James Williams celebrates first win with Protyre Asphalt double header triumph on the Manx National Rally

James Williams claimed his first victory in his Orange Amplifiers Hyundai i20 N Rally2 on the double header Manx National Rally (10/11 May) – and in doing so scored maximum points on both Rounds 2 and 3 to extend his lead in the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.

Co-driven by Ross Whittock, the west Wales driver led the three leg, two day, 15 stage, 127 stage mile event from start to finish.

After setting the fastest time on all four of Leg 1’s stages, James went into the afternoon break leading by 48.4 seconds – and over the course of Friday evening’s stages he extended that advantage to 1min 17.9secs by the overnight halt. It hadn’t been all plain sailing however, as he’d had to top up the brake fluid system with water and Lucozade after suffering brake problems on the day’s final two stages.

The dry and fast conditions continued on Saturday, where James extended his lead as the longest leg of the event progressed – eventually winning the famous Isle of Man event in his Pirelli-shod Hyundai by an incredible 4mins 04.5secs. He now has a perfect Protyre Asphalt score of 90 points after three rounds.

“It’s been a solid weekend to be fair and I’m over the moon with the feeling I’ve had in the car,” said James.

“I had the confidence to push on the stages which I hadn’t really had before but which has been coming all year.

“Everything worked well. Ross did an amazing job, the team has done a fantastic job, all my partners and family back home supporting us – it’s just a massive weight off my shoulders to get my first win.

“That was the biggest thing for me – I really needed to tick that box. I said I wanted to make a mark on British rallying this year and this result shows that we’re going in the right direction.”

Steve Wood knows that if you keep out of trouble then a good result is likely to follow, and the 2022 Protyre Asphalt champion did just that with a textbook drive in his Michelin-shod Sligo Pallets Citroën C3 Rally2. Together with Kenny Hull (who leads the overall co-drivers’ standings), the Aberystwyth driver picked up third-placed points on Friday and fourth-placed points on Saturday to rocket him from sixth to second in the standings.

Former Manx winner Hugh Hunter returned to the event after his big accident last year and was bravely up to speed very quickly. The Ruthin driver lost Round 2 points when he dropped from second to fifth on the final Friday night stage after spinning on some loose gravel, hitting a wall and removing most of the lights on his Robert Hunter & Son Tarmac/Lewis & Hunter Contracting Fiesta Rally2. He and co-driver Rob Fagg had a good run on Saturday to collect second-placed points and finished the event third overall.

Simon Bowen/Craig Simkiss brushed a wall on Friday and were fortunate to only scuff a wheel rim as they raced to fourth-placed points on Round 2 in their Fiesta S2000T. They had an equally fast run on Saturday, taking home sixth-placed points and moving the Preston pilot up from fifth to third in the overall drivers’ standings.

After a self-confessed and rare “blunder” on the opening stage, Darren Atkinson was thereafter back to his masterful 2WD best – setting an incredible fourth fastest time overall on SS8 on his way to another batch of maximum Protyre Asphalt class B13 points and a very impressive sixth in the overall drivers’ standings. Co-driven by Matt Daniels, it was a repeat performance on Saturday, where the Haldane Fisher Escort Mk2 driver was once again on inspired form. There was a late scare when a wire came off the alternator, but he managed to fix it to allow the Lancaster ace to win class B13 again, continue his 100% winning record in the Escort Challenge and move up to fifth in the overall drivers’ standings.

Stephen Simpson/Mark Glennerster were the masters of consistency in their Tudor Glass Fiesta Rally2, finishing a trouble-free seventh (Friday) and eighth (Saturday) to move into the overall top six in the standings.

William Hill was sensational on Friday, especially in the dark when he set the fourth fastest Protyre Asphalt overall time in his Hills Ford Fiesta Rally3 en route to Round 2 maximum class B14 points. The Worcester driver flew on Saturday as well, and not even a puncture on SS12 could prevent him and co-driver Richard Crozier from scoring maximum class points again. Another pair of top 10 finishes puts the Worcester driver seventh in the overall standings.

Philip Hopkins returned to the Protyre Asphalt Championship and was immediately back to his best in his Hopkins Race Transporters Mitsubishi Evo 6. He and co-driver Sam Allen were unfortunate to run out of order on Friday night after a stage they were about to start was stopped and the running order shuffled. Their great run continued on Saturday and they left the Isle of Man with two top 10 overall points scores.

Sam Touzel enjoyed a magnificent Manx Rally debut in his Smart Scaffolding/Express Auto Parts Fiesta Rally2. Coached and co-driven by triple British rally champion Matt Edwards, the Jersey driver confessed that the Isle of Man stages weren’t for the faint-hearted, but what a performance he delivered as he took home 12th-placed points on both days to move him up to 11th in the standings.

Neil Roskell missed out on third-place Round 2 points after putting his ND Civils/Lomand Plant Hire/Hauraton Drainage Products/Witham Motorsport Fiesta Rally2 off on SS8. The Roskell Motorsport team worked until 02:30 in the morning to repair the car ready for the 08:31 restart and he and co-driver Dai Roberts repaid their efforts by collecting third-placed Protyre Asphalt points on Saturday. The Blackpool driver has dropped from second to eighth and can now count Round 2 as a dropped score at the end of the year – which, in contrast to other seasons, a low dropped score might work in his favour.

Mark Kelly was second on Leg 1 until a broken brake caliper on the penultimate stage dropped him down to 127th. Co-driven by Will Atkins, the Bolton driver flew on Saturday – despite beginning the day having left the cap off the brake reservoir and with brake fluid spilling onto the brake pedal and his feet. Mark set the fastest time on the penultimate stage and went on to score fifth-placed Protyre Asphalt Round 3 points in his Kelmore Škoda Fabia R5. He has dropped from third to ninth in the standings, but that low dropped score may also work to his advantage come the end of the season.

A driveshaft issue contributed to Wayne Sisson going off on SS8, ruining what would have been a strong haul of Round 2 points. He and co-driver Michael Hendry returned for Saturday’s Leg 3 and took home 13th-placed points in their AMS Arnside Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo 10.

Roger and Tommi Henderson finished both days in their Fiesta Rally2, as did Richard Slinger/Mark Twiname in their Mitsubishi Evo 6 and Adrian Spencer/Ashley Trimble in their RED Industries/Adgespeed Subaru Impreza S11 WRC replica.

Mike English admitted to a few mistakes on Friday, which is understandable given the limited seat time that he has had in his smart Proact Fiesta Rally2. Co-driven by Graham Wild, the Altrincham driver had a better run on Saturday and left the Manx with a good haul of 12 points.

That was how many points Mark Holmes scored too, after a solid debut in his newly acquired Fiesta R5. Co-driven by Mark Perryman, the Poulton-le-Fylde driver spun the car on SS10 but finished both days pretty much unscathed.

The fire extinguisher went off in the Autotest Fiesta R5 before the start, meaning that Ant Eaton/Ian Jackson had to find a replacement. They then had to overcome a few set up problems during Friday, but finished that and Saturday stages in the Protyre Asphalt points.

Joe Mckeand/Charlotte McDowall also finished both days, despite putting half of their Subaru into a hedge on SS10 – getting away with no damage and not much time loss either. The Dumfries driver has moved up to second in class B14.

Callum Black made an uncharacteristic mistake on Leg 1 after cutting a corner, hitting rock and bending the steering on the opening stage in his Pallas Connections Fiesta Rally2 – which contributed to a very time-consuming spin on SS4. This left last year’s Manx winner and defending Protyre Asphalt champion down in ninth (eighth Protyre Asphalt) after the first four stages, a minute behind the leaders. He and Jack Morton fought back brilliantly later in the day, setting fastest time on three out of the four stages that ran on Friday night to propel themselves back up to second after Leg 2. The 586 Sport crew set fastest times on the opening two Saturday stages and were in maximum Round 3 points scoring position when an oil cooler pipe clip snapped on SS11 and forcing them out.

John Stone made a solid start in his Legend Fires Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, but pulled out after his co-driver Laura Marshall became ill, while Wayne Jones/Dafydd Evans retired their Darrian T90 GTR on SS4 with engine problems whilst lying 10th overall and within 15secs of the 2WD lead.

John Forrest/Ashleigh Will picked up an early front puncture in their Literal Ink Fiesta Rally2 and were going well until they got caught out on a series of bumps on SS10 and span off the road. Shortly afterwards a Honda Civic did the same, slamming into the front of the Alan Causey Autosport-prepared car and causing considerable damage.

A puff of smoke led to Steven Ormond-Smith/Simon Jones stopping their OrmcoAccounts/Manx Rally Sport/DPM Mitsubishi EVO 9 at Brandywell Cottage on the final stage, while Lee and Cole Hastings lost the paddle shift and had a broken exhaust manifold and were forced to retire their Subaru Impreza.

Behind class leaders Darren Atkinson/Matt Daniels, there was a tremendous fight for B13 points. Huw James/Lewis Sim have moved up to second after two good points-scoring runs in their A&D Tyres Escort Mk2, although they were outscored on the Manx by Aled Wyn Morgans/Ian Taylor, who shoot up to third in the table in their Aberystwyth Motorsport Escort Mk2. They are tied on points with Gordon Morrison/Ian Parker, who survived steering problems on Friday and enjoyed a good run on Saturday in their Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2.

Tim Cole/David Sutcliffe were at their flamboyant best in their Manx Automobile Assistance/MAA Logistics BMW E36 Compact, taking home a pair of sixth-placed class finishes.

Gerry Fitzelle/Phil Sandham began Saturday with no intercom in their Escort Mk2, but their return to the series netted two solid points scoring finishes.

Brad Cole/Dan Petrie had a great opening day in their Hydroline Solutions Escort Mk2, finishing 12th overall and second in class. They continued that performance on Saturday, until they crashed their Trick Motorsport-prepared car on the final stage.

Mathew Dance/Jason Davies parked their Escort Mk2 by the side of SS12 after a driveshaft snapped, Oliver Davies/Jack Bowen were delayed with fuel pressure and starter motor problems in their Escort Mk2 and Rob Fisher/Kari Bates had power steering issues in their Citroën DS3 R3T.

Philip Jones (co-driven by Dale Gibbons) was on inspired form on Friday, scoring maximum class B12 points in his Escort Mk2 – and the Llantrisant driver leads the class despite retiring on Saturday.

Michael Harbour/Cameron Dunn have taken the lead in class B11 after a very strong second and first-place finish in their two-litre Vauxhall engined VS Pro Pressure Washing Services/Miller Waste Water Escort Mk2.

Ben Crump/Ian Beamond led the category after scoring maximum class points on Friday but retired their Coltech Escort Mk2 with a broken clutch on Saturday and drop to second.

Christopher Berry/Lewis Griffiths put in two good performances in their Escort Mk2 to jump to third – tied on points with Chris Butcher/Jonathan Hawkins who had intercom problems in their Severnside Defibs Nissan Sunny GTI F2 on Friday and an engine misfire on Saturday.

Ant Allery/Richard Bonner had to change the throttle pedal after the driver couldn’t help pressing the throttle and brake pedal at the same time. They unfortunately retired on Saturday when the propshaft snapped.

Mark Lennox/Robbie Pugh retired their Escort Mk2 with gearbox failure after SS10, while Mal Boyd/Colin Blunt also failed to finish in their Winsford MOT Centre Escort.

Geoff Glover finished seventh in class on Friday, but his 120th Protyre Asphalt event in his Vauxhall Astra Mk3 RWD ended with a rare retirement for him and co-driver Keith Barker on Saturday.

Kyle Casement has taken the lead of class B10 after victory on Friday, although he and co-driver Liam McCann failed to finish Saturday’s stages in their BVS Vehicles Citroën C2.

Peredur Davies (co-driven by Tomi Williams) won the class on Saturday in his Hardy’s Garage Peugeot 208 R2 to maintain his title challenge.

Max Murray/Matty Owen finished second in class on Friday despite having no clutch for the last two stages, but then flew their Citroën high into the air after running wide and into a hedge on Saturday – the C2 coming to rest on the three wheels that remained.

Paul Evans/Callum Young retired their Electric Bike Supermarket Escort Mk2 on Friday but came back strong on the next day to finish second in class. Meanwhile Willie and Craig Nelson (Escort Mk2) remain in the title hunt after two points-scoring finishes.

Rory and Paul McCann had arrived on the Isle of Man leading class B10 but failed to score any points this time after ECU problems with their Metalways Honda Civic.

Having finished third in class on Friday, a lot of smoke on SS10 signalled an early bath for Darren Pool/Dylan Thomas (Opel Corsa) on Saturday.

Simon Hunter/Howard Pridmore dominated B9 in their Kwiktrak Vauxhall Corsa S1400, scoring a double class victory to maintain their 100% winning record this year and increase their class lead.

Will Mains/Stephen Christian had alternator problems in their Vauxhall Nova on Friday night but still managed to finish second in class. They fought hard on Saturday but could only finish third in class on day two.

Martin Melling/Neil MacDonald finished third and second in class B9, and picked up two maximum Plastics4Performance Mini Challenge points in their Mini Mayfair.

Ashleigh Morris has taken the lead on the Ladies’ Challenge (and has moved up to second in class B10) after an impressive drive in her G&M Mechanical Services-prepared Fiesta R200. The former Scottish ladies’ champion made a steady start on her Manx debut, yet still won the class on Friday – and with confidence high repeated that result on Saturday. Meanwhile her co-driver Emma Morrison leads both the Ladies and class B10 standings.

Nikki Addison finished second in the Ladies’ Challenge on Friday, but (co-driven by Iain Thorburn) she lost the lead of the category when her Electric Center Honda Civic Type-R snapped a driveshaft on Saturday.

Will Rowlands/Emyr Hall were presented with the Dynamic Fluids Best Presented Car Award before the start, which set the tone for what became a fantastic event in their gorgeous Escort RS1800 Mk2. After a fitness push in which he’d lost three stone in weight, Will drove fantastically well to win H3b on Friday and then finish second on Saturday to take the class and BTRDA Historic Asphalt Cup lead.

Rob Smith/Alun Cook were their closest rivals and achieved the reverse result – coming home second in class H3b on Friday and winning on Saturday – in their Escort RS1800 Mk2 and are tied on points at the top of the class standings.

Lee Ashberry/Ian Jones had two high-scoring results in their immaculately restored ex-Russell Brookes Escort Mk2 and are now equal third in H3b with Matthew Honeyborne (co-driven by Pete Phennah) in his Escort Mk1.

Will Onions/Dave Williams finished third in class H3b on Friday, but their Escort Mk2 spluttered to a halt at Brandywell Cottage on Saturday’s final stage.

Round 4 of the 2024 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally (24/25 May).

Witham Motorsport is proud to be the specialist lubricant partner for the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship.