The Castrol MEM Rally Team has given the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 its first Probite British Rally Championship victory after Chris Ingram/Alex Kihurani won the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally (9/10 August), while team-mates Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson fought back from an early puncture to finish sixth.
Neither driver had contested the event before, and it was Chris that made the better start – going into the overnight halt just four seconds off the lead in second position. The Suisscourtage/Michelin-backed driver took the lead with fastest time on SS5 and was able to manage the advantage all the way to the finish – completing the ninth and final stage nine seconds clear of the rest of the field. It was Chris’ second BRC win of the season and the first in the Castrol Toyota.
Meirion’s plans of getting into an early rhythm were dashed when he hit a big rock that was lying in the middle of the road on SS2, which caused a puncture. That meant that he ended day one in 11th position and had to reboot and start the process of gaining confidence on the still unfamiliar gravel surface on day two. Against tremendously fast-paced opposition, a rally-best fourth fastest time on the final stage secured a sixth-place finish – just 3.3 seconds behind fifth.
Chris Ingram said: “It’s awesome to get the first British Rally Championship win for the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and a massive thanks to the Castrol MEM Rally Team and to all of our partners. It was an extremely challenging rally, but Alex [Kihurani] and I kept our cool to take the lead and get the car to the finish against some seriously quick competition. The car ran faultlessly thanks to the Melvyn Evans Motorsport team. It’s time to switch focus back to asphalt and Rali Ceredigion in two weeks’ time. It’s a massive opportunity for Meirion [Evans] and I with the two Castrol Yaris Rally2s in the FIA European Championship for the first time and a double header BRC round.”
Meirion Evans said: “It was a tricky start to the Grampian. We’d planned to get into a nice rhythm on the Friday night and keep building on Saturday, but unfortunately there was a massive rock in the middle of the road halfway through the second stage. I managed to miss it with the front, but the back swung around and it clipped the rock and punctured a rear tyre. Luckily the tyre went down slowly, but the end of the stage had some fast fifth gear corners and we had to back right off and lost around ten to twelve seconds. The opening stage on Saturday wasn’t our best, but from then on the feeling improved and we had a good middle loop which gave us a chance of getting back to fifth, but it didn’t quite happen. I made some small mistakes on the last loop which didn’t help but even then my times were okay, especially on the last two stages. The pace of the top boys was incredible and if we can set the stage times we did towards the end without a great feeling then I’m confident we’ll get there on gravel in time. Now it’s back onto asphalt and a rally that’s close to home which will be nice – and hopefully both Chris [Ingram] and I can fight for a podium finish on both days of Rali Ceredigion and get a good result for the Castrol MEM Rally Team again.”
The next round of the British Rally Championship is the team’s home asphalt event, the double-header JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (30 August – 01 September).
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