M-SPORT TO LAUNCH SINGLE MAKE SERIES WITH FIESTA
Outfit has developed new low cost cup car for series that could be part of BRC
M-sport has developed a low-cost Ford Fiesta cup car based on its Fiesta R2T, and could run a one-make championship in the UK next year.
The series is touted for the British Rally Championship, which is already planning a new class for the cup cars, which are similar to R2-spec but feature cheaper parts and a more stringent ECU that limits output.
M-sport client liaison manager Rich Millener has confirmed the car exists and that it could run in BRC next year.
“We are looking at it,” he said. “We’ve got a meeting with the BRC organisers to look at the options; maybe we do something fully in the BRC or with a mixture of some BRC and some other events to try and entice people in.
“The car is based on the R2T, but with some more standard parts: less engine modifications, different dampers, more standard electronics, but still with a sequential gearbox. The aim of this is to bring the cost of the car down to around £30,000 for a car built and ready to go. We’re looking to bring the cost down to around half that of a full R2 car. The idea is that the parts are there so drivers can start with the cheaper car and then build up to the full R2.”
Millener wouldn’t confirm whether DMACK was involved. The tyre firm was the control tyre supplier for Junior BRC this year, and offered a £60,000 subsidy towards the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy in 2017 as a prize, which was won by Rob Duggan. MN understands that any decision to renew that deal between the BRC and DMACK will wait until the end of November, when the tender winner for the Junior World Rally Championship is announced.
DMACK is believed to be in with a chance of securing JWRC status for its DDFT championship.
Popularity for the cup spec cars is rising. Opel has a version of its Adam and the one-make Opel Adam Cup championship in Germany.
Motorsport News reported last month that Simon Mauger of the Vauxhall British Rally Team is attempting to launch a similar Vauxhall Adam Cup in the BRC. As long as there is a class in place to accommodate the specification of the cars, any prospective championships can go ahead.
The BRC’S planned class has been labelled the cadet class, and will allow the non-homologated cars like the new Fiesta and the existing Adam Cup machines to compete within the Junior BRC division.
Drivers will be allowed to recce, with the aim of bridging the gap between the ultra-competitive BRC Junior and national championships like the BTRDA and Scottish Rally Championship.