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Motorsport UK British Rally Championship: Round 6 Results (September 2022)

Welshman James Williams narrowly missed out on a podium result on Trackrod Rally Yorkshire last weekend (23-24 September) – round six of the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship (BRC) as he finished fourth overall.

The Hyundai Power Products Rally Team driver produced a sensational drive on the previous round of Britain’s premier rallying series – by giving the Rally2 version of the Hyundai i20 it’s UK debut and backing it up with three podiums on the event, overall third, second in the BRC and first in the National Asphalt series.

Back in his familiar, slightly older R5 version of the car – the championship made a switch back to gravel with the forests near Filey in Yorkshire home to the penultimate round of the series. This was to be James’ first visit to the legendary forests including the infamous Dalby forest – the scenes of many BRC title fights over the years.

The opening day on Friday night saw a single night time test. With Dai Roberts calling the pacenotes, the pair threaded their four-wheel-drive turbo-charged Hyundai i20 through the opening 11 miles. With the surface of the forestry tracks incredibly dry, dust and night time mist caused visibility problems in places – but undeterred the 24-year-old made it through the opening night in fourth position – just a handful of seconds away from the rostrum.

Before the weekend, James’ team was bolstered by the support of triple British Rally Champion Matt Edwards, who helped James understand the nature of the demanding Yorkshire stages and helped set the car up for the challenging event. On the second day, James started to get into his stride and kept evolving the set-up to his liking and was involved in a three-way fight for second place. Coming into the midday service halt – the Newcastle Emlyn-based driver was just 5.2 seconds away from second and 3.3 seconds away from a podium.

Throwing everything at the final 24 miles of competitive stages – including setting a second fastest time on the final stage despite pop off valve issues – sadly, it wasn’t to be enough. James and Dai narrowly missed out on a podium – just a handful of seconds away – but a credible fourth almost confirms a top three position in the championship.

“We gave it our all on that one, we couldn’t give anymore. It was always going to be a big ask to keep up with the likes of Osian Pryce and Keith Cronin here with all their experience. I felt good in the car, just a few little niggly things we need to try and sort including the pop off valve issue. Despite that, this weekend is a step forward for us as we have really struggled on the gravel this year.

“We had hoped to sneak a podium on the Trackrod – but to be involved in a close dice for second is really encouraging for us as a team. The search still goes on for our first gravel podium. We have one last chance on a rally I love so we prepare for that one next month. I want to say a big thank you to the whole team once again – the car was at its best on the loose this year and we are making good progress.

“I do have to remember it’s my first year in one of these cars – so I have to be patient, build the experience and the results will come. I also want to say a big congratulations to Osian Pryce and Noel O’Sullivan on taking the title this year. We really enjoyed the scrap all season and the guys thoroughly deserve it.

” The next round of the British Rally Championship is the season finale on the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally in North Wales. The legendary Welsh forests were used previously as part of the British round of the World Rally Championship – Wales Rally GB. James and Dai have plenty of experience in the North Wales forests and will be aiming for a strong finish to their debut season in the British Rally Championship top-flight.

The Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally will be based out of Llandudno on the 29th October.

Motorsport UK British Rally Championship: Round 5 Results (September 2022)

Welshman James Williams recorded a fine third overall in front of a home crowd on Rali Ceredigion last weekend (3/4 September) – round five of the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship.

The 24-year-old from Newcastle Emlyn had been looking forward to competing on home soil ever since the 2022 British Rally Championship calendar was announced. Making his home bow even more special was the machinery Williams was tasked to drive on the West Wales roads. With the support of JDS Machinery, Valtra Tractors, Hyundai Power Products and Hyundai Motorsport – James and co-driver Dai Roberts were to give the Hyundai i20 Rally2 its UK debut.

 Seeded at car five, amongst a star-studded cast – the two-day event was to start with two street stages through the town of Aberystwyth. Willed on by his family and local fans, Williams in the Hyundai Power Products Rally Team machine put on a show though the opening two tests to hold a top five position. Stage 3, the final test of the opening day – James and Dai got into their stride in the darkness, recording the second fastest time to leapfrog them into second overall and leading BRC contender.

Early morning rain on Sunday morning presented a headache for the team as they debated the best options for tyre and set-up choice. Playing it safe, the team elected for wet tyres in the hope of more rain throughout the morning. However, the rain never came and James had to work his wets as best he could to get any grip on the drying, Tarmac roads. The Welsh team were pleased to record the third fastest time on the opening test of the day – damage limitation, but sadly haemorrhaged time to WRC driver Hayden Paddon and reigning Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce in front of them. For the rest of the loop – James had to just keep the car on the road, but a puncture was to be another blow for the Hyundai driver.

With a large margin in front and behind – James and the team regrouped at the lunchtime service and opted to continue the charge and bring home a podium. The afternoon loop on Sunday showed progress for the team, and James really started to get to grips with the new machine as he punched in several top-two stage times.

With several series all being run on the event, James was the only driver to stand on three different championship podiums at the finish. Third overall on the rally, second in the British Rally Championship and first overall in the National Asphalt Championship. Dai, still has a chance of winning the co-driver title in the Asphalt series and will travel to the Three Shires Rally later this month with driver Damian Cole in the hope of clinching that title.

“What a whirlwind of an event,” said Williams. “The whole build-up was full on, we only picked the car up last week from Germany – it was an incredibly tight turnaround. I didn’t have as much time in the car as I would have liked, but I am really proud of our performance this weekend. I really thought a podium could be on the cards and I really do think the win was a possibility. I made the wrong tyre choice on Sunday, and that cost us – but after our run of bad luck to get a finish, and more importantly a podium on home soil in a new car – I have to step back and look at what a great achievement it was.

“We are back on the BRC podium again and we have equalled my best result in that series and to win the Asphalt Championship section is also really important and I am delighted to have given Dai a chance of winning that series as a co-driver this year.

“This event has really given us the confidence, we still have a very slim chance of the title, but now I have been on every other step of the BRC podium, I have just one more aim this year – to get my first win, and I will throw everything at it in the final two rounds.

"Seeing all the home support, was just awesome. Seeing members of Genpower, family and friends out on the stages - with arms waving and cheering was fantastic. The event was brilliant and it enabled us to show the sport to people who had never seen it and the guests in hospitality loved every minute."

Motorsport UK British Rally Championship: Round 4 Results (August 2022)

24-year-old James Williams got his Motorsport UK British Rally Championship campaign back on track at the weekend (13 August) with a fourth placed finish and a solid haul of points from the latest round of Britain’s premier rallying series.

Following a retirement on the previous event, the Nicky Grist Stages – James Williams, co-driver Dai Roberts and the Hyundai Power Products Rally Team were eager to bounce back and get their championship campaign up and running again. Scotland is a happy hunting ground for the team as Williams and Roberts secured their best result to date with a fine second overall on the Jim Clark Rally back in May.

Now in the blistering heat in August, the Grampian Stages would play host to the fourth contest of the series. The short-sharp, 45-mile gravel would favour the brave and reward those quick out of the blocks.

On the opening loop of stages, the Welshman was in the hunt despite being caught up in the lingering dust from previous cars. After the first two stages, the Hyundai i20 R5 driver was fighting right at the very front, holding equal second – just a handful of seconds from the leader.

In the mid-event loop, brake woes dented James’ progress – dropping the Hyundai driver down to fifth in the order. The final two stages, Williams aimed to rebuild the confidence and overcome the mechanical problems that was robbing the Hyundai of its full power. Throwing caution to the wind, James pushed his way up to fourth – setting top two fastest stage times when everything was on song.

“I am pleased we got to the end of the rally, it was non-stop and incredibly hot. I want to say a massive thanks to my team, the event organisers and all the marshals working in the heat this weekend, allowing us to go rallying.

“To get fourth, is bitter sweet. I am happy we got to the end but also it was a tale of what could have been. I think a podium, perhaps a win was definitely on the cards with some of the stage times we were putting in. But it wasn’t meant to be again.

“We are going to have to move on quickly to prepare for the next round in a few weeks’ time. We head to my home event in Wales next up and we are back on the Tarmac. The target will be a win as I want to be at the sharp end, giving the championship protagonists something to think about. I have been looking forward to Rali Bae all year – I think it will be pretty special event.”

The next round of the British Rally Championship will be in Aberystwyth for the Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion on 3-4 September.

Motorsport UK British Rally Championship: Round 3 Results (July 2022)

The third round of the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship last weekend, (9 July) was to be an unlucky affair for James Williams and the Hyundai Power Products Rally team. The dusty, gravel roads of the Nicky Grist Stages, which held a great deal of hope – where to cruelly bring the first retirement of the year for the British team.

Following two breakthrough podiums on the asphalt in the opening two rounds of the British Rally Championship, James Williams and co-driver Dai Roberts set about continuing their podium run as the championship moved to the gravel stages around Builth Wells.

Starting at car three, things didn’t start off on the right foot as the car was running off peak and down on power on the opening stage. A cleaner run on the second test saw James move into the podium fight before intercom failure slowed their progress. Roberts had to use a series of hand gestures to assist in the direction and severity of the corners ahead. Despite losing vital seconds, the Welsh crew held fourth in the British Championship at the mid-event service.

With the event so short – just 45 miles in length – making up the time on the top two, was going to be a big ask, so a podium finish would have been a solid outcome. The opening stage of the final loop was to see the return of the power problems – this time with a faulty turbo pop-off valve restricting the four-wheel-drive Hyundai i20’s performance – with horsepower dropping by over a third compared to its usual output.

With no further service time and no spare in the car, Williams had to fully commit and carry as much speed through every single corner – putting pressure on himself and the car. Sadly at the end of SS7 with just one stage to go, the suspension of the Hyundai cried enough with the strut coming through the bonnet of the i20. A retirement with one stage to go on home soil was a bitter pill for Williams and Roberts to swallow.

“Today just wasn’t our day,” said a disappointed Williams. “The event went from bad to worse and we are gutted it ended in this way. We can take positives from this, we were able to overcome things that came in our way and importantly we never gave up until it wasn’t possible to go no more.

“I would like to thank the whole team, family and sponsors who came to support one of our local events – I am gutted I couldn’t bring home another podium for them. But we shake ourselves off and go again. We are still in a strong position and there are still another four rounds of the championship remaining. We will be seeking the champagne again next time.”

Williams and all of the Hyundai Power Products Rally Team will dust themselves off as they travel to Scotland for the Grampian Forest Rally – round four of the British Championship on 13th August.

5 Nations British Rallycross Championship Results (June 2022)

24-year-old British Rally driver James Williams continued his podium-setting ways by winning the RX150 class in the 5 Nations British Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park in Ireland on the weekend of 4-5 June.

Following a stunning second overall in the Jim Clark Rally, Welshman James Williams was invited to try his hand at another Motorsport UK discipline, as the organisers of the British Rallycross Championship offered up a RX150 Buggy for the young British driver to have a go in.

Rallycross was to be a completely new discipline for Williams to try his hand at and, along with getting to grips with his motorbike-powered rocketship, James had to get accustomed to racing wheel-to-wheel with his fellow drivers on a half-asphalt, half-dirt circuit.

The opening day saw a series of timed qualifying races, with the focus on recording the fastest times throughout the heats in order to secure a better position in the grand final.

Williams got off to a blistering start, snatching the lead of the Q1 race on the opening lap. Keeping his head down, the Newcastle Emlyn-based driver took an opening race win to get his BRX campaign off to a strong start.

However in Q2, James quickly found out how tough Rallycross can be. A stall off the start line dropped him down to the back of the pack. Now, trying to pick his passes, a fellow competitor gave him a small nudge, which spun the British Rally driver around on the slippery, wet surface. Brushing himself off, James couldn’t find a way past his rivals, finishing in sixth.

Starting where you finish in the previous heat, the BRC star had to get his elbows out – something the Welshman isn’t used to doing in rallying. A strong start off the line put Williams right into the mix, making up two positions into the first corner. In Rallycross you have to be clinical with your passing, or use the tactical ‘Joker Lap’ which every driver must take once during the race to make an overcut. Patience and punching in fastest lap times enabled Williams to leapfrog the third placed driver as he come out of the ‘Joker’ on the final lap.

The final for the RX150 buggies was to be a tantalising prospect. Sitting in his front-row grid slot, the start and commitment into the first corner was going to be vital for a strong showing in the final race of the day. A scorching start from the Hyundai Power Products driver enabled him to get into the first corner first and, with some late braking, enabled him to swoop into the lead. Now out front, Williams had clear road and clear visibility as he chalked up the laps, setting rapid lap times, just a second off the top flight Super Cars in another class. With time on his side, James, carefully threaded his buggy through the ‘Joker’ on the final lap to seal his first rallycross final victory at his first attempt.

“I had an absolute blast at the weekend,” said an enthusiastic Williams. “I have been involved in Rallycross previously, running cars for other drivers, but I have never had a chance of giving it a go, but now I am kind of hooked!

“It’s completely unlike anything I have done previously as they are really wild, need a lot of commitment and patience – all at the same time. I loved giving the racing side of things a try and that was another challenge, but with some good drivers around you in these things, it’s a lot of fun. I actually almost didn’t take my Joker! I was enjoying myself so much I almost forgot. Thankfully I remembered – otherwise we wouldn’t have won!

“I want to say a big thank you to Ollie ‘O Donovan, the RX150 Team, Rockland and the British Rallycross Championship for having me. If there is another invite to get behind the wheel again, I am grabbing it with both hands.”

Following his Rallycross escapade, James Williams will return to the British Rally Championship action next month as he takes on the gravel stages of the Nicky Grist Stages – round three of the British Rally Championship, where Williams currently sits second in the standings.

Motorsport UK British Rally Championship: Round 2 Results (May 2022)

Welsh rally driver James Williams enjoyed one of his most successful events in his rallying career to date as he achieved a double podium for the Hyundai Power Products Rally Team at the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland.

Williams, along with co-driver Dai Roberts, drove faultlessly over the two-day event around the town of Duns in southern Scotland. The pair came second in the British Rally Championship category and first overall in the Motorsport UK National Asphalt Championship – having registered for both series.

24-year-old Williams came off the back of a strong BRC season opener – claiming third overall in Clacton, Essex at the wheel of his Hyundai i20 R5 rally car. Confident of a good result, the Newcastle Emlyn-based driver was eager to fight for another British Championship podium and a top-step in the National Asphalt series.

On the opening night, two stages equating to over 23-miles was the first challenge of the event. Recording two third fastest stage times, his smooth and consistent approach saw him slot into second overall at the overnight halt – 40.6 seconds behind the rally leader, four-time BRC champion Keith Cronin.

On the final day – the young British driver in his four-wheel-drive, turbocharged Hyundai had the bit between his teeth as he was given a joint fastest stage time with three other crews, as they all cleared the average speed ‘bogey time’ set by the organisers. This sadly denied Williams and Roberts a chance of denting the deficit to Cronin.

Eager to show his pace, Williams on the following special stage would finish the 6.28-mile stage just 0.5 seconds behind the rally leader. The roles reversed on Stage 5 – with Williams ahead of Cronin by half a second – matching the times of the sealed-surface specialist coming into the lunchtime service halt.

Stage 6 and 9 were cancelled – which meant two stages stood between James’ best ever rally result. However, it wasn’t all going to be plain sailing in the Hyundai. SS7 saw the Welsh crew suffer power problems, which dropped them into the clutches of the third placed crew.

Ahead of the last stage, James and Dai checked everything on the car in the hope of giving them the best possible chance of fighting for their best ever career result. Whatever the problem was, it solved itself as the crew flew through the final 8.75 miles of the event, entertaining the thousands of spectators lining the route in the process. The spirited run netted them the fastest stage time – enabling them to secure second in the British Rally Championship and sealing top National Asphalt points scorer in the process.

“We are over the moon with that one,” enthused Williams. “The event was all about trying to drive within ourselves and keep it consistent – but my heart was in my mouth in the last stage. We had lost all turbo boost in the one before, so we had to really wring the neck of the car and empty the tank to stay in the front of the guys chasing us. Terrifying, but I really enjoyed having to fight and show our speed on this event.

“I want to say a big thanks to everyone who made this happen. I always drive with a lot of passion and emotion – with my heart on my sleeve every time I get in the car. We really enjoyed these roads, they were a real challenge and to come here fighting for victories and achieving two podiums in two championships is incredible, and it’s where we want to continually be.

“We have only done a handful of events in this car and the more rallies we do, the faster we are going to get – so look out for the rest of the season. We have big ambitions for the rest of the year.”

The British Rally Championship heads to Wales for James Williams and Dai Roberts as the third round of the series will be held at the Nicky Grist Stages in Builth Wells. Britain’s premier rallying series takes a tantalising twist, as the series moves from the smooth asphalt roads to forestry gravel tracks on Saturday 9 July. With the benefit of being on the familiar Welsh stages, the Hyundai Power Products Rally Team will be gunning for a strong result on home soil.

Motorsport UK British Rally Championship: Round 1 Results (April 2022)

23-year-old James, along with his experienced co-driver Dai Roberts, are in their first season together taking part in the top-flight of Britain’s premier rally championship using the four-wheel-drive, turbocharged Hyundai i20 R5.

During the opening round of the British Rally Championship event - which took place in Clacton, Essex in April - the Hyundai Power Products Rally Team were amongst the front-runners, with James recording his first fastest stage time and earning an impressive third place overall.

The second round of the British Rally Championship – the legendary Jim Clark Rally - is taking place on Friday, 27th and Saturday 28th May 2022 in Scotland. Named after the double Formula One Champion, the Jim Clark Rally utilises the iconic, fast and flowing asphalt roads around the town of Duns in Berwickshire.

With the rally returning to the BRC calendar after an eight year hiatus, Williams will be wanting to use the new event leveller to his advantage against his rivals, across the two-day, 75-mile event.

“I am still incredibly proud of what we achieved on the opening round considering our seat time in the car and experience at this level,” said Williams. “What was important to Dai [Roberts] and I was the ability to mix times with drivers who have been fighting for titles over the past five years or more.

“The Monday after Clacton, the planning and preparation started again and we have worked on the car a bit more to tweak it to my liking. Continuing on the Tarmac is a big confidence boost to me and I can’t wait to get stuck into the fabled stages on the Jim Clark [Rally]. A podium has to be the expectation again - it just has to be - I would be disappointed if we weren’t in the hunt for one again, but I know the competition is going to be tough for this one. I will keep pushing and keep the morale high in the team as we keep fighting for further podiums and that first victory."