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The Motorsport UK British Rally Championship has taken a bit of a leap forward this year in what initially appears to be the most competitive season for several years. ProBite, a new upstart in the world of automotive performance braking has taken up the position as the headline sponsor and the championship has secured rally-by-rally highlights coverage on terrestrial TV for the first time in years.
The 2024 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship commences this weekend, launching in Garstang with the North West Stages (March 22/23). One of the most anticipated rallies in the UK, the event is set to return to its Myerscough College base and kicks off with the well-received ceremonial start in Garstang town on Friday evening. The action takes place over 10 stages, covering 58 competitive stage miles on the Saturday. This also marks the first initial crossover event of three with the British Rally Championship.
After several years of two-wheel/front-wheel drive “hot hatches” being the focus of our top-flight National Championship, competitors were voting with their feet. Numbers had declined to the point where the series, which should possibly be considered as “the pinnacle” of the sport in our country had lost credibility amongst rallying folk and had effectively become a turn-off for the fans.
“THE BRC IS BACK!” was the tagline for the British Rally Championship in 2016.
The BTRDA Rally Series would return in to action at its opening round The Malcolm Wilson Rally (9th/10th March) with a new title sponsor on the sun strip for its 2024 season. The UK’s premier gravel rally championship joins its sister Asphalt Championship with welcomed backing from ProTyres this year.
The 2024 East Riding Stages, organised by the hard-working team at the Beverley & District Motor Club would kick off closed road stage rallying for the year. Conveniently hosted a little under a month before the start of both the British Rally Championship and the Protyre Asphalt series. The fast and flowing ‘Ypres-like’ stages of North East Yorkshire would offer crews a perfect opportunity to gain valuable seat time after the winter break, aiding in their preparation for the season ahead.
This year, the FUCHS Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship takes a new step forward with an expanded calendar. Although similar to previous years, notably, there is an increase in Asphalt events, adding diversity to what is primarily a loose surface playground.
On Sunday 11th February, from the North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk, The Riponian Rally once again raised the curtain on a fresh new season of British Historic Rallying and would provide a challenging event for the participating crews to contend with.
The Forests of North Yorkshire will witness the commencement of the 2024 FUCHS Lubricant, Motorsport UK, British Historic Rally Championship on February 11th. The Riponian Rally, serving as the season opener, will once again take centre stage, marking the beginning of three consecutive Gravel events that will ignite the new season. Following this Championship curtain raiser, the attention will then turn to Wales for Rally North Wales, taking place on March 16th, and the Severn Valley Stages which will follow suit on April 13th.
