Osian and Wales lead the world in Germany

19.08.16

News release

Osian and Wales lead the world in Germany

Welshman Osian Pryce has set a stunning pace to lead the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy category at the end of day one of Rally Germany.

Despite never having competed on the Trier-based event before, Osian scored fastest time on three of the day’s five stages to hold a commanding 23.4-second lead.

The day started in perfect fashion with an astonishing time from Osian and co-driver Dale Furniss. The Powys pair were 23 seconds faster than their nearest rival on one of the season’s trickiest stages so far. Pre-event rain had made the 13-mile Mittelmosel test a potentially lethal mix of bone-dry asphalt interspersed with patches of damp, wet, and, in places, deep mud. To make things really interesting, the crews didn’t know from corner to corner what they were going to find.

Osian emerged with a big smile and a bigger lead.

“I was quite surprised at the time we took in the first stage,” said Osian. “To be honest, we weren’t taking any big risks – it was absolute carnage in there with cars off the road everywhere. And it wasn’t hard to see why: under the trees, the mud was just like ice. You touched the brakes and you were a passenger. We had a couple of big slides and I just wanted to slow everything down a bit, take it steady. It didn’t feel that special at the finish, but we managed to take 23 seconds out of everybody, which was a great start for us.

“After that, we had this small issue with brakes. I was having to pump the pedal a couple of times before the heavy brakings to make sure everything was good to get the car slowed down. The guys worked on the car at lunchtime and we thought it was all sorted, but it was back in the afternoon. We’ll have another go tonight and I’m sure we’ll have it fixed for tomorrow.

“We’ll certainly be needing the brakes tomorrow, especially with 96 junctions in 25 miles in Panzerplatte!”

The crews were eased into Rally Germany with just five stages today – tomorrow’s 50 per cent longer and comes with the infamous Baumholder military stages. Osian and Dale will do battle on roads designed to test tanks tomorrow.

But they go there safe in the knowledge that their debut day on Rally Germany has been something special; they started in here where they left off in Finland: fastest.

Today was…

Osian’s day in detail. His times against his DDFT rivals.

SS1: fastest (1st in DDFT) incredible start, 23s faster than everybody

SS2: fastest (1st in DDFT) issue with the brakes, hits kerb and damages rim – still fastest

SS3: 3rdfastest (1st in DDFT) brakes still not quite right; road really dirty

SS4: 3rdfastest (3rdin DDFT) top three times all within 1.4s of each other

SS5: fastest (1st in DDFT) ends great day with another fastest time

Weather:

Today: overcast 18-24 degrees

Tomorrow: rain expected with temperatures slightly lower than today

Tomorrow is…

Saturday August 20

Osian’s day starts: 0730

Osian’s day finishes: 2115

Number of stages: nine

Competitive distance: 92.27 miles (148.57km)

Total distance: 365.84 miles (588.74km)

Longest stage: SS 10/14 Panzerplatte Lang 25.35 miles (40.80km)

Shortest stage: SS8/9/13 Super Special Stage Arena Panzerplatte 1.78 miles (2.87km)

Meet Osian…

Date of birth: 24.02.93

Lives: Machynlleth

Co-driver: Dale Furniss

First rally: Rally Kurzeme (Latvia) August 2009 – 37thoverall, eighth 2WD

Rally starts: 60

British Rally Championship event wins: 5*

British Rally Championship results: 2nd(2013/14), 3rd(2012)

World Rally Championship starts: 8

World Rally Championship class wins: 2

Website: osianpryce.com

* Including Osian’s dominant National Rally Cup victory on this year’s Mid Wales Stages

About ADAC Rallye Deutschland

August 18-21

Based: Trier

Surface: asphalt

Stages: 18

Competitive distance: 190.64 miles (306.80km)

Total distance: 743.49 miles (1,196.49km)

Website: www.adac-rallye-deutschland.de

ADAC Rallye Deutschland Itinerary

Thursday August 18

Ceremonial Start podium at Porta Nigra, Trier 2015

Friday August 19

SS1 Mittelmosel 1 13.67 miles (22.0km) 1006

SS2 Moselland 1 14.52 miles (23.38km) 1044

Service Messepark 1237

SS3 Mittelmosel 2 13.67 miles (22.0km) 1458

SS4 Moselland 2 14.52 miles (23.38km) 1536

SS5 Super Special Stage Ollmuth 5.10 miles (8.21km) 1812

Saturday August 20

SS6 Freisen-Westrich 1 9.15 miles (14.73km) 0815

SS7 Bosenberg 1 8.97 miles (14.45km) 0841

SS8 Super Special Stage Arena Panzerplatte 1 1.78 miles (2.87km) 1017

SS9 Super Special Stage Arena Panzerplatte 2  1.78 miles (2.87km) 1028

SS10 Panzerplatte Lang 1 25.35 miles (40.80km) 1046

Service Messepark 1300

SS11 Freisen-Westrich 2 9.15 miles (14.73km) 1528

SS12 Bosenberg 2 8.97 miles (14.45km) 1554

SS13 Super Special Stage Arena Panzerplatte 3 1.78 miles (2.87km) 1730

SS14 Panzerplatte Lang 2 25.35 miles (40.80km) 1748

Service Messepark 2002

Sunday August 21

SS15 Dhrontal 1 9.19 miles (14.79km) 0713

SS16 Sauertal 1 9.22 miles (14.84km) 0842

SS17 Dhrontal 2 9.19 miles (14.79km) 0947

SS18 Sauertal 2 9.22 miles (14.84km) 1208

Service Messepark 1258

ADAC Rallye Deutschland media contact:
Peter Linke
media@adac-rallye-deutschland.de

+49 89 530997-0

Now say hello to the Ford Fiesta R2T

Engine: 999cc turbo, 12-valve, three cylinders

Max power: 180bhp @ 6,200rpm

Max torque: 250Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox, plated limited-slip differential and uprated driveshafts

Suspension: Adjustable Reiger dampers, Eibach springs

Brakes: 285mm discs four-piston calipers (front gravel); 310mm discs four-piston calipers (front asphalt); 280mm discs two-piston calipers (rear); hydraulic handbrake

Wheels: OZ Racing 6x15-inch (gravel); 6.5x15-inch (asphalt)

Dimensions: length 3982mm; width 1695mm; height 1481mm; wheelbase 2490mm

Weight: 1030kg

Osian’s guide to 2016

Osian and Dale will contest five rounds of the World Rally Championship in the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy. Here’s the details and an Osian download on the big five.

Been and gone…

Rally Portugal

May 19-22

Based: Matosinhos

Surface: gravel

Osian outings: 2 (2015, retired – mechanical; 2016 1stin DDFT)

Result: 1st

Stage wins: 4

Stages led: 1

Osian and Dale took a sensible approach to the first half of the Porto-based opener, but still remained in the top three throughout the event. Moved to the front on the final day and took the win by almost two minutes.

Rally Poland

June 30-July 3

Based: Mikolajki

Surface: gravel

Osian outings: 2 (2015, 2ndJunior WRC; 2016 2ndin DDFT)

Result: 2nd

Stage wins: 8

Stages led: 4

Rarely has second place been celebrated in quite such a fashion. Osian’s result secured him the first major victory of the World Rally Championship season so far. Leading the points race after the first two DDFT rounds, Osian and Dale are now confirmed as factory DMACK drivers for two WRC events in a Ford Fiesta R5 next season.

Rally Finland

July 28-31

Based: Jyväskylä

Surface: gravel

Osian outings: 1

Result: 6th

Stage wins: 8

Stages led: 5

Leading at the end of the opening day, Osian’s debut on the world’s fastest rally went south when he slipped off the road early on Saturday. Despite that misdemeanor, he and Dale returned for the final day on Sunday and went fastest on every stage. What impressed onloookers most about Osian’s maiden Rally Finland outing was the speed he showed from the start, on an event that’s reckoned to be tougher than any for a rookie.

Happening now…

Rally Germany

August 18-21

Based: Trier

Surface: asphalt

Osian outings: 0

Osian says: “This is a rally of three parts: the vineyard stages, the military testing ground and the country stages. The vineyards are absolutely full of hairpins, winding their way up and down the Mosel valley; absolute precision on the handbrake is called for here. Baumholder is an area used by the army to test tanks, which means plenty of surface changes from good asphalt to really broken concrete; the big danger here is from hinkelsteins, these are massive lumps of rock at the side of the road used to keep tanks on the straight and narrow. And if they don’t move for tanks, they’re not about to move for our Ford Fiesta R2T!

“Finally, the country roads. We’ll feel a bit more at home here, these are not too dissimilar to what we see in Ireland. And, running through the countryside, these stages are prone to the same kind of cow-related surface changes we see in Ireland…”

Up and coming…

Rally of Spain

October 13-16

Based: Salou

Surface: gravel/asphalt

Osian outings: 0

Osian says: “Two rallies in one when we get to the final event in Catalunya. The first day is on the gravel, which looks to be fairly similar in places to Portugal, but then it’s a weekend on the asphalt. The Tarmac stages are all really nice and now some of the most famous in the world. Generally, they’re double-width roads which flow quite nicely and allow you to carry good speed.

“Like the four events before Spain, I can’t wait to get there and try them out for myself!”

About the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy

The brainchild of M-Sport World Rally Team principal Malcolm Wilson and DMACK managing director Dick Cormack, the DDFT takes the best young drivers from around the world and pitches them into a five-round fight for the biggest prize south of the World Rally Championship itself.

There’s a season in a Ford Fiesta R5 car at rallying’s second tier – WRC2 – on offer to the winner after five rounds. The structure of DDFT has changed slightly this season, with rallies being paired (Portugal and Poland; Poland and Finland; Germany and Spain) and the crew gathering the most points from each of those two rallies will win two rallies in the R5 car next season.

Winning a full WRC2 season of 2017 competition in an M-Sport Fiesta R5 will require consistent speed from Osian and Dale this year. 

Media contact:

Sandra Evans

+44 7887 693993

sandra@wordspr.com

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