Osian’s ‘last minute’ Roger Albert Clark Rally entry

Osian Pryce will contest this year’s Roger Albert Clark Rally (23-27 November) after concluding a last minute deal to drive a BDG engine Group 4 Ford Escort Mk2 on the five-day event. 

Osian was challenging for the lead of the 2021 rally when he lost a wheel and was forced to retire on the final day. Since then, he has won the British Rally Championship in 2022 and capped his ‘23 season with victory on Rali Ceredigion and Rally Terra Sarda in Sardinia. 

Now, he will return to a Ford Escort Mk2 to battle with other star names including Kris Meeke and Oliver Solberg and established historic aces like Martin McCormack and Jason Pritchard.

 “It was very last minute and I didn’t think we would be doing it, to be honest,” said Osian.

“One of the biggest things was that I knew my co-driver from last time, Noel O’Sullivan, wasn’t available because he is doing it with Kris Meeke and Stephane Prevot is doing it with Richard Tuthill. But my best friend Rhodri Evans said: ‘Come on, you’ve got to do it.’ So he’ll be co driving for me.

“I had a brief conversation with Craig Breen a while ago, and that was another factor. Craig is not with us anymore and I thought if you get the chance to do it, you should. So I thought if it works out, it works. I asked Grant Shand of Rally Xtreme if he had a car available, knowing that the car that we used in 2021 was already hired out. But Grant has found another car for us.”

Osian says the chance to compete against the best entry in the rally’s history was another important factor. 

“Last year, I’d just won the British title and I didn’t really prepare for the rally. But for the past few weeks I’ve been living and breathing it. I’ve got the same bunch of people around me to help out, so we’re all up to speed. The one thing I’ve got in the back of my mind is that I had a bit of a game plan last time, and I stuck with it. 

“I know what to expect and I know what needs to be done. But there’s an extra day this time, obviously. And then, with the long final stage on Monday, you could do everything perfectly for four and a half days but the rally isn’t over until we get to the end.”