JAMES Williams heads a superb Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship entry at the sealed-surface series’ only double header round of 2024, the Manx National Rally (10/11 May), as he looks to continue his maximum points-scoring start to the season in his Orange Amplifiers Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
Co-driven by Ross Whittock, the Newcastle Emlyn driver has only rallied on the Isle of Man twice before – making his debut there in 2016 in the Adam Cup (finishing 38th overall / 5th in class) and retiring with brake problems in an Adam R2 on the 2017 Manx International.
“It’s quite a while since I’ve been to the Isle of Man, but I love the place,” says James.
“Going back to the island in a Rally2 car will be completely different to rallying there in an Adam of course, but I’m not daunted as I’ve got a fair bit of closed road rally experience having competed in Ypres, Ulster, Clacton, on the Jim Clark and Rali Ceredigion in an R5 car.
“The aim is to have a good fast clean run, get comfortable in the car on fast asphalt, and hopefully bag some more Protyre Asphalt points.”
Twice Protyre Asphalt runner-up Neil Roskell is second in the championship after a strong start to the series in his ND Civils/Lomand Plant Hire/Hauraton Drainage Products/Witham Motorsport Fiesta Rally2. He finished second on last year’s Manx and second on the Chris Kelly Memorial Manx Stages in 2022, so will be hoping that co-driver Dai Roberts guides him to first place this time.
This will only be Mark Kelly’s fourth appearance on the Isle of Man, although the Bolton driver has a good record with two second-place finishes on the PokerStars (2019 and ’21) and he also led the 2022 Chris Kelly Memorial. The island and his Kelmore Škoda Fabia R5 are both pretty new to him, so Mark and co-driver Will Atkins will be looking for another strong points finish to complement their Legend Fires North West Stages podium result.
Defending Protyre Asphalt champions Callum Black/Jack Morton will be keen to bounce straight back from a 10th-placed points finish on the opening round, after a rare mistake cost the 586 Sports crew dearly. The talented Brackley driver won the Manx last year, despite it being his first asphalt rally for 10 years, and he’ll be up for the challenge again in his Pallas Connections Fiesta Rally2.
David Wright/Paula Swinscoe scored maximum points on day one of the Manx last year and will be looking to repeat that form after crashing their Fix Auto/Grove Hill Garage/Dampertek Fiesta R5 out of the first round this year.
The 2022 Protyre Asphalt champion Steve Wood has finished third on both his most recent Manx appearances and together with Kenny Hull the Aberystwyth driver will put all his closed road rallying experience to good use as he aims for victory in his Sligo Pallets Citroën C3 Rally2.
Hugh Hunter/Rob Fagg won the Manx in 2017 and will be aiming for a top result in their Robert Hunter & Son Tarmac/Lewis & Hunter Contracting Fiesta Rally2, while John Stone has plenty of Manx experience as well and with co-driver Laura Marshall the Blackburn ace will be keen to get his title challenge back on track after putting his Legend Fires Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 off into a ditch on his home event.
Stephen Simpson/Mark Glennerster took home a solid eighth-placed points finish in their Tudor Glass Fiesta Rally2 on round one, and will be looking for another top 10 result this time – as will Simon Bowen//Craig Simkiss (Fiesta S2000T), Mike English/Graham Wild (Proact Fiesta Rally2) and Wayne Jones/Dafydd Evans in their Darrian T90 GTR.
John Forrest was supposed to make his Protyre Asphalt debut on the North West Stages, but on the way to Garstang a cut finger started to swell and after stopping in Dundee to get some antibiotics he quickly found himself in hospital having an operation. Co-driven by Ashleigh Will, he’ll be at the wheel of his Alan Causey Motorsport-prepared Fiesta Rally2, while his sponsor Literal Ink will be offering a discount to anyone involved in the rally and fancies getting a tattoo whilst on the island!
Mark Holmes is well-known for rallying Escorts, a Metro 6R4 and most famously a Fiesta S2000, and together with Mark Perryman on the notes the Poulton-le-Fylde driver will debut a newly-acquired ex-Josh Moffett Fiesta R5.
Sam Touzel (co-driven by Matt Edwards) returns in his Fiesta Rally2, as do Roger and Tommi Henderson and Darrell Taylor/Dylan Thomas. Ant Eaton/Ian Jackson are back in their Autotest Fiesta R5, while Eynon Price/Alan Thomas enter the series in a Fabia R5.
Wayne Sisson will use every ounce of top speed in his Mitsubishi to take the fight to the Rally2/R5 cars, as the 2018 class B14 champion teams up with Michael Hendry in his AMS Arnside Motorsport-prepared Evo 10.
Doing likewise will be Richard Slinger/Mark Twiname (Mitsubishi Evo 6), while Lee and Cole Hastings, Joe Mckeand/Charlotte McDowall, Arwel Parry/Iestyn Williams, Bobby MacDonald/Martin MacCabe and Stephen Harvey/Andy Falconer all appear in Subaru Imprezas.
Adrian Spencer will be reunited with Ashley Trimble, as the 2019 class B11 co-driving champion has now recovered from a broken ankle. This will be the Manchester driver’s fifth attempt at the event, having finished 24th overall in his RED Industries/Adgespeed Subaru Impreza S11 WRC replica last year.
Defending B14 champion William Hill leads the class after another great performance on the North West Stages, where he took his Hills Ford Fiesta Rally3 to a remarkable seventh-placed Protyre Asphalt overall points finish.
He’s back with Richard Crozier and will be aiming to repeat their Manx run of last year, which saw them finish day one in 13th and day two in sixth place overall, netting them a sizeable 45 points. Ian Holt/Phil Boyle will be after both B14 and Escort Challenge points in their Escort Mk2.
Darren Atkinson’s 2023 Manx was interrupted by a trip into a thick prickly gorse bush, but that was a mere blip in an otherwise sensational run to third in the overall standings and the class B13 and Escort Challenge titles. Returning this time with the experienced Matt Daniels calling the notes, expect the Lancaster driver to hassle many of the four-wheel drive competitors in his Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2.
Gordon Morrison/Ian Parker will be looking for another strong class B13 finish in their Escort Mk2, while Brad Cole/Dan Petrie will be hoping to avoid punctures and spins to ignite their class assault in their Hydroline Solutions Escort Mk2.
Also looking for a big haul of B13 points will be Mathew Dance/Jason Davies, Oliver Davies/Jack Bowen, Huw James/Lewis Sim, Aled Wyn Morgans/Ian Taylor, Richard Cookson/Jonathan Cragg, Dave Willett/John Davies, Philip Jones/Peter Watts, Ian Robertson/Andrew Scott and Gerry Fitzelle/Phil Sandham – all in Escort Mk2s, Rob Fisher/Kari Bates (Citroën DS3 R3T), Mark Turner/Bob Wiggins (Mini R53) and local crew Tim Cole/David Sutcliffe in their Manx Automobile Assistance/MAA Logistics BMW E36 Compact.
With Kalum Graffin skipping the Manx, Ben Crump/Ian Beamond (Escort Mk2) will be aiming to take over the lead of B11 – but will have a battle on his hands against reigning class champion Michael Harbour (co-driven by Cameron Dunn in his two-litre Vauxhall engined VS Pro Pressure Washing Services/Miller Waste Water Escort Mk2), Mal Boyd/Colin Blunt, Ant Allery/Richard Bonner, Mark Lennox/Robbie Pugh, Christopher Berry/Lewis Griffiths (all Escort Mk2s), Chris Butcher/Jonathan Hawkins (Severnside Defibs Nissan Sunny GTI F2), George Heighway/Zak Linham (Toyota Corolla) and Roger Holder/Sam Weller (Honda Civic).
It will be a very special occasion for Geoff Glover, who contests his 120th Protyre Asphalt – and his 25th event on the Isle of Man – in his Vauxhall Astra Mk3 RWD. Having built the car himself in 1997, he made his Asphalt debut on the 1998 Tyneside Stages and his maiden class win came on the 2002 Manx. The three-time class champion will be partnered by Keith Barker, one of only three people who have co-driven for him in 26 years, in the immaculate self-prepared car.
Rory and Paul McCann arrive on the Isle of Man leading class B10 in their Metalways Honda Civic. They’ll continue their close battle with Kyle Casement/Liam McCann and Max Murray/Matty Owen in a pair of Citroën C2s, plus Paul Evans/Callum Young and Willie and Craig Nelson (both Escort Mk2) and Darren Pool/Dylan Thomas (Opel Corsa).
Simon Hunter/Howard Pridmore lead class B9 in their Kwiktrak Vauxhall Corsa S1400 and will have a big fight on their hands against the likes of Will Mains/Stephen Christian (Vauxhall Nova), John Clayton/Steve Booth (Nissan Micra Kit Car) and Martin Melling/Neil MacDonald, who also lead the Plastics4Performance Mini Challenge in their Mini Mayfair.
Nikki Addison/Iain Thorburn (Honda Civic) dock in Douglas leading B12 and will be pitched against triple class champions Mike Pugsley/Marc Clatworthy, who return to the series in their 1974 Escort RS2000 Mk1.
Nikki also leads the Ladies’ Challenge and will resume her battle with Ashleigh Morris/Emma Morrison, who make their ‘bucket list’ Manx Rally debut in their G&M Mechanical Services-prepared Fiesta R200.
Rob Smith/Alun Cook and Will Onions/Dave Williams will both be aiming to make inroads in the BTRDA Historic Asphalt Cup in a pair of Escort Mk2s, as will Matthew Honeyborne/Pete Phennah in their Escort Mk1.
Archie Swinscoe/Jane Nicol will be hoping to kick start the defence of their R2 title in their Rallytech Vauxhall Adam and will be fighting for points against Peredur Davies/Tomi Williams in their Peugeot 208 R2.
The 2024 Manx National Rally is made up of three legs, 15 stages and 127.13 stage miles – with Legs 1 and 2 on Friday 10 May (counting as Round 2 of the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship) and Leg 3 on Saturday 11 May (Round 3). Based at the TT Grandstand in Douglas, the first car leaves the start at 11:15. Four stages totalling 22.37 miles make up Leg 1, which finishes at 13:23. Leg 2 starts at 18:34 and contains five stages (including SS8 Ellerslie which, at 15.6 miles, is the longest stage of the event) totalling 38.4 miles and finishes at 21:33. After an overnight halt, Leg 3 starts at 08:31 and contains a further six stages totalling 66.36 miles, before the finish at 14:31.
Spectator information is available on manxautosport.org.
For more information on the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship, please go to asphaltrallying.com.