Nick Grist Stages - BRC round 5

Round five of the 2017 British Rally Championship the Nick Grist Stages has a unique mixed surface format using a selection of high class gravel stages around Crychan Forests and the fast and swoopy tarmac of the desolate Epynt ranges.

The action commences with a Ceremonial Start in Builth Wells town centre on Saturday morning before a day-long battle on eight gravel tests previously used on Wales Rally GB. The driver and co-driver may have to cover these stages in the least time possible but on Saturday night back at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells it is down to their hard-pressed teams to change suspension settings, brakes & roll-bars over in under 3 hours to keep their car in the rally - proving conclusively that rallying is a team sport!

Osian Pryce comes to his home event as the overall championship leader, dovetailing his BRC campaign with World Championship outings and is unlikely to let his abrupt exit from WRC Rally Poland last weekend affect his mindset! Pryce currently leads the BRC table by 3 slender points from Fredrik Ahlin with Keith Cronin third a further 14 points adrift.

With his home in Machynlleth, Pryce took his fourth consecutive podium at the last BTC round in Ypres and will be gunning for the top spot this weekend in front of his home fans in mid-Wales and will probably play his Joker card, meaning additional points. Continuing the local theme, Pryce is run by Spencer Sport from Ceredigion who are seeking to better the their second place on this event in 2016.

Full details of the special stages and service points have still to be released, before the rally finishes back at Builth Wells mid-afternoon Sunday.

7th July, 2017