Osian finds rain in Spain far from the main plain
13.10.16
News release
Osian finds rain in Spain far from the main plain
It’s not often that Welsh rally star Osian Pryce questions My Fair Lady.
But today, on the eve of Rally of Spain – the final round of the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy – he does.
Standing in Barcelona waiting for the start of this evening’s first stage, the rain continued to pour – as it has all day. And yesterday. And is expected to into tomorrow.
Clearly, the rain does not fall mainly on the plain, but mainly on the Rally of Spain stages.
Sunshine, we’re told, will return to the Costa Daurada in time for the weekend. But for now, the wet weather is likely to play a hand in the opening day’s competition on the DDFT finale.
Leading the standings by 14 points and chasing the biggest and most lucrative prize in world rallying, Osian and co-driver Dale Furniss admit caution will be the watchword on the Salou-based event.
“The stage in Barcelona tonight is just for the fans really,” said Osian. “It’s a real shame the weather’s been so miserable for them, but it’s still amazing to see so many of them out watching. The stage itself was really tricky with lots of places to be caught out. Driving down really narrow streets in the dark and heavy rain was a tough way to start. We were sensible.”
And there will be more of the same tomorrow, when Osian and his Ford Fiesta R2T head into the hills of Tarragona for two loops of three gravel stages. Having missed today’s final shakedown stage because of the conditions, tomorrow morning’s Caseres test will be Osian’s first taste of the Spanish gravel.
Osian said: “We didn’t do the shakedown today because of the weather, there really wasn’t much point – the stage just isn't very representative and we wanted to save the car.
“The first two stages tomorrow are a bit shorter than the third, but they’re really tricky. There was quite a lot of loose on the top of the road in both of them, but I think we can assume that will have been washed off by now!
“Terra Alta, the third stage, is the key stage in the day. This one has a long stretch of gravel, then it turns to asphalt to take you up and over the top of the mountain, before going back onto gravel to the finish. You have to be so careful to look after the tyres on this Tarmac section. Like all the stages, this one needs to be treated with care.
“The absolute priority is to get through tomorrow without any problems. After that, the weekend is looking better for the weather and, of course, we’ll be running on asphalt roads. That’s when we can have a look at things and make more of a plan. This is two rallies in one, two rallies which demand quite different disciplines.
“At the moment, I’m absolutely not thinking about the championship. After the weather we’ve had, the only thing I can think about is getting through tomorrow.”
Today was…
Osian’s day in detail. His times against his DDFT rivals.
SS1: 7th fastest (7th in DDFT) sensible start in rain not falling mainly in the plain.
Osian’s five favourite Spanish facts:
I know you think this press release is good and reads like a novel… but did you know the very first novel ever written came from Spain. Don Quixote by Cervantes. Great read, just not enough rallying in there…
At Christmas time, children wait until January and the procession of the Three Kings (or Reyes Magos) to open their presents in Spain. And naughty children still get lumps of black coal – but it’s now an edible sugary treat called carbon dulcé. So maybe it’s worth being naughty!
You might want to keep this one to yourselves, but the tooth fairy doesn’t exist in Spain. Children put their teeth under the pillow (usually after eating too much carbon dulcé, no doubt) and a small mouse Ratoncito Pérez collects it and leaves a small gift.
When you think of olive oil, you probably think of Italy. In reality, Spain produces 45 per cent of all olive oil consumed globally.
Despite what Barcelona fans might like to believe, Real Madrid Football Club is the most valuable sports team in the world, boasting annual revenues of £530m and a brand value of £2.7 billion!
Tomorrow is:
Friday October 14
Osian’s day starts: 1010
Osian’s day finishes: 1930
Number of stages: 6
Competitive distance: 72.02 miles (115.90km)
Total distance: 240.02 miles (386.26km)
Longest stage: SS4/7 Terra Alta 24.20 miles (38.95km)
Shortest stage: SS3/6 Bot 4.03 miles (6.50km)
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: 61
British Rally Championship event wins: 5*
British Rally Championship results: 2nd(2013/14), 3rd(2012)
World Rally Championship starts: 9
World Rally Championship class wins: 3
Website: osianpryce.com
* Including Osian’s dominant National Rally Cup victory on this year’s Mid Wales Stages
About RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada
October 13-16
Based: Salou
Surface: gravel/asphalt
Stages: 19
Competitive distance: 199.51 miles (321.08km)
Total distance: 856.48 miles (1,378.31km)
Website: www.rallyracc.com
RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada Itinerary
Thursday October 13
Shakedown, Salou 1.84 miles (2.97km) 0800
Ceremonial start, Salou 1315
SS1 Barcelona 1.98 miles (3.20km) 1806
Friday October 14
SS2 Caseres 1 7.76 miles (12.50km) 1008
SS3 Bot 1 4.03 miles (6.50km) 1036
SS4 Terra Alta 1 24.20 miles (38.95km) 1111
Service Ascó 1211
SS5 Caseres 2 7.76 miles (12.50km) 1418
SS6 Bot 2 4.03 miles (6.50km) 1446
SS7 Terra Alta 2 24.20 miles (38.95km) 1521
Service PortAventura 1721
Saturday October 15
SS8 Vilaplana 3.90 miles (6.28km) 0810
SS9 Alcover-Capafonts 1 12.38 miles (19.93km) 0849
SS10 Querol 1 13.21 miles (21.26km) 1021
SS11 El Montmell 1 15 miles (24.14km) 1103
Service PortAventura 1231
SS12 Alcover-Capafonts 2 12.38 miles (19.93km) 1357
SS13 Querol 2 13.21 miles (21.26km) 1529
SS14 El Montmell 2 15 miles (24.14km) 1611
SS15 Salou 1.39 miles (2.24km) 1800
Service PortAventura 1820
Sunday October 16
SS16 Pratdip 1 11.99 miles (19.30km) 0724
SS17 Duesaigües 1 7.51 miles (12.10km) 0813
Service PortAventura 0905
SS18 Pratdip 2 11.99 miles (19.30km) 1039
SS19 Duesaigües 2 7.51 miles (12.10km) 1208
Service PortAventura 1318
Finish Podium Salou 1341
RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada media contact:
Lluïsa Torras
lluisa.torras@racc.es
+34 618 739 739
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
Osian and Dale showed the Finns the way home in Finland last time out. Quickest DDFT runners on days one and three, only a Saturday morning shunt spoiled the Welshmen’s dream debut on the world’s fastest rally.
Rally Germany
August 18-21
Based: Trier
Surface: asphalt
Osian outings: 1
Result: 1st
Stage wins: 5
Stages led: 15
It doesn’t get much better than this: Osian and Dale lead from start to finish in a supremely quick and perfectly controlled victory on their Rally Germany debut.
Happening now…
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
