The event will consist of two separate Challenge rounds, the first starting on Friday afternoon and running into the night and the second lasting all day on Saturday.
“It has been ten weeks since the last round and I have enjoyed the break but it’s now time to head to Ulster for the season’s only double-header event,” said Sykes. “The closed public roads around Antrim are some of the most technical, tight and twisty and amazingly fast roads in the UK. They demand respect and bravery and carrying speed is the key to setting good times.”
“Ulster is definitely my favourite tarmac event in the championship and the infamous Tors Head is the rollercoaster stage of British rallying.”
“I am in a very healthy second place in the championship and it’s a great position from wish to push for the win. It is absolutely imperative to score on both the Ulster events though. We will still be flat out on Friday but we need to be as mechanically sympathetic as possible to keep the car in a good condition for Saturday.”
“It is crunch time in the season, we need to beat Simon Moore in the Clio who beat us on the last round. The weather could play a big part in the rally so we’re putting a great deal of thought into the tyre strategy for the event. The car has been meticulously prepared by Simon Hawthorne and we are ready for the battle. Bring it on!”
The first Challenge event will run over 43 stage miles with the second being fought over 37 miles.
Image courtesy Colin Smith
