Three Mitsubishis to run in first round of the British Rally Championship

1st March 2016

We are pleased to report there will be three R5-specification Mitsubishis competing on the first round of the renewed MSA British Rally Championship - the Mid Wales Stages - which takes place this coming weekend, 5th & 6th March. All three will be competing the BRC B class, the national category of the event.

• Osian Pryce/Dale Furniss: R5 specification Mitsubishi
• Jamie Jukes /Dave Williams: R5 specification Mitsubishi
• Robert Blomberg/Lars Andersson: R5 specification Mitsubishi

Spencer Sport, UK and Ireland distributors for the Mitsubishi, will be running the cars for Welsh drivers Osian Pryce and Jamie Jukes and supporting the car of Swedish driver Robert Blomberg.

Osian Pryce has admitted he is excited by the prospect of getting back into an R5 specification Mitsubishi Mirage after being one of Spencer Sport’s test drivers last year. Together with his regular co-driver Dale Furniss, the Welsh pair have been seeded #1 in the BRCB (National) category and will be driving the same car that was used by three-times Finnish Rally Champion Jari Ketomaa to score fourth place in the snowy conditions of the Vaakuna Rally in Finland last weekend.

“It’s good to be back in the Mitsubishi” said Osian. “After testing it and then being unable to finish the Cambrian Rally last year, I feel I have some unfinished business to attend to. The car is fantastic to drive so I must admit that I’ve not looked forward to a rally as much as this for a long time and I’m determined to do the best job I can for the team.”

Fresh from their impressive performance on the Red Kite Stages when they finished fourth overall, Jamie Jukes and Dave Williams are also looking forward to getting back in their Mitsubishi. Running three cars behind their teammates in the BRC B category, they are hoping to continue from where they left off in what is Jamie’s first full season in a four-wheel-drive car.

“Moving from a two-wheel-drive car to the R5 specification Mitsubishi is quite a step for me, so I was very pleased with the way things went on the Red Kite Rally”, explained Jamie. “The Mirage is such a great car to drive and, if we have a good clean run I think we should be in with a chance of a podium in the BRC B category, albeit we don’t expect to be on the pace of our teammates!”

Robert Blomberg and co-driver Lars Andersson will start from #2 in the BRC B category. It’s their first ever event in the UK and Robert is looking forward to his experiencing the British forests:

“I’ve rallied in Sweden – of course – and a number of other European countries, but never in the UK. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so I’m really looking forward to the experience. I’m still getting used to the car and I’m sure it will take me a while to get used to the British forests, so I intend to build up my speed gradually.

The Mid Wales Stages starts and finishes in Newtown and features two stages on Saturday evening with a further four on Sunday, which combined, provide a competitive distance of 111 kms.

ENDS