PRYCE TARGETS VITAL DMACK FIESTA TROPHY VICTORIES
Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy newcomer Osian Pryce starts a must-win season at the Rally of Portugal this week
The 23-year-old has told MN his future career hangs on success in this year’s world championship-based Ford Fiesta series.
Welshman Pryce contested last year’s Junior WRC and led the first two rounds before hitting mechanical trouble aboard his DS 3 R3T. A repeat of last year will spell the end of Pryce’s aspirations of turning professional.
“We’re putting a hell of a lot into this year again,” he said.
“We need to make it happen this time. My co-driver Dale [Furniss] and my family have all agreed that we give it our best shot again this year and if it doesn’t happen, if we don’t get something out of it then we have to accept that it’s going to be a hobby.”
The winner of the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy will earn the right to tackle seven rounds in WRC2 in 2017.
Pryce admits he’s in a very different position to that which he was in 12 months ago when he flew to Portugal to make his overseas World Rally Championship debut.
“I’d been doing the British Rally Championship for a long time then,” he said. “And that was all good – we’d won some rallies and come close to the title. But I had no idea at all where my pace was on a WRC round. A year ago, I was so nervous about everything. This time we’re going to Portugal having been there before and with a bit more confidence.”
Pryce is one of three British drivers competing in this year’s DDFT, with Northern Irishman Jon Armstrong and England’s Gus Greensmith the others.
Greensmith won last year’s DDFT rookie award and admits 2015 taught him a lot. Twelve months ago he wasn’t able to complete the recce for Portugal – because he was revising for his A levels. His preparations are different this time. The 19-year-old said: “I couldn’t have done any more to be ready. I’ve not left any stone unturned and I’ve done every single thing that needs to be covered.”
Greensmith’s preparations included a two-day test in the Fafe area last week.
British co-drivers Phil Hall and Andrew Edwards are also competing in DDFT, working with Karan Patel and Dillon Van Way respectively.