WEST Wales driver James Williams is looking to take the fight to the frontrunners in the next round of the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship.
Williams and his co-driver Dai Roberts will travel to Belgium for the Ardeca Ypres Rally between Thursday and Saturday.
The pair are looking to bounce back after crashing out while fighting for second at the Scottish Jim Clark Rally last time out.
Williams, from Newcastle Emlyn, is no stranger to the event, having won there in Junior British Rally Championship in 2018 and 2019.
His run in 2019 led him to becoming a local fan favourite, as he was the fastest two-wheel-drive driver of the weekend and lifted the Junior Tony Pond Trophy for top Junior British driver in the process.
This time around, Williams will be competing in a four-wheel car – a Ford Fiesta Rally2 – for the first time.
He and Roberts will be hoping to push Citroen World Championship driver Stéphane Lefebvre and M-Sport Ford factory driver and BRC standings leader Adrien Fourmaux for a place on the rostrum.
“Ypres is such a magical place,” said Williams. “Since my first visit in 2017 – I just feel in love with the rally – it’s a proper event and very different to some of the rallies we see in the UK.
“The roads need plenty of commitment as you have to take big cuts on the side of the road to maximise speed and take as straight a line as possible.
“My first time in a four-wheel-drive car in Ypres is something I have dreamt about and can’t thank all my sponsors for allowing me the opportunity to fight for a podium and a win.
“It’s disappointing not to see many of the BRC crews travel to this event. It really has to be seen to be believed and think they would enjoy this rally when they get here.
“There are plenty of top drivers here, which will still make the fight very interesting.
“Regarding expectation – I have to be realistic with the experience I have, but Ypres is a long rally and cruel mistress at times, and you never know what the weather can do too.
“I am going to go out with Dai and enjoy our driving and get into a rhythm early on – with the aim of taking the fight to the guys in front – while also keeping it clean - as getting to the finish will be half the battle.”
The Ardeca Ypres Rally – the third round of the British Rally Championship – gets underway on Thursday evening with Qualifying and Shakedown, before the rally gets underway on Friday afternoon, and concludes on Saturday night.
You can follow all the action on James Williams’ social media channels – across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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