Next year’s Nicky Grist Stages, which takes place on Saturday 9 July, will host a round of the British Rally Championship for the fourth time in the event’s history.
The Quinton Motor Club organised forestry event, which dates back to 1980, first hosted a round of the BRC in 2016. Elfyn Evans/Craig Parry won the event that year in a Ford Fiesta R5, a result which helped them go on to become British rally champions.
In 2017 Fredrik Åhlin/Torstein Eriksen claimed victory in their Škoda Fabia R5.
In July of this year the Nicky Grist Stages was the first major rally to run in Wales after the Covid-19 enforced suspension of motorsport events was lifted. Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod made a triumphant return to the mid-Wales forests to win the event in their Yuasa Rally Team Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
As well as hosting the third, and first gravel, round of the 2022 BRC, next year’s Nicky Grist Stages will also be a round of the enormously popular MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series (for the 35th consecutive year) and a round of the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship – guaranteeing another high quality entry and a vast variety of cars.
Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “We’re very pleased to have been selected to host a round of the new-look British Rally Championship in 2022. It will be the fourth time that the Nicky Grist Stages has hosted a round of Britain’s premier rally series and as an organising team we have delivered a very high-quality event every time, and will do so again next year.
“We already have a provisional route and our discussions with the Ministry of Defence and Natural Resources Wales, who own the land, are very positive and progressing extremely well.
“We hope to be able to move the event back into the centre of Builth Wells next year and return the service area to the rugby pitch, locate the start and finish ceremonies in the town centre and really bring a carnival atmosphere back into the town. We have always enjoyed fantastic support from Powys County Council, Builth Wells Town Council, residence and local business owners and everyone hopes that next July’s Nicky Grist Stages will be back as one of the town’s major summer events.”
Nicky Grist said: “We’re delighted to be back in the British Rally Championship again next year. In Quinton Motor Club we have a hugely experienced organising team which has delivered a top-quality event year after year, while we have fantastic stages through some classic mid-Wales forests that competitors really enjoy. Being a round of the BRC is a win-win for everybody.”
2022 British Rally Championship calendar:
Round 1: Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring & Clacton – Clacton….23/24 April
Round 2: Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally – Kelso….27/28 May
Round 3: Nicky Grist Stages – Builth Wells….9 July
Round 4: Grampian Forest Stages – Banchory….13 August
Round 5: Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion – Aberystwyth….3/4 September
Round 6: Trackrod Rally Yorkshire – Filey….23/24 September
Round 7: Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally – Llandudno….29 October
Reserve Round: Oulton Park Stages – Oulton Park….5 November
