ERC
Welsh ERC star Pryce going for a Ceredigion hat-trick
Osian Pryce will bid to become the most successful driver in the history of JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion when he contests his home round of the FIA European Rally Championship next week.
The Welshman is a two-time winner of the Tarmac contest and can move clear of double ERC champion Hayden Paddon – who is tied with Pryce in terms of event victories – if he reaches the finish in Aberystwyth on 6 September in front.
“It’s just nice to have a home rally in the British championship and have all this competition with the ERC as well,” said the 33-year-old Castrol MEM Rally Team driver. “As a kid, I would never have dreamed that I’d be doing a European championship event here in Aberystwyth many years later.”
Pryce, whose Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 is co-driven by James Morgan, will make his fifth ERC appearance as the British championship leader and plans to capitalise on the local support and his event knowledge.
“I have a lot of support in the area, which is quite nice,” he said. “A lot of local sponsors have come in to help out, and they have done for the last couple of years whilst we’ve been doing Ceredigion.
Welshman Pryce is a two-time Rali Ceredigion winner
© Spacesuit/British Rally Championship
“It’s quite a different route, some new stages and the dark stages look exciting, I wish we could have more of them to be honest. It looks like the competition level is going to be even higher as well.”
It’s quite a different route, some new stages and the dark stages look exciting
Pryce has highlighted the Soar Y Mynydd stage, which combines sections of last year’s Y Diafol test and is used twice on leg one, as being potentially decisive to the outcome in Wales next week.
“We didn’t really have the best of runs through the stage last year due to two broken wheels,” Pryce explained. “So, this year I’ll be trying to put it right, not make any mistakes and try and get a clean run through. It’s quite a deciding factor in the rally. It’s a challenge, and the stage has got a bit of everything in it, to be honest.”
The 2022 British champion added: “It’s just nice that so many people can come out and watch and don’t have to travel very far to support us. It’s always a good reception from the fans, and an even better one if we do really well.”
JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion hosts the penultimate round of the 2026 ERC season. Click HERE for the latest ticket information.
