Nicky Grist Stages to give fans a BRC, BTRDA, Welsh and historic championship super rally weekend

This summer’s Nicky Grist Stages (9-10 July) is the only event to host a round of both the MSA British Rally Championship and BTRDA rally series – and with other major championships like the MSA Welsh Rally Championship and the Stage Masters Historic Stage Rally Challenge taking place too, it promises to be a truly super rally weekend for fans.

While Formula 1 supporters will be at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix the same weekend, British rally fans will be heading to the famous Epynt military ranges, bordering Carmarthenshire and Powys, for two days of outstanding rally action, organised by Quinton Motor Club. The first day (Saturday 9 July) will be run over 45 miles of challenging gravel roads, while the second day (Sunday 10 July) will take place over 55 miles of fast and undulating Tarmac.

The MSA British Rally Championship crews will contest the full two days – with drivers such as Elfyn Evans (Ford Fiesta R5), David Bogie (ŠKODA Fabia R5) and Keith Cronin (Citroën DS3 R5) competing on gravel and Tarmac. On the Saturday, centralised servicing will be located at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, while on the Sunday there will be a remote service on the Epynt ranges. All stages will be run in daylight.

All other championships, including the BTRDA rally series, will run on the Saturday (9 July) only, with four gravel stages run twice. The Nicky Grist Stages has been consistent in the top three BTRDA events for the last five years, winning the BTRDA ‘Rally of the Year’ award twice, and last year it was nominated as the best Pirelli Welsh National event. Quinton Motor Club is committed to giving the BTRDA competitors the same level of excellence that they have become accustomed to, and therefore it is retaining its 2015 stage mileage and increasing the entry fee by only £10.

Entries will open on 16 May – the Monday after the Plains Rally – when registered championship crews will be able to confirm their place on the starting list. Non-championship registered crews will be able to enter from 13 June. The closing date for entries is 5 July and the maximum number of entries is 180.

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “Value for money, we believe we are offering the BTRDA competitors something really good in keeping the entry fee to within £10 of its 2015 level and maintaining a stage mileage of as near to 45 stage miles as we can get it. We are very proud to be a round of the British Rally Championship, but we remain fully focused on giving the BTRDA competitors a fantastic event too. The Nicky Grist Stages is the only event to be a round of both the BRC and BTRDA, and with other top championship contenders taking part, it should also be a wonderful event for spectators too.”

Nicky Grist said: “This year’s rally will be an exciting challenge for all crews, but more so for the BRC competitors. The split of two different surfaces over the two days could possibly give us a different outcome to the overall results, but will also be a challenge for the service crews, as they will have a full suspension change after Saturday’s gravel stages. This event format is certainly a break from the norm, and is a throwback to events in the early eighties.”

Entry forms will be available in May on www.nickygriststages.co.uk

Nicky Grist brings a well-known rally voice to the GoSafe “20mph Rule Outside Schools” campaign

One of Britain’s best known and most successful rally co-drivers, Nicky Grist – and the pace note voice on the Colin McRae Rally PlayStation and Xbox games – is lending his support to this month’s GoSafe “20mph Rule Outside Schools” campaign.

The Welshman scored 17 (of his 21) World Rally victories with McRae – eight with Subaru (including the 1997 RAC Rally) and nine with Ford. He has also co-driven for Juha Kankkunen, Armin Schwarz and Malcolm Wilson, culminating in 48 podium finishes during a glittering World Rally Championship career. Living in Abergavenny, he now owns Nicky Grist Motorsports – a highly successful company that is dedicated to supplying the very best in motorsport safety equipment. Nicky’s passion for helping to keep competitors safe on racing circuits and rally stages is mirrored by his belief that driving at speed is strictly for a control motorsport environment only, and definitely not for the open public road.

The “20mph Rule Outside Schools” campaign is being re-launched in June to focus on making roads safer in communities. It is principally aimed at reducing risk to young persons and supporting local communities, and GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, will be enforcing in 20mph areas outside schools, educating drivers about the importance of adhering to the relevant speed limit.

Chris Hume, Partnership Manager, GoSafe said: “Our continued focus on 20mph limits around schools is part of our commitment to safer communities, and to protect the most vulnerable road users; our children. 20mph speed limits are a routine part of everyday driving now, but we still see flagrant discard of those limits, particularly at key times such as when children are going to and from schools. We want the support of all drivers, and we want compliance with 20mph limits to become the norm. Our aim is for everyone in Wales to understand the effects that those exceeding the 20mph limit can have on family and friends.”

Nicky Grist said: “The lives that we all lead today just seem to get busier and faster, but regardless of the pace of modern day life it is absolutely essential that we don’t take risks on the open public road. I’ve lived life on the edge during my motorsport career, but nothing scares me more than motorists who speed and don’t pay enough attention behind the steering wheel. It’s essential that we all slow down and adhere to speed limits, especially around schools – and that’s why I’m delighted to support the “20mph Rule Outside Schools” campaign. It’s a very worthy, and potentially life-saving, cause that we should all champion.”