2012 Driver Improvement Scheme

During the 2012 season, the MSA British Rally Championship has taken its crews from Britain's south coast Riviera to the harsh and uncompromising forest of Kielder, from the fast tarmac of Ulster to the topographically challenging forests of Wales, carving its ultra-competitive furrow at the pinnacle of UK rallying.

Operating within the hard-fought theatre of the overall BRC championship, the IRDC Driver Improvement Scheme has required drivers to perform with sure-footed reliability and consistently over the 429 stage-miles of gravel and 285 stage-miles of asphalt from which the series has comprised.

Final analysis of IRDC scheme's performance matrix shows Osian Pryce from Machynllech in Powys to be the 2012 winner of the innovative Driver Improvement Scheme's premier International Class, co-driven by fellow Welshman Iestyn Williams. Pryce's Citroen DS3 has featured in the IRDC scheme's standings on almost every round of the six-rally series. Pryce won the 2011 Fiesta SportTrophy UK and the personable nineteen year-old student is now targeting a full-time rally driving career, ultimately competing at World Rally Championship level.

Similarly, the second placed driver too has featured in the top ten of the scheme's score sheets. Tom Cave has had an unforgettable year with two solid world rally outings with the works Proton team and two overall wins on BRC rallies. Co-driven by the redoubtable Craig Parry, Tom has also had to cope with the loss of his ever-supportive father Peter earlier in what's proved to be a season of very mixed emotions for the 21 year old Aberdovey man.

Third in the premier class is 21 year old Mark Donnelly, overall winner of one BRC round and also a regular name on the IRDC driver scheme throughout the season. The Ulsterman's Renault Clio R3 has been co-driver by experienced Welshman Dai Roberts.

In the Challenge Class, newly included in the IRDC Driver Improvement scheme for the 2012 championship, James Watts was the delighted winner with Gareth White in second place and Russ Thompson third.

The IRDC awards were presented to the worthy winners of the scheme by club chairman Shaun Martin, who hosted the club's table at the MSA British Rally Championship's glittering awards dinner at Manchester's Hallmark Hotel on Saturday 17th November and already plans are being made for the successful scheme to continue for the 2013 British Rally Championship season.

Driver Improvement Scheme - Final Positions

International Class
1. Osian Pryce
2. Tom Cave
3. Mark Donnelly

Challenge Class
1. James Watts
2. Gareth White
3. Russ Thompson


21st November, 2012