was when the dashboard display showed a very high temperature reading on the penultimate stage. Jason completed the final two stages with the heaters on and was able to breathe a sigh of relief at the end.

“What a brilliant run. We knew we would have a good pace here as we ran well last year before mechanical troubles halted us. This is the first time I’ve really driven on gravel since Wales Rally GB last year and the first time I’ve driven a left hand drive car on gravel since 2006 but it all went really well. The notes worked well and George was spot on all day long.”

The championship now prepares for the grand finale, the season-ending Wales Rally GB. With this three day long endurance event counting as two rounds and with Jason only 11 points adrift of the lead it really is all to play for from December 5th to 7th.

20 year old Welshman Jason Pritchard ensured that his championship is well and truly back on track after a highly competitive run on the ultra tricky Ulster Rally last weekend, where the Builth Wells resident secured the runner up position in the Citroen C2R2cup.

Jason, who is co-driven by Welshpool based George Gwynn in the North Road Garage supported Citroen C2R2, was returning to Ireland for the first time since a violent crash on the West Cork Rally. Any concerns that the pair might have had about their performance on the technical Irish lanes were well and truly put to rest this weekend. With the rally counting toward both the British and Irish C2R2 series this would be the most competitive round of either championship.

The pair adopted the same strategy that had worked so well on the Isle of Man back in July, and settled into a comfortable pace on Friday night. Jason was not altogether happy with the handling on the car and quickly adjusted the little pocket rocket to suit the conditions. Whilst a puncture on the final night time stage cost the pair quite some time they still returned to Armagh at the end of day 1 fourth amongst the C2’s, and a mere four seconds behind Irish pace setter Martin McCormack.

After a team meeting Jason and George made a conscious decision overnight to consolidate their position and when the weather turned nasty for the final six stages the pair were glad to not need to push hard, eventually returning to the ceremonial finish as the runners up in both the Irish and British C2R2cups.

“What a brilliant way to put our gremlins to bed. The rally went perfectly, the car was faultless, with the C2 performing brilliantly for me, and George was spot on. The series is now looking quite exciting and I can’t wait to head back to the Trackrod.”

Jason and George are now both in the thick of their respective title battles and with three rounds left to go (the season ending Wales Rally GB counts as two events) it really is all to play for.

The crew are back in action on Saturday 27th September for the Pickering based International Rally of Yorkshire.

20 year old Builth Wells resident Jason Pritchard took a fine and faultless podium position on last weekends Harry Flatters Rally, run over the Epynt Military Ranges, ending the two day event on the fringes of the top 20 overall.

Jason, who recently won his class on the Isle of Man International Rally, was using the Brecon based Harry Flatters Rally as a high speed test as the British Rally Elite member gained experience of a new brake pad compound ahead of the next round of the 2008 British Rally Championship.

Whilst Jason last competed over Epynt over two years ago, this was the first time he had tackled the tricky roads in his North Road Garage backed Citroen C2R2, and it was the debut for his Welshpool based co-driver George Gwynn. The pair were setting top 3 times in class throughout the event and were more than happy with the result.

“We came here just looking to gain experience of the new brake pads, and so to take a class podium is great. The car was once again faultless as the boys from Quick Motorsport did a great job and so overall I’m happy with how the weekend went. The new brakes took a while to get used to and I had to build confidence in them so I’m really glad we did this event now.”

Jason joined up with father, Eian, as part of a 2 car team and ended up taking the team prize when Eian overcame a small oil fire on Saturday evening to finish the rally third overall, making it a double podium for the family!

The car will now be totally re prepped ahead of the fourth round of the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, the Todds Leap Ulster Rally, which takes place from 22nd to 23rd August.

British Rally Elite member Jason Pritchard showed that he has fully recovered from breaking his ankle less than 4 months ago when he staged a dominant display on last weekends three day long Rally Isle of Man, winning his class by over 2 minutes.

20 year old Jason, a Builth Wells resident, and his Welshpool based co-driver George Gwynn, enjoyed a faultless rally and despite the typically changeable weather conditions, never put a foot wrong. The pair stamped their authority on the event on the opening stage, Marine Drive, hustling their little North Road Garage backed pocket rocket around 5 seconds faster than anyone else in the C2R2cup. The pair then led the category for the entire rally. After ending the opening day with a 17 second lead the pair excelled in the wet conditions on Friday and by the end of Day 2 had increased the gap to 2 minutes 17 seconds.

With the weather improving for Saturday Jason continued at a comfortable pace and held the gap to his rivals at just over 2 minutes throughout the final day. Not only did the young pairing win the C2R2cup but they took overall R2 class honours as well. With Jason also being registered for the Irish Tarmac Championship his trophy haul in that series was equally as impressive, first in class, 1st junior and third overall in the Irish Tarmac Championship!

“Brilliant. This is just what we needed to get our championship back on track. The car ran faultlessly all weekend so I must say a big thank you to the guys at Quick Motorsport. George and I are building a great relationship in the car and we agreed to just run our own rally this weekend and not worry about everyone else…”

The next round of the British Rally Championship is the Todd’s Leap Ulster Rally which takes place from 22 to 23 August 2008. Before then Jason and George are contemplating contesting the Harry Flatters Rally.

Builth Wells based Jason Pritchard staged a spirited fight back on last weekends 2 day long Rally of the Midlands to take 2nd in class after 90 miles of hard fought rallying, missing out on the class win by a mere 1 second! Jason joined his father, Eian, in celebrations after Eian took the outright victory in his Subaru Impreza World Rally Car.

The action all began on Friday with a ceremonial start in the heart of Nuneaton, followed immediately by 6 short stages. After the two runs through the grounds of Merevale Hall Jason, who is co-driven by Welshpool resident George Gwynn, was already stamping his authority on his class. However on the third stage, the first run through Argents Mead, the pair picked up a penalty for taking the wrong route. In total nine crews missed a part of the stage and by doing so they picked up a 2:30 penalty! After being informed of their error the pair made sure they took the correct route the second time around… and beat Jason’s father for good measure!

The little North Road Garage backed Citroen C2 ended the opening leg down in 60th position, but with another 13 stages to contest on Saturday the challenge was on.

After a cloudy but dry Friday afternoon, Saturday morning dawned pretty miserable. Overnight rain had made the stages slippery and it rained intermittently throughout the second day. The changeable conditions seemed to suit the young British Rally Elite Member and the Quick Motorsport run pocket rocket rapidly climbed the leaderboard. Half way through the day the pair were already up to 24th overall, albeit over a minute and a half off the class lead. Incredibly the pair continued their meteoritic climb up the leaderboard and even included a top 10 overall stage time on the longest stage of the rally.

“It’s weird to feel frustrated about finishing second in class but considering we began the day so far down after picking up such a silly penalty, to loose out by 1 second is crazy. The car ran really well all weekend, apart from a re-occurrence of the throttle issue we had on the Jim Clark, which meant I had to nurse it home. It was good to get some more mileage under my belt and I can now look forward to the Isle of Man knowing that I’m back on the pace!”

Just for the record, had Jason and George not picked up the penalty on Stage 3 they would have won their class by well over 2 minutes and finished eighth overall!

The pair now resume their British Rally championship title aspirations as they head across to the Isle of Man for the third round of the 2008 Citroen C2R2cup. The Rally Isle of Man takes place from 17th to 19th July.

20 year old Jason Pritchard will contest the forthcoming two day long Rally of the Midlands as he looks to gain extra tarmac mileage ahead of the tough and treacherous Isle of Man International Rally.

Builth Wells based Jason, along with co-driver George Gwynn, who lives in Welshpool, only recently returned to rallying after a road accident sidelined the British Rally Elite member for the early part of the season. The pair made their come back on the Jim Clark International Rally and despite Jason still suffering from a lot of pain the duo persevered to finish sixth in class, thus getting their championship aspirations off the ground.

Jason and George are contesting the entire British Rally Championship aboard their North Road Garage backed Citroen C2 R2 and have chosen to contest the 90 stage miles of the Rally of the Midlands this weekend as an extended tarmac test. Whilst the rally is neither similar in terrain nor are competitors allowed to make their own notes, both Jason and George feel that the event will still be beneficial as the 2 day format will allow young Jason, who recently celebrated his birthday, the opportunity to spend more time behind the wheel of his Quick Motorsport run Citroen.

“Because of the injury to my foot I haven’t been able to compete as much as I would like recently. I have been told that the Mira stages are really fast and won’t suit my Citroen but that the smaller stages are more technical, and so we hope to set some decent times this weekend. I’m still hoping for a Pritchard to be challenging for overall honours as my Dad has decided to do it in his Subaru World Rally Car…. Imagine if I beat him!”

The Rally of the Midlands kicks off from Nuneaton on Friday 20th June with six evening stages. Saturday morning will see the competitors tackle another thirteen stages before returning to Nuneaton in the afternoon for the ceremonial finish.

For more information on the Rally of the Midlands please visit www.rallyofthemidlands.co.uk

Young Builth Wells resident Jason Pritchard drove through the pain barrier on last weekends Jim Clark International Rally to score sixth place points in the C2R2cup just six weeks after smashing his right foot in a non-rallying related accident.

Jason, who is co-driven by Welshpool based George Gwynn in the little North Road Garage backed Citroen C2R2, only received the all clear from his doctor 5 days before the rally began, and had to rely on crutches to help him around the service park. Despite the obvious pain Jason was more than happy to be back in a rally car and drove sensibly, gradually raising his pace throughout the rally so that, by the end, he was setting top 3 times.

A faulty oil temperature sensor and throttle problems hampered the young British Rally Elite member on Saturday afternoon, forcing him to stop and try and restore the car to full health mid stage before eventually super rallying overnight to ensure the car was properly fettled ahead of Sunday’s stages.

“My foot is really sore at the moment, but at least I have got some championship points on the board. It was good to get back out in the car which, apart from the throttle problems, ran perfectly, so a big thank you to Quick Motorsport for preparing her. This was the first rally for George and I and we got on really well in the car.”

Jason and George will next be in action at the Rally Show at Chatsworth in two weeks time before contesting the third round of the 2008 British Rally Championship, the Rally Isle of Man in July. During this period Jason will focus on bringing his damaged foot back to full strength.

For more on the British Championship please visit www.rallybrc.co.uk