Welsh duo target BRC title in winner-takes-all Cambrian showdown

CASTROL MEM Rally Team drivers Meirion Evans and Osian Pryce go into a winner-takes-all battle for the British Rally Championship (BRC) title on the Cambrian Rally (Saturday 24 October), as the Welsh duo head into the final round in their Castrol Toyota GR Yaris Rally2s

Evans arrives in Llandudno second in the championship standings, with one-and-a-half times the normal BRC points available on the final round. Victory would guarantee him the title.

Pryce arrives third in the standings and with his bonus points-scoring Joker still to play. With only the best five scores from six rounds counting towards the championship, Pryce can retain every point he scores on the Cambrian Rally, while Evans and championship leader Max McRae must discard 15 and 12 points respectively.

Evans has improved his finishing position on every Cambrian Rally appearance over the last decade – finishing 19th in 2016, seventh in 2019, sixth in 2024 and third last year.

This highlights the 31-year old Lampeter driver's growing confidence and pace on gravel, as he closes in on his first major forest rally victory.

Depending on his rivals' results, Evans could finish as low as sixth and still take the title. But that’s not the aim as he and co-driver Dale Furniss (who won the event in 2023) will be targeting nothing less than the top step on the podium in their Pirelli-shod Toyota.

Pryce has only contested the Cambrian Rally four times in the last 10 years – each time in a different car and with outstanding results.

He finished fourth in a Mitsubishi Mirage in 2018 and second in a Hyundai i20 R5 in 2020, before winning the event in a Melvyn Evans Motorsport-prepared Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 in 2021. His most recent Cambrian appearance, in 2024, brought third place in a Fiesta Rally2.

Co-driven by James Morgan, a win for the 33-year old Machynlleth-born driver would guarantee him the title for a second time – while a second-place finish could also be enough for the 2022 British Rally Champion.

Evans said: “I’ve got a bit of experience on the Cambrian, and whilst I’ve driven in most of the forests the route is different again and, when you take the weather into consideration, it’s going to be a challenging event.

“It might only be a one-day rally, but it will be a long and tricky one.

“Championship-wise it’s pretty straightforward. Whoever wins the Cambrian will become British Rally Champion, and I’m determined and focused on doing the best job possible.

“We had good pace on the event last year, so I'd like to take another step forward and really be in the fight for the title from the word go.

“We’ve had a strong season so far. We’ve been on the podium on every round – maybe a bit too consistent and not fast enough at times, but our pace has put us in with a chance of the title and I’m quite happy about that.

“It’s great for the Castrol MEM Rally Team to have both drivers in contention going into the last round.

“To have both drivers fighting for victory on every rally this year is testimony to all the work that goes on behind the scenes, not least in the preparation and running of the cars.”

Pryce said: “The battle for the British Rally Championship comes down to this, the final round, and I’m looking forward to it.

“The Cambrian Rally is an event that I’ve always enjoyed and have done well on in the past.

“Some of this year’s stages haven’t been used for a while, and the route suggests that there will be plenty to get our teeth stuck into.

“It might be a short, sharp rally in terms of mileage, but it will be one of the more challenging one-day rallies that we’ve had this year.

“With some typical Welsh winter weather on the cards, I think our Toyota and Michelin tyre combination will work well. It’s a strong package, that’s for sure.

“There is everything to play for and I’ll be doing everything I can to bring the BRC title home for a second time.”