Stourbridge rally champion Richard Sykes will begin the defence of his BRC Challenge title next weekend when he contests the Carlisle-based Pirelli Challenge rally.
The event was scheduled to be round two of the championship but heavy snow and ice forced the cancellation of the opening round last month.
Sykes will use his usual Bathams Brewery, Boroughbridge Marina, Silverstone Tyres and G I Sykes-supported Citroën C2 R2 Max on the event with co-driver Simon Taylor on the notes.
“I can’t wait to get started, it’s been way too long since I’ve competed on a rally,” said Sykes. With the opening round cancelled and engine problems forcing us to pull the entry we had for another event I’ve not driven the car competitively since last October.”
“I will be testing the car in Wales before heading up to Carlisle so hopefully that will get rid of any rustiness and we’ll be all set to be flat out from the start. We need a good haul of points to kick off our championship.”
“We were going very well on last year’s Pirelli until an electrical problem so I am confident we will be on the pace again this year. Looking at the entry list it’s going to be another very competitive BRC Challenge with a great mix of rivals from last year and some fast new crews joining the fun.”
The Pirelli Challenge rally will feature six tough stages in the notorious Kielder forest complex with the successful crews arriving back in Carlisle early on Saturday evening.
Image courtesy Jakob Ebrey Photography
