Page 15 - Motorsport News (January 2020)
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Photos: Chicane Media, Jakob Ebrey
JBRC ‘unfeasible’ for
Gallagher in 2020
BRC crews head to
Goodwood FoS Marty Gallagher has told Motorsport
News the decision to switch to a one-
Leading drivers from the British Rally make series for the 2020 Junior
Championship will be given the British Rally Championship has
chance to compete at the Goodwood effectively priced him out of the
Festival of Speed this year on the new-look competition.
event’s all-gravel Forest Rally Stage This year the JBRC is open
for the first time. solely to one-litre, three-cylinder
Ten crews will be chosen based on turbocharged Ford Fiesta R2T
championship position after cars at a cost of over £70,000 each.
the second round of the BRC – In order to try and accommodate
West Cork – or by invitation those R2 drivers who will not take
from Goodwood. part in the new-look series, British
The competitors will then get to Championship bosses have created
tackle the stage on July 9-12 – a BRC Academy Trophy.
which was designed by BRC The overall winner of the 2020 JBRC
champion and 1983 World Rally will still receive a cash-injection
champion Hannu Mikkola. totalling €60,000 from M-Sport and
Iain Campbell, BRC championship Pirelli, which they can then put
manager, said: “It is an absolute towards a drive in the 2021 FIA
honour for the British Rally Junior World Rally Championship.
Championship to be a part of the Gallagher – who has been a regular
Festival of Speed for the first time in in the British Rally Championship
2020. For decades our drivers have since 2016 – reckons the Fiesta series
had to adapt to a variety of different is too prohibitive financially. Instead,
events on plenty of different surfaces, he looks set to switch his focus to
in all weather conditions. Motorsport Ireland’s returning
“The BRC stars will have to certainly Junior Rally Series.
adapt as they take on the challenging “We have still to make a firm
dusty stage in their state-of-the-art decision but the new Junior Rally
Car has been developed rallying machines.” Series is the one that appeals to
me most,” said the Peugeot 208 R2
over the last few seasons driver. “The funding that is needed
to do the JBRC in 2020 is hard to find;
MELLORS AND PROTON IRIZ R5 you really needed to spend 2019 in
a Ford Fiesta to learn about the car
and work on the set-up to be ready
MOVE UP INTO BRC FOR 2020 for 2020. All things considered the
car and two seasons in it would cost
you £500,000.
“There is the other championship
Further Tarmac running the goal for both driver and car this season [Academy Trophy] but you won’t
receive the same recognition. When
the announcement was made to
By Luke Barry refugee Tom Williams. just whether I can perform!” adopt a one-make series I knew it
Although 2018 Cambrian winner Mellors last competed in the BRC just wasn’t feasible for us.”
Ollie Mellors will return to the Mellors admitted he’s “not putting back in 2016 in a Proton S2000 and hasn’t
British Rally Championship in 2020 pressure on himself” to win, the aim done a full rallying programme since as
at the wheel of a Proton Iriz R5, is to be competitive and mix it at the the Iriz R5 underwent its development.
which he believes is a natural very front. When assessing options for 2020, the
stepping-stone in his career. “I’d like to think that we can be BRC strongly appealed to him.
The 24-year-old has spent the past competitive but I don’t want to make “The BRC is the right step forwards
three seasons competing with the a fool of myself on the first stage just for us in terms of what we can achieve
Iriz – which has been developed by trying to be quickest through the at the moment,” Mellors added.
his father Chris’s company Mellors stage,” Mellors told Motorsport News. “There’s just such a wide variety of
Elliot Motorsport – and is keen to “So I think we’re going to kind of judge events [so] I think it could be quite good
see where he and the car stack up it by ear and see how we get on in the [for me]. I’ve not done any Tarmac since
against the best in the country. first few stages and then go from there. 2016 and the championship is for the
Nine drivers so far have signed up to “I want to just go out there and go fast, majority on Tarmac. Last year we kind
the top BRC1 class for next month’s basically, I’m not going to lie. I’m not of said that we wanted to do some more Gallagher may switch to Ireland
season-opening Cambrian Rally going to say I’ll settle for fifth on this Tarmac events so it’s kind of like ‘might
including reigning champion Matt event; the aim is to go as fast as possible as well do it’ and learn [them] while
Edwards, Osian Pryce, Josh McErlean and see what we can do against the putting ourselves up against the best Niall gets brother Desi’s
and Junior World Rally Championship others. We know the car’s good, it’s out there.” MellorsisupforthechallengeinBRC
old Ford Fiesta R5
Niall Henry has swapped his
Citroen DS 3 R5 for a Fiesta R5,
the ex-Jonny Greer car that
Galway International goes ahead after entry concern TOPSEEDS was also previously driven by
Niall’s brother, Desi.
The 2020 Irish Tarmac Rally both have won the Tarmac title, Galway International Rally, February 2, Irish Tarmac Rally Niall will use the car on gravel
Championship,round 1/7
Championship will begin neither have won the Galway Rally. events but he is also open to some
this weekend at the Galway Other Tarmac champions due to NO DRIVER/CO-DRIVER CAR Tarmac rallies throughout 2020
International Rally with 18 R5s start in Galway are Donagh Kelly 1 Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy Subaru Impreza WRC in the car, which will be prepared
on the entry list. (VW Polo R5), Garry Jennings 2 Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble TBA by David Greer Motorsport.
The traditional ITRC opener was (Subaru Impreza WRC) and 3 Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley Volkswagen Polo R5 “I had planned to go to Galway
at risk of cancellation due to a low Eugene Donnelly (Proton Iriz R5). 4 Josh Moffett/Keith Moriarty Hyundai i20 R5 initially but the car won’t be
number of paid entries earlier Joseph McGonigle is quietly 5 Sam Moffett/James Fulton Hyundai i20 R5 ready in time so I am doing the
this month but event organisers confident ahead the event despite 6 Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jacks Volkswagen Polo R5 Cambrian Rally [next weekend]
confirmed the rally would go ahead getting the briefest of introductions 7 Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty Ford Fiesta R5 instead,” said Henry, who
despite only receiving 71 entries. to his Fiesta R5 Mk2. 8 Desi Henry/Stuart Loudon Hyundai i20 R5 will remain with co-driver
Last year’s winner Craig Breen Having driven Super 2000 and 9 Daniel Cronin/Shane Buckley Ford Fiesta R5 Damien Duffin.
will not return to defend his title so R5 versions of Skoda Motorsport’s 10 Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney Ford Fiesta R5 “It will be mostly forestry
it will be a battle between ITRC Fabia, McGonigle is making the rallying and maybe selected
regulars for glory in Galway. Alastair switch to the Blue Oval supermini rounds of the Irish Forestry
Fisher had to settle for second behind for this season’s ITRC. that we have the best possible car for rally last year, Richard Whelan Championship later on in
Breen last year and will be hoping The Fiesta R5 Mk2 is the very the job in this year’s Irish Tarmac has a good opportunity to win the the year.
for the perfect start to his campaign first example to arrive in Ireland, Championship. Saying that, the level Modified section in his BMW 130i. “I also want to do the Circuit
as he chases his first Tarmac title although it has already won in the of competition in the ITRC is high at Other Modified crews to watch of Ireland and the Tour of
after finishing runner-up on two hands of an Irish driver when Josh the minute.” include brothers Jason and Gareth Sperrins and things like that.”
occasions in the past three years. Moffett won the Jim Clark Rally. The strength in depth of the rally’s Black in their two Class 13 Toyota Henry’s best results in the
Brothers Sam and Josh Moffett “We won’t have much of a chance international section is overshadowed Starlets, Gary McNamee in his Citroen DS 3 R5 were second in
have swapped their Ford Fiesta R5s to test, but we don’t expect to be too by the poor Modified entry. Honda Civic and Ray Breen in his last year’s Munster Moonraker
for Hyundai’s equivalent and, while far away in Galway,” he said. “I think After finishing third on his home immaculate MG Metro 6R4. Forest Rally and third in the
Cambrian’s National category.
