Pryce aiming to score on Rallye Sunseeker
18 year old Osian Pryce of Aberangell near Dolgellau heads south later this week to Dorset for the opening round of the MSA British Rally Championship (BRC), Rallye Sunseeker International, which takes place over 12 special stages almost exclusively on gravel giving 66 competitive miles in the woodlands and forests of south Dorset including Wareham Forest.
Motorsport Engineering student Pryce will be co-driven by Iestyn Williams of Abersoch in their new 1600 CC Citroën DS3 R3T and the youngster will carry high hopes for the Welsh Nation in this International class rally with competitors from far afield as America and Finland as he tries to emulate the success of former British Champion and fellow Welshman, Gwyndaf Evans of Dolgellau.
Having only acquired the car two weeks ago direct from Citroën, Pryce managed to get some testing done on gravel near Welshpool and the infamous Sweet Lamb Rally Complex near Llangurig, near Aberystwyth.
Pryce who is backed by G&M Pryce Builders Ltd, 2300 Club John Eason, Express Motors and Motorsport Tools said “The Wood Yard tests were the first time that Iestyn and I sat in the car and were more for us to get a feel for the handling and launch control. I found the handling very positive and the car is so light compared to the older Fiesta R2 that I had last season as essentially it’s a space frame construction with an engine and very little else.”
The current British Fiesta Sport Trophy Champion added, “The surface at Sweet Lamb is similar to that found at Rallye Sunseeker in that the gravel surface becomes loose when wet and the ground beneath is quite soft so using the rally complex which has some fast flowing sections for testing is a good replication of the conditions we can expect in terms of setting the car up for the rally.”
The car arrived in tarmac specification and Davies Motorsport Services of Welshpool have worked with Pryce putting the car into competitive gravel mode.
At the end of last Season, Pryce was awarded the prestigious Club 2300 John Eason Award which is given to promising young drivers showing continuing commitment and talent in rallying. Pryce follows another rising, Sara Williams of Brecon in winning this award to become the second Welsh driver in a row to achieve the accolade. The prize includes financial assistance with entry fees for the 2012 season.
Pryce will be up against formidable talent in the BRC, which this year debuts a front-wheel drive only format, including the 2012 Pirelli Start Shoot Out winner, Jukka Korhonen in the Pirelli TEG Sport Skoda Fabia R2 who Pryce battled with at the end of last season for the coveted prize of a fully backed drive in the 2012 Championship.
However, Pryce shows no signs of nerves saying “Undoubtedly there are a lot of quick boys out there, but I feel confident and Iestyn is a great help in keeping things calm in the car. Last year was my first full year in rallying at a senior level and to win the Fiesta Sport Trophy has given me something to build on this year. We’ll be out there learning another level from last year and looking to put in some competitive performances.”
Following a ceremonial start from the quayside at Poole on Friday night, the crews go into action proper on Saturday with the first car expected back at the finish at the pier approach, Bournemouth at around 5.30pm that evening.
