A rally within a rally: tremendous Epynt Tarmac test awaits Spencer Sport Acropolis Rally crews on the Nicky Grist Stages

The Spencer Sport Acropolis Rally (Sunday 9 July), a stand-alone rally within the Nicky Grist Stages, will be a fantastic Tarmac test for competitors as the event offers 12 fantastic stages totalling just over 72 stage miles over the Epynt military range – and as it’s open to a huge variety of cars, it’s going to be a real rally treat for both crews and spectators alike. Competitor information and entry forms are now available at www.nickygriststages.co.uk.

The Quinton Motor Club organised all-asphalt event is open to competitors with MSA National B Stage Rally licences and above. Not only will crews in the prestigious Prestone MSA British Rally Championship be competing, the Spencer Sport Acropolis Rally will also be a round of the MAXXIS MSA English Championship. The event is likely to attract Tarmac experts, Epynt specialists, those eager for a new challenge and others wanting to practice for forthcoming events, like the MSA British Historic Rally Championship crews who plan to contest the Stephens & George Printing Harry Flatters Rally over the same roads three weeks later (30 July).

Competitors will also benefit from a recce of Epynt’s asphalt stages and subjective route notes will be available from Patterson Pacenotes.

Llandysul-based rally team Spencer Sport will sponsor the special one-day Sunday rally, and the Acropolis Rally name harks back to one of Quinton MC’s earliest and most popular events. Soon after the club was formed in 1959 it ran (amongst others) the Acropolis Rally from the mid-1960s onwards, becoming a hugely popular Welsh Championship night road rally. It has not taken place in that format since 1986, and the club last used the name for a single venue stage event at Wheaton Aston in the late 1980s. And so, after an absence of over 25 years, the Acropolis Rally name returns to Quinton MC’s events calendar.

Early entries for the 2017 Spencer Sport Acropolis Rally include Tarmac expert Damian Cole/Den Golding (Ford Escort), Ravenol BTRDA Rally Series leader Callum Black/Elliott Edmondson (Ford Fiesta R5+) and experienced Pat Naylor/Ian Lawrence (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9).

And don’t forget, the day before (Saturday 8 July) will see a 45 stage mile all-gravel rally in the forests of Monument, Halfway, Crychan and Route 60 for competitors in the BRC, Ravenol BTRDA Rally Series, Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, MAXXIS MSA English Rally Championship, BTRDA 1400 Championship, BTRDA Rally First, Fiesta ST Trophy, MG ZR Rally Challenge, FMP Rally Challenge and ANWCC Forest Rally Championship.

Also in association with Spencer Sport, Nicky Grist Stages VIP Hospitality packages are available for both the Saturday and Sunday – with exclusive car parking, stage-side viewing area, marquee, breakfast, lunch, unlimited refreshments and guest speakers. For information on availability and cost, please contact Sarah Williams on 01559 371534.

Neil Cross, Nicky Grist Stages Clerk of the Course, said: “We at Quinton Motor Club are delighted to be able to offer the clubman competitor the opportunity to compete on the asphalt element of the Nicky Grist Stages through the Spencer Sport Acropolis Stages, a specific event for all those clubman that enjoy the challenges of the Epynt ranges and those fighting to be crowned the MAXXIS MSA English Champion. We also welcome Spencer Sport as an event sponsor and we thank Charlie Jukes for his support for our event.

Ian Butcher, Nicky Grist Stages Rally Manager, said: “It personally gives me great pleasure to see the Acropolis name being revived as I was Clerk of the Course for several years when was it was a night event, in the heyday of Welsh road rallying. It will be great to see some of our local crews mixing with the hotshots of the BRC over the legendary Epynt asphalt. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our Sunday event.

Nicky Grist said: “I hope competitors takes advantage of the Spencer Sport Acropolis Rally, as it’s a wonderful opportunity for crews to do a proper recce of Epynt’s famous Tarmac roads, including from Four Ways Bridge all the way up the New Road. Crews will be pushing hard for points in the MSA British and English Championships, so it’s a unique opportunity to compare yourself with some of the best rally drivers in the UK – and it’s also perfect timing for those who want to go out and practice for the Harry Flatters. All-in-all, the Spencer Sport Acropolis Rally should be a fantastic event for crews and spectators.

Charlie Jukes, MD of Spencer Sport, said: “As a South Wales-based operation, we are keen to see rallying thrive in our area and therefore, Spencer Sport is delighted to be involved with the revival of this historic Quinton Motor Club event. Our support for the Nicky Grist Stages includes an exclusive spectator and hospitality area located on the Epynt military ranges. To help boost corporate involvement and showcase the sport to a wider audience, we are offering companies and guests a chance to take a table in our marquee for lunch and to watch the cars in action from a specially reserved vantage point.

Regulations and entry forms are available in the Competitors’ section of www.nickygriststages.co.uk