Osian takes dominant win at perfect Rally Germany
21.08.16
News release
Osian takes dominant win at perfect Rally Germany
Welsh rally star Osian Pryce delivered a perfect start-to-finish Rally Germany win in Trier this afternoon.
Despite never having competed – or even visited Germany before – the Machynlleth driver dominated the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy element of the event. Fastest on the opening stage, Osian and co-driver Dale Furniss were headed for three intense and unbelievably challenging days of sport in the vineyards, lanes and military roads around Trier.
The Welsh pair celebrate their second victory of the season, having won the opening round in Portugal as well.
Osian said: “Brilliant, this is just brilliant. I’m so happy. This was the perfect event for us. Never having been here before, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d watched as much coverage on television as I could, but the plan was to come here and drive our own rally.
“It felt good on the first stage, even in the unpredictable conditions I had complete faith in the tyres – the DMACKs were superb on such slippery roads. And everything just clicked. I felt comfortable, Dale was absolutely perfect on the notes and we were able to take time out of the other guys.
“The key to this week was staying out of trouble. In places the road was completely covered in mud, it was just like ice. Dale and I had worked really hard in the recce to identify the areas we felt could be affected by a weather change before the start and this helped us. Once we’d got the lead, Saturday was about managing that lead.
“I have to say, I’d heard a lot about the infamous Panzerplatte stage, but I absolutely loved it – what a challenge and what a stretch of road! That’s how I feel about the whole thing, to be honest. It’s been a great, great rally.
“What I’m really pleased about as well is the speed we’ve maintained from Finland. We made a small mistake on the second day in Finland last month and that cost us the win. As it was, we were fastest on day one and day three there, but without that mistake we could have been sitting on three wins and a second. But I’m not going to dwell on that, I’m over the moon with this result!”
Osian will now head to Spain for the final round of the DDFT and a repeat result will be enough to win him two more prize drives in a works Ford Fiesta R5 in next year’s WRC2 series. His Portuguese win allied to a second place in Poland earlier this season was enough to bag him two drives with the world champion M-Sport squad already.
“In terms of the championship,” Osian added, “the job’s only half done. We’ve got to go to Spain and do the same thing again. Obviously having the win takes a little bit of the pressure off, but we’ve never competed in Catalunya, so Dale and I will be busy doing our homework in front of the telly again before then!”
Today was…
Osian’s day in detail. His times against his DDFT rivals:
SS15: 4thfastest (1stin DDFT) difficult stage with lots of junctions, sensible approach
SS16: 3rdfastest (1stin DDFT) faster more flowing stage easier to find rhythm
SS17: stage cancelled – too many spectators
SS18: 2ndfastest (1stin DDFT) perfect run through the day’s longest stage
Weather:
Today: overcast with rain at times
Next time…
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!”
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 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
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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