PIAA SUPPORTED RALLY TEAMS - MITSUBISHI MOTORS

PRESS RELEASE: 27th January 2009

Mitsubishi restructures its UK motorsport campaigns

- Works rally team withdrawn from competition in 2009.

- Mitsubishi UK looks forward to future motorsport participation.

- Evolution Challenge set to continue for ninth consecutive season.

Mitsubishi Motors UK has today announced the restructure of its British-based motorsport campaigns.

The company has confirmed that its two-car works rally team will not compete in 2009. The decision has been taken due to the current economic climate and the subsequent pressures affecting the automotive industry as a whole.

The company’s withdrawal from top-level competition in the UK comes after four years of success in the British Rally Championship and previously a season in the National series.

During the past five years, the team has regularly been at the front of the field. It claimed the National Production title in 2004 and the British Team’s title in 2005, before going on to win both the British Team’s and Driver’s titles in 2007 and 2008*.

“As the most successful manufacturer-backed rally team in Britain in recent years it is disappointing to withdraw from competition this season”, said Ralliart General Manager Paul Brigden. “The deciding factor is purely due to the global economic downturn and nothing to do with the smaller issues that we have had to deal with recently.”

Mr. Brigden continues: “Since our UK rally programmes began, it has been the company’s wish to participate in British motorsport. Therefore, if market conditions become more favourable, then we will explore every avenue in order to resurrect the works team and continue from where we left off. We would even consider a return in 2010 if circumstances permit.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved with Mitsubishi’s UK works rally programme: our crews, technicians, management team, sponsors and suppliers”, concluded Mr. Brigden.

MMUK is pleased to report that its successful one-make rally-series, the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, will continue as planned for its ninth consecutive season this year.

Once again, the official series for Group N Lancers will follow its popular and proven format, aligning itself with the MSA Gravel Rally Championship for six events - plus a round alongside the British Championship. It has also been confirmed that the series will continue to offer a valuable prize fund.

Having taken an interest in circuit racing during recent months, MMUK has stated that it will not officially participate in this form of motorsport until trading conditions improve. However, it has said that it will observe with interest the progress of the new Evo X Series, which was launched at the Autosport Show earlier this month.

*Subject to the outcome of an MSA hearing in February.

Wilks and Mitsubishi win British Rally Championship for second year running

Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship - Rounds six & seven.
Wales Rally GB, 5th – 7th December 2008.

- Guy Wilks claims second consecutive British Driver’s title.
- Mitsubishi Motors UK retains British Team’s title.
- Team overcomes icy conditions to achieve top result.

This year’s Wales Rally GB provided the perfect outcome for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Works Rally Team, when Guy Wilks became British Rally Champion for the second season in a row and Mitsubishi retained its British Team’s Championship crown.

Co-driven by Phil Pugh, Wilks drove a faultless rally, taking his third Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship win of the season in the process. Team mates Gwyndaf Evans and Gareth Roberts - who was partnering the experienced Welshman for the first time - also drove an excellent rally to ensure a two-car finish, which enabled Mitsubishi to achieve what it had set out to do since the start of the year: to win the Driver’s and Team’s titles.

The 15th and final round of this year’s World Rally Championship also hosted the last two rounds of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship. Following the ceremonial start in Cardiff on Thursday evening, Friday’s eight stages in the forests of mid and south Wales formed round six of the BRC, whilst the following seven on Saturday and four on Sunday constituted round seven.

With brothers Mark and David Higgins on 78 points and Wilks on 76, following round five in Yorkshire, the scene was set for the battle to win the British Driver’s title – plus, with just a three points gap at the top of the table - the British Team’s title as well.

The sub-zero temperatures during the week leading up to the event meant that many of the forestry roads were covered with a layer of ice, the conditions forcing organisers to cancel stage one and its later re-run as stage four. They also shortened stages two, three, five and six, which meant the day’s competitive distance was reduced from 124 to less than 50 kilometres.

Straight out of the box, Evans was the fastest British Championship and overall Group N runner, catching the others napping by setting a time three seconds faster than Mark Higgins, who was just 0.3 seconds ahead of Wilks. However, the conditions were far from ideal, with competitors reporting the stages punctuated with undetectable patches of ice.

The first of the BRC drivers to be caught out by the lack of grip was Mark Higgins, who went off the road in SS3, the second stage of the day and damaged his Subaru too badly to continue. Evans was slowed when he caught a car ahead of him, which meant that when cars entered the remote service halt, Wilks was 25 seconds ahead of his team-mate and the two works Mitsubishi’s were now first and second.

With hardly any improvement in the conditions, crews embarked on a second run of the two previous stages. Wilks was now in the zone and began to increase his lead in both the British and Production World Rally Championship standings, but for Evans it was a different story. With the ford in Myherin now much deeper for SS6 than it was the first time through for SS3, the water found its way onto his car’s electrics and it was only after some enthusiastic pushing that he was able to get going, albeit with three minutes lost.

Following good runs through the final two stages in Walters Arena, Wilks arrived for the overnight halt in Swansea 30 seconds ahead of Patrik Flodin in second and nearly a minute ahead of David Higgins in third and Evans in fourth.

With his third victory of the season now in the bag, Wilks was a step closer to his second driver’s title and consequently Mitsubishi were on target to retain the team’s trophy. As it turned out, Mitsubishi’s position was improved for the first of Saturday’s seven stages. After his team had repaired the car - and re-starting under SuperRally regulations - Mark Higgins suffered a deja-vu moment and went off on the ice again, but this time it was terminal.

This immediately took the pressure off Wilks, who was now almost guaranteed his second successive British title. And then, on the very next stage, Mitsubishi’s retention of the team’s title also became more likely when David Higgins suffered a similar fate to that of his brother.

But it was not plain sailing for the incumbent 2008 champion, when a loose intercooler pipe in stage 10 slowed his progress, allowing Flodin and Evans to get ahead. However, it was not the last of Wilks’ delays: a spongy brake pedal in SS12 meant he was a minute late booking into SS13 - having had to bleed the brakes at the side of the road - and then, just a mile from the end of SS14, a shaft broke in his cars transmission.

Now with just two wheel-drive, he set off on the long road section to and from Cardiff for the spectator stage in the Millennium Stadium where the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for his team-mate, Evans’ home crowd delighted to see their local hero set fastest BRC and second-fastest PWRC time in the stadium. Following this stage, the team were relieved to see Wilks car drive into the Swansea service park on Saturday night, where the engineers proceeded to change the gearbox well within the 45 minutes of allocated time.

Although only two runs of two stages in the south-Wales forests remained for Sunday, there was still 96 kilometres left to go and both Mitsubishi drivers were instructed to bring their cars home to confirm the two British titles. Again, the freezing overnight temperatures meant that this was going to be no easy task.

With the concentration clearly seen on their faces, Wilks and Evans kept their nerve in the intermittently slippery conditions and, without putting a foot wrong, came through the first pair of stages without a hitch and proceeded to do exactly the same on the second.

The Mitsubishi team were therefore delighted when both cars crossed the finish line in Cardiff, confirming that Guy Wilks was British Champion Driver for the second time and Mitsubishi the British Team’s Champions for the third. Although only competing on four of the season’s seven rounds, Evans concluded his season by finishing fourth in the BRC driver’s standings.

The team’s two Lancer Evolution IXs are built by Chesterfield-based ADR Motorsport, who also provide the on-event technical support. The team is sponsored by Lovell Group and Virgin Money, together with its technical partners: HKS, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA and Ricardo.

Team quotes

Guy Wilks
“After the season all of us in the team have had it’s great to have come out on top for the second year running. It’s proved harder to defend the title than to win it for the first time as there’s the weight of expectation on your shoulders, which makes this result even sweeter. Everyone in the team pulled together to achieve the result this weekend and I have to admit that it’s fantastic to be a double British Champion.”

Gwyndaf Evans
“I am so pleased for the team. Since I joined Mitsubishi in the middle of the year there was a massive job to do and I’m delighted that we’ve done it. The Rally GB is always a tough event but our task was made even more difficult because of the conditions, which makes the achievement even more satisfying.”

Paul Brigden – Team Principal
“I am absolutely delighted with the result. It’s exactly what we set out to achieve at the start of the year. Although we’ve had to make some tough decisions during the season I believe that our actions have been vindicated by our performance this weekend. The whole team has worked very hard to make this happen and I have to thank them for such a fantastic effort.”

Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship results

Round six
1 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 33:26.9
2 Patrik Flodin/Göran Bergsten (Subaru Impreza) 33:56.3
3 David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Subaru Impreza) 34:23.8
4 Gwyndaf Evans/Gareth Roberts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 37:29.1
5 Hugh Evans/Iestyn Williams (Subaru Impreza) 41:30.2

Round seven
1 Patrik Flodin/Göran Bergsten (Subaru Impreza) 2:22:05.0
2 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 2:24:42.1
3 Gwyndaf Evans/Gareth Roberts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 2:25:43.7
4 Jason Pritchard/George Gwynn (Citroen C2) 2:45:12.6
5 David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Subaru Impreza) 2:53:08.1

Final championship positions

Drivers
1 Guy Wilks 96
2 Mark Higgins 88
3 David Higgins 80
4 Gwyndaf Evans 62
5 Jonathan Greer 61
6 James Wozencroft 53
7 Patrik Flodin 52
8= Jason Pritchard 48
8= Brian O’Mahoney 48
10= Hugh Evans 41
10= Andrew Hockridge 41

Teams
1 Mitsubishi Motors UK 223
2 Team TQ.com 201
3 Atlas TEG Sport 117
4 Revolution Wheels 107

PRESS RELEASE: 27th November 2008

Mitsubishi wins appeal and confirms entry in Wales Rally GB
Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship – Rounds Six and Seven.
Wales Rally GB - 5th - 7th December 2008

- Motor Sports Council rules Mitsubishi compliant of technical regulations
- Guy Wilks’ Rally Yorkshire victory reinstated
- Team gets set to regain British titles on Wales Rally GB
- Gwyndaf Evans enters Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship for the 20th time

The Mitsubishi Motors UK works Rally Team is delighted to announce that its appeal against Guy Wilks’ exclusion from September’s Rally Yorkshire was upheld at a Motor Sports Council National Court hearing on Wednesday 26th November.

The decision sees Wilks and his co-driver David Moynihan reinstated as winners of the event, which represented round six of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship. Consequently, the team’s points score is also reinstated, which means it now has the opportunity of challenging to retain its British Driver’s and Team’s titles at this year’s Wales Rally GB.

“Naturally we are delighted with the outcome of the hearing”, said General Manager of Ralliart Paul Brigden. “We build our cars in accordance to the rules and the decision by the MSC confirms this.”

The circumstance which brought-about Wilks’ initial exclusion was a protest alleging that the upper part of his car’s steering column did not comply to Group N regulations. However, the MSC National Court agreed that although it was not the homologated item, it complied with Appendix J of the FIA International Sporting Code, article 254, section 6.7.3, which states that the controls may be adapted to facilitate their use and accessibility.

Because of the timing of the hearing, the team had no choice but to enter its two cars in the Rally GB a few weeks ago - before the closing date. However, if the decision had not gone in Mitsubishi’s favour, the team had made no secret that it would have withdrawn both its cars put the money it would cost to contest the event towards its 2009 campaign.

Although the result of the appeal has come just one week before the Rally GB, both works Lancers are ready to go and the team has planned a pre-event test for Wilks and his team mate Gwyndaf Evans during the next few days.

After crossing the line one-and-a-half minutes ahead of his rivals in Yorkshire, Wilks was over the moon to hear that his deserving victory had been reinstated and was delighted that he now has the opportunity challenge for the championship title for the second year in succession:

“It is great news to know that I’ve got my Yorkshire win back and therefore still be in with a shot at the championship,” said Wilks. “I am now really looking forward to Rally GB and I am more determined than ever to bring back the title, not just for me but for the team, as it has been a difficult few weeks for them as well. Bring it on!”

For Gwyndaf Evans, confirmation of the team’s entry for the Rally GB is also good news, with this year seeing the 20th time the former British Champion and highly-experienced Welshman has taken part in the UK’s round of the World Rally Championship:

“It would have been such a disappointment for the whole team not to have had the chance to compete in the Rally GB”, said Evans. “For me, it is great to have the opportunity to compete in this event for the 20th time – especially as it’s on my home ground. It will be a tough event, but rest assured I’ll be trying my hardest to provide the best result possible for the team. They deserve it.”

Now with the Mitsubishi team preparing for the Wales Rally GB, Paul Brigden has the aim of regaining the British titles firmly in his sights and said:

“Victory in both the British Team’s and Driver’s Championships is an important accolade for Mitsubishi and our focus will be well and truly on achieving this goal next weekend. The whole team is ready and looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be an exciting finale for us all.”

After a six-month lay-off due to a recurring back problem Phil Pugh, Wilks regular co-driver, makes a welcome return to the team. Evans will be accompanied for the first time by Gareth Roberts, who has been competing alongside the Welshman’s son Elfyn this season.

The Wales Rally GB kicks off with a ceremonial start in Cardiff on Thursday evening. The action starts on Friday morning with eight stages in the forests of south and mid-Wales before the overnight halt in Swansea. A further seven stages take place on Saturday, the last being the spectacular showcase spectator stage inside Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. Four more stages are run on Sunday, with the finish ceremony held in Cardiff that afternoon.

For British Rally Championship crews, the event hosts two rounds and subsequently two points scoring opportunities, one on Friday and another which combines Saturday and Sunday.

Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship - positions after round five

Drivers
1= Mark Higgins 78
1= David Higgins 78
3 Guy Wilks 76
4 Jonathan Greer 61
5 James Wozencroft 53
6 Brian O’Mahony 37
7= Stuart Jones 31
7= Gwyndaf Evans 31
7= Adam Gould 31
10 Phillip Morrow

Teams
1 Team TQ.com 152
2 Mitsubishi Motors UK 149
3 Atlas TEG Sport 117
4 Revolution Wheels 109

PRESS RELEASE: 29th September 2008

Mitsubishi’s Yorkshire win on hold

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship – Round five.
- Rally Yorkshire – 27th September 2008.
- Guy Wilks fastest on all 10 stages.
- Protest sees Wilks victory suspended pending result of technical inquiry.
- Gwyndaf Evans takes hard-earned fourth.

Having led from start to finish and recording the fastest time on all of the event’s ten stages, GuyWilks and co-driver David Moynihan crossed the line of this weekend’s Rally Yorkshire, round five of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, to record a resounding victory for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team by a margin of one-and-a-half minutes.

However, at the finish second-placed Mark Higgins, driving for the TEG Sport Subaru team, protested the compliance of the steering column in Wilks’ car. Following a scrutineer’s report and a meeting of the event’s Stewards, Wilks was excluded.

The Mitsubishi team has since lodged an appeal with the MSA. The decision regarding the compliance of the component in question will be known in the next few weeks.

“We were very surprised when the protest was made as we build our cars in accordance with the regulations.” said team principal and Ralliart General Manager Paul Brigden. “We have lodged an appeal and it is now in the hands of the MSA. Therefore we can say or do nothing about the situation until we know the outcome. However, we are confident that our cars comply to the rules.”

Team-mates Gwyndaf Evans and Paul Nagle finished a determined fifth, after fighting back following a broken rear driveshaft and resulting turbo problem slowed them in the early stages.

PRESS RELEASE: 22nd September 2008

It’s back to business for the Mitsubishi Team in Yorkshire

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship – Round Five
- Rally Yorkshire – 27th September 2008
- Mitsubishi continues to target team’s and driver’s titles
- Guy Wilks aims for repeat performance of last year
- Gwyndaf Evans relishing first forest event since return to Mitsubishi team

Next weekend will see the Mitsubishi Motors UK Works Rally Team get back to the business of competing for the British team’s and driver’s titles, when Guy Wilks and Gwyndaf Evans contest round five of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, the Rally Yorkshire on 27th September.

Following an up-and-down season so far, Mitsubishi finds itself third in the team’s standings, with Wilks also third in the driver’s table – Evans yet to make his mark in the top-ten, having only joined the team before the fourth round in Ulster. To get things back on track, Wilks admits that he is out to deliver a repeat performance of last year’s commanding victory:

“This is one of my favourite events – especially after winning it last year, so I’m looking the opportunity of another top result. Having had our frustrations in the three tarmac events this season it’s good to be back in the car and have an opportunity to put the records straight.”

For Evans, this will be his first gravel rally for the team since his come-back last month and, following a excellent outing which resulted in third place on the asphalt of Northern Ireland, he is looking forward to the gravel roads of the Yorkshire Moors:

“The Ulster rally was my first competitive outing for nine months and therefore, this weekend will be the first time in the forests this year. With this in mind it’s my aim to focus on a strong result, especially as this is a one-day event and there’s no room for mistakes.”

Team principal and General Manager for Ralliart Paul Brigden, is adamant that Mitsubishi’s goals are kept firmly in sight and therefore the team will be concentrating on getting back to the business of winning the championship:

“We will be putting all the distractions of the past few weeks to one side this weekend and getting on what we set out to do since the start of the season - and that’s to regain the British team’s and driver’s titles. To achieve this we need both cars to finish strongly and, following the performance of the same two drivers on this event last year, I am confident we can do it.”

Due to his ongoing back problems, Wilks’ regular co-driver Phil Pugh is still out of action and therefore David Moynihan, who has done a sterling job as stand-in since round two, will continue to alongside the reigning British Champ. Following their first rally together last-time out in Ulster, Evans will be again partnered by Paul Nagle.

Starting from the Agricultural Showground in Pickering at 8.30am on Saturday, the rally comprises 10 special stages, nine in the forests on the North Yorkshire Moors the other, a half-mile spectator affair around the showground. After covering a total competitive distance of 94 miles, the first car is scheduled to cross the finish line at 5.30pm.

Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship
Positions after round four
Drivers
1 David Higgins 62
2 Mark Higgins 60
3 Guy Wilks 56
4 Jonathan Greer 48
5 James Wozencroft 39
6 Stuart Jones 31
7 Phillip Morrow 30
8 Dale Robertson 28
9 Brian O’Mahony 26
10 Wyn Humphreys 23

Teams
1 Team TQ.com 121
2 Atlas TEG Sport 117
3 Mitsubishi Motors UK 113
4 Revolution Wheels 80

PRESS RELEASE: 14th September 2008

Mitsubishi announces Lancer Evolution X race-car programme

Mitsubishi Motors UK can confirm that it is developing a race-going version of its new Lancer Evolution X, with which it plans to contest the increasingly popular Britcar Championship.

The project is being run in association with Southampton-based vehicle importation and compliance specialists SVA UK, with the car driven by the company’s managing director and former BTCC regular James Kaye. It will run as a Mitsubishi works entry and appear in the official red and chrome Ralliart livery.

“We are pleased to be introducing a race-car programme for the Evo X”, said General Manager for Ralliart Paul Brigden. “Mitsubishi UK has not been involved with circuit racing for many years, so this new initiative is a great opportunity for us. Subject to the level of interest from competitors, we are also hoping to announce a one-make race-series for the Evolution X soon.”

The new car is being constructed by ADR Motorsport, the team which already builds and runs the two-works Mitsubishis currently competing in the British Rally Championship. However, ADR are no strangers to circuit racing, having been involved with a number of successful campaigns during the 1990s.

The first public appearance of the racing Lancer is scheduled for the weekend of September 20th & 21st , when the car competes for the first time in the Britcar 24-hour race at Silverstone, driven by Kaye and two other drivers who are yet to be named.

“As I’m yet to race this season I’m not only looking forward to getting back behind the wheel, but also driving the new Mitsubishi”, said Kaye. “It is anticipated that the engine will develop around 400bhp which, together with the Evo’s four-wheel-drive system and inherently good chassis, should make it a highly-competitive package.”

Following on from the car’s Silverstone debut, Kaye – who lives on the Isle of Wight and has a business based in Southampton - is planning to contest a full season in the 2009 Britcar Championship, plus other selected endurance events.

Mitsubishi UK are keen to point out that its venture into circuit racing will not effect any of its current or forthcoming rally campaigns.

PRESS RELEASE: 25th August 2008

Double podium for Mitsubishi team in Ulster

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship – Round Four.
- Todds Lead Ulster International Rally – 22nd & 23rd August 2008.
- Second and third for Mitsubishi means team stay on target for championship titles.
- Guy Wilks leads before problems intervene.
- Third place sees mission accomplished for Gwyndaf Evans.

The Mitsubishi Motors UK works Rally Team went to round four of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, the Todds Lead Ulster International Rally, with one goal in mind – and that was to retain its chances of retaining both the team’s and driver’s titles – which is exactly what they did.

Having taken the lead from the start, Guy Wilks and co-driver David Moynihan initially looked uncatchable at the front. However, a problem with their car’s rear differential on stage four, followed by a spin when they were pushing hard to make up for lost ground, saw them finish in second place. Team-mates Gwyndaf Evans and Paul Nagle drove a perfect rally and did what they set out to do by finishing third.

Based in Armagh, the event featured a total of 134 competitive miles split into six timed special stages on Friday evening, followed by a further ten on Saturday, all on closed public roads not far from the host town.

Wilks got off to his now familiar flying start and went through the first stage three seconds quicker than anyone else. Mark Higgins occupied second spot, with Evans third, who admitted he was having to dial himself back into competitive rallying after a 10-month lay-off, whilst also acclimatise to his new co-driver Nagle.

All was going according to plan until Wilks felt something amiss with his car’s rear differential and he coasted across the finish line of SS4. With only two-wheel-drive for the remaining pair of stages before the overnight halt, the reigning British Champ did well to only drop 38 seconds to Higgins and end the day still in second place, Evans now holding a comfortable third.

With the demanding nature of the Ulster roads and 84 rally miles remaining, there was a more than realistic possibility that Wilks could claw back the lost time and, when Saturday dawned, he went on a charge to do just that.

On the first stage of the day he scythed nearly eight seconds of his deficit, but on the very next, Wilks locked-up on some mud whilst trying to slow the car down for a square right. Normally he could have just overshot the junction, but because the exit road was blocked by spectators, he spun his Evo into a bank, broke a wheel and severely bent the rear suspension.

Although the damage was repaired at the next service halt, Wilks was now over a minute down on Higgins. Also, his car did not handle as it should for the next loop of two stages and any chance of regaining time was lost. Meanwhile, Evans was maintaining a solid third place, although his task was made more challenging due to an inconsistent feel to the brake pedal.

With the onset of rain for the final two loops of three stages, any chance Wilks had of mounting a final push was washed-away and therefore, the team decided that the best strategy would be to hold station and therefore be in a position to collect the spoils if anything happened to the leader.

But Higgins was having a good weekend and he went on to record his third BRC victory of the season. Wilks consolidated his second place, whilst Evans’s familiarity with his surroundings grew – as did his pace – as the day progressed.

The Mitsubishi team were pleased to come away with a double-podium result and keep their team’s title hopes on track. However, for Wilks a win next time out on the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire on 27th September is what’s needed if he is to keep his bid for the driver’s title on course.

Team quotes

Guy Wilks
“I’m pleased for the team that we got two cars home, but to be honest I’m disappointed not to take the win. I’m sure that if we hadn’t had the mechanical problems on Friday that things would be different, as I wouldn’t have had to push so hard on Saturday. It just makes the rest of the year a bit tougher, but I still think we can do it.”

Gwyndaf Evans
“Jumping straight into a rally car and expecting to be on the pace from the word go is more difficult than it looks, so I’m very pleased to have finished a comfortable third. It was a case of keeping a watching brief on Mark and Guy and picking up the pieces if anything happened to them. I’m also pleased that I was able to deliver the result the team had asked this weekend.”

Paul Brigden (General Manager for Ralliart and Team Principal)
“Considering we were under a lot of pressure to perform on this event and we came under considerably scrutiny, I have to praise the whole team for their efforts. Guy did what he could and it sounds like he avoided what may have been an even bigger incident. Gwyndaf did the job he was asked to do and we’ve come away keeping our title hopes alive. I’m now looking forward to the Trackrod Rally and hope we will see a repeat of last year’s victory.”

Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship
Positions after round four
Drivers
1 David Higgins 62
2 Mark Higgins 60
3 Guy Wilks 56
4 Jonathan Greer 48
5 James Wozencroft 39
6 Stuart Jones 31
7 Philip Morrow 30
8 Dale Robertson 18
9 Brian O’Mahoney 26
10 Wyn Humphreys 23

Teams*
1 Atlas TEG Sport 132
2 Team TQ.com 119
3 Mitsubishi Motors UK 112
4 Revolution Wheels 79
* points are provisional

PRESS RELEASE: 18th August 2008

Mitsubishi Works Team regroups for Ulster

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship – Round four.
- Todds Lead Ulster International Rally – 22nd & 23rd August 2008.
- Mitsubishi sets its sights on regaining Team’s Championship lead.
- Gwyndaf Evans rejoins team to help in title quest.
- Guy Wilks eager to get back to his winning ways.

The Mitsubishi Motors UK works Rally Team heads to this weekend’s Todds Lead Ulster International Rally, round four of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, with a two-car team comprising Guy Wilks/David Moynihan and Gwyndaf Evans/Paul Nagle.

Following a difficult few weeks since the Rally Isle of Man in July - and the subsequent change of line up after Phillip Morrow and his co-driver Daniel Barritt were released from their contracts - the Mitsubishi team are heading toUlster hoping that recent issues can be put aside and a good weekend’s sport will prevail.

No one was more disappointed to see the team part company with Morrow than Ralliart General Manager and Team Principal Paul Brigden, who now has the job of re-focussing the Mitsubishi squad on its primary goal:

“The most important task for us this year is to retain its British Team’s title for Mitsubishi Motors and, to do this, we now need to finish first and third on average for the rest of the season. However, rallying is a sport rather than a science - as we have seen recently - so nothing is guaranteed, but I believe we have a good possibility of achieving our target.”

Having driven for the team in 2007, Gwyndaf Evans has been invited back for the remainder of the season and the experienced Welshman is looking forward to the task ahead:

“It is always a privilege to drive for a manufacturer, so I was delighted to be asked. I realise that I have a job to do for the team and I will give it my best shot, especially as the Ulster Rally is one of my favourite events. However, having not driven competitively since the end of last year and, with a new co-driver next to me, it’s going to be no easy task, but I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge.

With a first and a second place under his belt from the first three rounds, 2007 British Champion Wilks currently lies fourth in the driver’s standings and will be out to get the defence of his title back on track on the Ulster asphalt, as he explains:

“I’m looking forward to being back in the Mitsubishi and getting on with the job that needs to be done this weekend. Last year on this event I only had the chance to of a few good stages, so there’s a score to settle here. I have to admit that I’m aiming for nothing less than a win, which can only be good for the team and my title hopes.”

Wilks’ regular co-driver Phil Pugh is still out of action due to a recurring back problem, which means that Irishman David Moynihan continues alongside the Brit. Evans will also be partnered by an Irishman on this event, the highly-experienced Paul Nagle accompanying the Welshman for the first time.

The rally, which is based in Armagh, starts on Friday evening and features six timed special stages before the overnight halt, followed by a further ten on Saturday, the total of which provides a competitive distance 134 miles.

PRESS RELEASE: 7th August 2008

Mitsubishi enters two cars in Ulster Rally

Mitsubishi Motors UK has confirmed that it has entered a second car in the forthcoming Todds Leap Ulster Rally, round four of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, for Gwyndaf Evans.

The experienced Welshman, who drove for the Mitsubishi team last year, will be reunited with his former team-mate and current works driver Guy Wilks. He will occupy the seat in the second car following the recent departure of Phillip Morrow.

A spokesman for the Mitsubishi team said: “Our goal right from the start of the season has been to retain the British Team’s title and to do that our cars need to finish in first and third places on average for the remaining four rounds. If we get to a point where we cannot achieve the title, then we will reassess our strategy and take a decision on whether we continue with two cars for the rest of the season.”

“It has been rumoured in certain quarters recently that budget issues alone led us to temporarily reduce our team from two cars to one, but that’s simply not the case. Mitsubishi has long been a proud supporter of rallying and maintained its commitment, even when other manufacturers have withdrawn their support. However, motorsport is a results driven industry and we are no more sheltered from that reality than anyone else.”

It is confirmed that David Moynihan will co-drive for Wilks on the Ulster Rally, due to the British Champion’s regular partner Phil Pugh suffering from a recurring back problem. As yet, no co-driver has been appointed for Evans.

PRESS RELEASE: 25th July 2008

Mitsubishi UK Rally Team releases driver from contract

The Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team has today confirmed that Phillip Morrow has been released from his contract as a works driver for the remainder of the 2008 season.

The decision was taken following the outcome of the first three rounds of this year’s Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship.

General Manager for Ralliart and team principal Paul Brigden said:

“This is a very unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in and we are disappointed to see Phillip leave the team. We trust that this decision with allow him to pursue his career in another direction and we wish him the very best of luck with his future rallying campaigns.”

Mr Brigden continues: “Following this decision we will now reassess our strategy for this year’s remaining three rallies to see if we can still achieve our goal of retaining the British Team’s and Driver’s titles.”

The team will make an announcement as to whether it will run one or two cars for the rest of the season at the beginning of August. It now turns its attentions to round four of the British Championship, the Todds Leap Ulster Rally, which takes place on 22nd & 23rd August.

PRESS RELEASE: 21st July 2008

Mitsubishi claims second place after Isle of Man encounter

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship
- Round Three – Rally Isle of Man – 17th, 18th & 19th July 2008
- Guy Wilks battles back to score hard-fought second.
- Phillip Morrow’s solid performance interrupted by tricky conditions.

After having to stop mid-stage and change a wheel during day-two of the Rally Isle of Man, Guy Wilks and stand-in co-driver David Moynihan battled back to finish second in round three of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, which took place on 17th – 19th July.

Mitsubishi team mates Phillip Morrow and Daniel Barritt also had a challenging event: Following an excellent start to hold a solid fourth place, they were caught out by the changeable road conditions on stage 14 and hit a bank. After the team repaired the car, they rejoined the rally for the final day and clawed their way back up to 16th place and, in doing so, scored valuable team’s points.

Starting and finishing from the famous TT Grandstand, just north of the Island’s capital Douglas, the event featured four stages on Thursday evening followed by a further 12 on Friday and seven on Saturday. This makes it the longest asphalt rally in the BRC calendar at 182 competitive miles and therefore, one of the toughest events of the season.

The Isle of Man has a reputation for its changeable weather, a factor that makes tyre choice a lottery – and this year was no exception. Initially, Thursday evening started dry and Wilks blasted into the lead following the first three stages.

However, stage four was a different matter and, although unfazed by the slippery conditions, the reigning British Champion collected a puncture just two miles into the 13-mile run across the hills. Without stopping to change the wheel, Wilks made it to the finish and ended the day in second place, 18 seconds behind Mark Higgins who had now inherited the lead.

Intent on doing a good job for the team, Morrow opted for a steady start. Even so, he concluded the first leg in fourth place and reported a trouble-free run.

With the scene set for another front-line battle between Wilks and Higgins, the uncertain weather forecast made tyre selection critical and a last-minute change saw a 10-second penalty applied to Wilks’ time after leaving the service area a minute late. Even so, because of the pace of the Mitsubishi, the team were confident about the prospect of Wilks catching Higgins.

However, the plan was thwarted on stage eight, the fourth run of the day, when Wilks slid wide and the car dropped into a small ditch – normally not a problem – but a protruding drainage gully broke a wheel, forcing him and Moynihan to stop by the side of the stage and change it. Inevitably over three minutes were lost, which meant they slipped back to fifth place and now had a tough task ahead of them if they were to stand a chance of winning.

Meanwhile, things were going according to plan for Morrow, who continued to set a steady pace and was elevated to third following Wilks’ delay. However, the young Ulsterman admitted that he was not feeling completely comfortable with the handling of his car, this being his first time competing over the Manx lanes in the works Mitsubishi.

As grip levels changed almost from stage to stage, conditions were unpredictable and unfortunately for Morrow, he was the front-runner who came off worse. As he approached an uphill 90-degree right-hand bend halfway through the stage, the car momentarily stepped out and, although correcting the slide, the loss of grip in the braking zone resulted in front-end contact with a solid bank.

With a broken radiator – plus considerable damage to a number of other components – the once pristine Lancer was going no further for the rest of the day. Once it was taken back to the service area, the team then worked into the small hours to get it ready to run under SuperRally regulations for Saturday’s stages,

Although having set a string of fastest stage times and fighting back to third, the drama of day-two was still not over for Wilks, when the rear of his Lancer clipped a bank on the exit of a corner on SS11. This bent the rear suspension and caused the car to handle strangely, until the problem was fixed at the service halt before the last loop of stages.

Realising that unless Higgins was to have a problem a win would be out of the question, Saturday saw Wilks focus on overhauling Mark’s brother David in second place - and on stage 17 that’s exactly what he did. Following another batch of fastest stage times, Wilks managed to reduce the final margin between him and the leader, but eventually had to settle for second on this occasion.

For Morrow the final day was one of consolidation, as to rejoin under SuperRally rules sees a 10-minute penalty applied for every stage missed. Therefore, a trouble-free run on Saturday resulted in a final of position of 16th, not the result he was looking for, but a finish and points towards the team’s championship nonetheless.

The whole team was delighted that, other than accident damage, both of its Lancer Evolution IXs ran faultlessly, the cars built by Chesterfield-based ADR Motorsport, who also provide the on-event technical support.

The team is sponsored by Lovell Group and Virgin Money, together with its technical partners: HKS, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo, and Performance Friction Brakes.

Team Quotes
Guy Wilks
“We knew what we had to do this weekend and everything started well but luck was not running with us. We again proved we had the pace to win and to finish second even after changing a wheel is not a bad result. We therefore need to put the record straight for the remaining rounds to keep our title hopes on track. I have to thank David (Moynihan) for doing a good job and stepping in at the last minute in place of Phil (Pugh), who is currently suffering from back problems.”

Phillip Morrow
“I knew how important it was to do a good job for the team this weekend and, although I wasn’t feeling completely comfortable with the set-up I had chosen, it was so frustrating that the only real moment I had was punished in such a dramatic way. The team did a great job in fixing the car and getting me back out for the final day and, although the final result was not what we wanted, at least we collected points for the team’s championship, which I know is a priority for Mitsubishi.”

Paul Brigden
“Following the result from round two, we came to the Isle of Man with a strategy to get our crews to the finish in strong positions. Even though we again proved that we have the quickest cars, things did not go according to plan, so once we have had a de-brief to assess our position in the team’s and driver’s championships, we will decide on what our strategy will be for the forthcoming Ulster Rally and for the rest of season in order to keep our championship hopes intact.”

Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship
Positions after round three
Drivers
1 David Higgins 48
2 Mark Higgins 40
3 James Wozencroft 39
4 Guy Wilks 38
5 Jonathan Greer 37
6 Stuart Jones 31
7 Wyn Humphreys 23
8 Darren Gass 19
9= Dale Robertson 18
9= David Meredith 18
9= Juho Hanninen 18
12= Hugh Evans 15
12= Phillip Morrow 15

Teams
1 Atlas TEG Sport 97
2 Team TQ.com 92
3 Mitsubishi Motors UK 78
4 Revolution Wheels 67

PRESS RELEASE: 14th July 2008

Mitsubishi team poised to bounce back

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship
- Round Three – Rally Isle of Man – 17th, 18th & 19th July 2008
- Team looks forward to getting season back on track.
- Guy Wilks eager to return to winning ways.
- Phillip Morrow says strategy counts on IOM.

Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team is set to get its season back on track when its drivers Guy Wilks and Phillip Morrow return to action for round three of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, the Rally Isle of Man, which takes place on 17th, 18th & 19th July.

Following a disappointing result in round two, the Jim Clark Rally, when Wilks’ car caught fire and Morrow was side-lined following an early accident, the Mitsubishi team are eager to put the record straight and get back to their winning ways. Taking into account last year’s visit to the Isle of Man, when the two works Lancers finished first and second, their aspirations are more than realistic.

The upshot of the last outing resulted in Wilks’ car being a complete write-off and therefore, he will appear this weekend in his 2007 British Championship winning Evolution IX which has now been upgraded to this year’s specification. Morrow’s car has been repaired and last week both drivers successfully tested their re-fettled Mitsubishis in Wales.

Eager to put his and the team’s season back on target, an upbeat Wilks said: “We now need to pull out all the stops to get back to where we should be in the championship and it would be great to repeat last year’s success on the island. However, the pressure is on, so whilst we’ve got to push hard, it’s also important to ensure we end up with a strong finish.”

Morrow is also keen to get back in action: “I really want to get out there and do a good job for the team - and for my own confidence as well. The Isle of Man is a notoriously difficult rally, so I am going to approach it with that in mind and, if things feel right, then I’ll start to up the pace.”

Mitsubishi UK Motorsport boss and Ralliart General Manager Paul Brigden, is looking forward to his team being back in action: “The best way to put challenging times behind you is to go out there and do well. Our target this weekend is to get both cars to the finish in strong positions and, by doing so, we can reignite our bid to retain the team’s and drivers titles.”

The Rally Isle of Man gets underway from the Douglas TT Grandstand on Thursday evening with four stages before the first overnight halt. Friday sees another 12 stages and Saturday a further seven before the finish back at the grandstand. The route features a total competitive distance of 182 miles, which makes the Rally Isle of Man the longest asphalt event - and one of the consequently the toughest rounds - in the British Championship Calendar.

Due to Wilks’ regular co-driver Phil Pugh currently suffering from back problems, David Moynihan from Mallow, Co. Cork, has been drafted in. Morrow continues to be partnered by Daniel Barritt.

The two works Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs are built by Chesterfield-based ADR Motorsport, who also provide the all-important on-event technical support.

The team is sponsored by Lovell Group and Virgin Money, together with its technical partners: HKS, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo, and Performance Friction Brakes.

PRESS RELEASE: 26th May 2008

First-day dramas see early exit for Mitsubishi team

Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship Round Two – Jim Clark Rally – 23rd - 25th May 2008

- Guy Wilks leads before car catches fire
- Phillip Morrow sets top times then retires following stage one crash
-Team puts weekend’s dramas behind them to focus on next round

Round two of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, this weekend’s Jim Clark Rally, did not go according to plan for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team.

Following a successful day of testing before the event, the team were upbeat about their chances to extend their lead in the teams and drivers championships, both Guy Wilks and Phillips Morrow happy with their car’s set-ups for the first of the season’s three asphalt rallies.

Following Friday night’s ceremonial start in Kelso, followed by a short shake-down stage, competition got underway on Saturday morning with the first of a 16-mile run through Abbey St. Bathans.

Carrying on from where he left off, following his resounding round-one victory, Wilks stormed through the first stage to lead the British Championship field by 4.7 seconds. Such was his pace, he also held a position of second overall amongst the WRC cars contesting the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, of which the Jim Clark Rally is also a round.

However, for Morrow it was a different tale: After three miles into the stage, following a fast, down-hill section, as the road narrowed on a negative camber corner the car slid wide, clipped a bank and then rolled three times down the road. Thankfully, both Morrow and co-driver Daniel Barritt were unhurt - and the car ended-up on its wheels.

Although the energy of the incident suggested that the damage may be too bad to continue, that was not the case and, after the crew changed a broken wheel, they cautiously made their way through the remainder of the stage - and the one following - in order to get the car back to service and let the team’s technicians get to work.

With most of the damage cosmetic rather than mechanical, Morrow continued on the next loop of four stages and, although not driving flat out, collected his thoughts and re-assured his abilities by setting one fastest, two second fastest and one third fastest time.

Meanwhile, Wilks had extended his lead to 6.2 seconds following stage three, but his day was about to take a turn for the worse. As he left the start-line on SS4 he heard a noise coming from his car’s transmission. Then, after a few miles, the propshaft suddenly snapped, leaving him with front-wheel drive only and, with the flying finish almost in sight, the car came to a halt on an up-hill section.

Getting out to see what could be done, Wilks discovered flames coming from underneath the car where the flailing propshaft had ruptured the fuel tank. Co-driver Phil Pugh quickly exited the Mitsubishi and, although other competitors stopped to help, try as they might they could not extinguish the flames. Within seconds their once pristine Lancer was engulfed by fire and continued to burn until there was nothing left other than the chard remains of the metal shell.

The baton was now passed to Morrow. However, on SS7, the young Ulsterman noticed the car’s temperature gauge climbing and, on inspection at the end of the stage he found thatt he earlier incident had caused the fan housing to come loose and the blades had punctured the radiator. In order not to inflict any further mechanical damage, the team decided to call it a day, return the car to park fermé and adopt SuperRally regulations to ensure Morrow and Barritt would be classified as finishers.

The team now turns its attentions to round three, the Isle of Man Rally on and focuses on achieving a repeat performance of last year, when its cars finished first and second

The team is sponsored by Lovell Group and Virgin Money, together with its technical partners: HKS, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo, and Performance Friction Brakes. The two works Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs are built by Chesterfield-based ADR Motorsport, who also provide the all-important on-event technical support.

Team Quotes
Guy Wilks
The rally started really well for us. I didn’t feel we had pushed too hard in the first stage, so to take the lead at what I regarded was a comfortable pace was just what we wanted. Once the propshaft had broken I was knew there was a possibility of it damaging the fuel tank, so I drove with that in mind, but I was unaware of the fire until I got out of the car. I have to thank the other teams for stopping to help, but the fire became so intense it was impossible to get it under control. I was hoping that this year we might just be able to win all the BRC events, but we’ll just have to make it all but one now!”

Phillip Morrow
“It was a weekend I shall remember – for the wrong reasons! I was really shocked when we rolled, but so impressed with the strength of the car as we could still drive it away from the accident. Once the lads had fixed some of the damage in service and a new screen was put in, I was pleased to be able to set some good stage times – and even one fastest time - so that was a bonus. I’m now going to focus on the remaining four rallies and aim to restore the team’s chances for the teams and drivers championships.”

Paul Brigden - Team Principal and Ralliart General Manager
“It has been a very unfortunate weekend for the team, but I am pleased to report that all four crew members were unharmed in their respective incidents. The fact that Phillip and Daniel could continue – and even set a fastest time – is testimony to the strength of the cars. We now need strong finishes from both crews for the remainder of the season to ensure we get back on track for the teams title and I look forward to resuming our British Championship campaign on the Isle of Man in a few weeks time.”

Championship positions following round two
Drivers
1 David Higgins (GB) 32
2 Stuart Jones (GB) 31
3 Jonathan Greer (GB) 25
4 James Wozencroft (GB) 24
5 Wyn Humphreys (GB) 23
6= Guy Wilks (GB) 20
6= Mark Higgins (GB) 20
8 Juho Hanninen (FIN) 18
9 Phillip Morrow (GB) 15
10 Patrik Flodin (S) 14

Teams
1 Atlas TEG Sport 65
2 Team TQ.com 62
3 Mitsubishi Motors UK 48
4 Revolution Wheels 41

PRESS RELEASE 21st April 2008

Mitsubishi off to a flying start

- Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship - Round One
- Pirelli Rally – 18th & 19th April 2008
- Guy Wilks dominates BRC season opener
- Phillip Morrow takes fourth place on works team debut
- Mitsubishi team claim fastest times on all stages

The Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team got the defence of its 2008 British Rally Championship campaign off to a flying start this weekend, when Guy Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh scored a resounding victory in round one, the Pirelli International Rally. Team-mates Phillip Morrow and Daniel Barritt also put in a great performance, finishing fourth overall in what was Morrow’s debut as a Mitsubishi works driver.

Starting and finishing in Carlisle, the Pirelli Rally featured four stages on Friday evening followed by a further ten on Saturday, all of the rally’s 105 competitive miles taking place over the demanding gravel roads in Kielder Forest.

With Wilks being the reigning British Champion he started the season as clear favourite, but against drivers such as three-times British Champion and his arch rival Mark Higgins, plus regular PWRC competitors Juho Hanninen and Patrik Flodin - and former British Champion David Higgins, the task of winning would not be easy.

However, Wilks was straight on the case and emerged from the first stage with a lead of 4.3 seconds ahead of Mark Higgins, who was followed by his brother David and then Hanninen. Morrow was fourth, having survived a big moment when he momentarily dropped his Mitsubishi into a ditch and although not losing much time, the incident knocked his confidence, especially as it was his first ever stage in the works Mitsubishi.

As Morrow collected his thoughts during the next three stages, Wilks forged ahead, although in the slippery conditions he too briefly dropped two wheels into one of Kielder’s infamous ditches on SS4.

As crews entered parc fermé for the overnight halt, the score-board revealed a perfect start for Wilks and, after winning every stage so far, he had pulled-out a lead of 24 seconds ahead of second-placed Hanninen. Mark and David Higgins followed, with Flodin fifth and Morrow sixth, who admitted he had checked his pace for the remainder of Friday’s stages.

After a good-night’s sleep, Morrow showed his potential on Saturday’s first test and went four seconds faster than anyone else. Wilks was second fastest on this occasion after finding that, as first car on the road, he was clearing loose gravel off the surface . With SS6 cancelled, the two Mitsubishis were again the fastest cars on the following stage and, when teams entered the first service halt of the day, Wilks had stretched his lead to 46 seconds ahead of Hanninen, who reported a heart-stopping top-gear spin in SS7. Morrow was now up to third and hunting down Mark Higgins, who was nearly a minute ahead.

SS8 saw Morrow start to get closer to his prey as the engine in Higgins’ car started to expire. But, on the very next stage, something went adrift in the transmission of Morrow’s car and he found himself without fourth and fifth gears. Although having to negotiate the next two stages before the service halt with just first, second and third, Morrow did well to drop just 20 seconds, but it meant that David Higgins had pulled in front.

As soon as Morrow reached the service area, the Mitsubishi team set about changing the gearbox and did so in an astonishing 18 minutes, which meant that no penalties were accrued by going beyond the 20 minutes of allocated service time.

With Morrow now 30 seconds ahead of Flodin and 10 seconds behind Higgins, he started the last loop of three stages aiming for third place, but mindful not to push too hard and that a finish was the most important item on the agenda for both him and the team.

After a determined but calculated run to the finish, the results showed that Morrow was only seven seconds behind Higgins and had consolidated his forth place. Wilks’ pace however was relentless and he crossed the line to take his second Pirelli Rally victory in succession – the first time this feat has been achieved since Malcolm Wilson scored back-to-back wins in 1979 and 1980. With a final margin of 65 seconds ahead of Hanninen, Wilks’ only concern during the day was the negotiation of a fallen tree on stage 11.

For the Mitsubishi team it was a great start to the season. Their attentions now turn to the second round of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship and the first asphalt event of the year, the Jim Clark Rally on 24th & 25th May.

The Mitsubishi Motors UK rally team is sponsored by Lovell Group and Virgin Money. It is also supported by its technical partners: Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo, and Performance Friction Brakes.

Team Quotes
Guy Wilks
“It’s great to carry on from where we left off. I immediately felt comfortable with the new car - and it ran perfectly from start to finish. Although we won by a significant margin the quality of the field meant that it was no foregone conclusion, so I’m very happy to have come out on top against such tough competition. I’m also pleased that things went according to plan. We pulled out a lead on Friday night and then, without taking risks, we were able to extend our advantage while others played catch-up on Saturday. A perfect start to the season.”

Philip Morrow
“I’m happy with fourth place. It would have been great to get onto the podium in my first event with the works team, but I didn’t want to push too hard and spoil things. Once I got over the moment on the first stage I was happy that I was able to stay on the pace and really pleased to take a fastest stage time. It was a shame about the gearbox, but the lads did an amazing job to change it so quickly. Overall I’m very satisfied with the way things went and pleased that it was such a successful weekend for the team.”

Paul Brigden
“I am delighted with the result. The weekend went really well for the whole team and to come away with a win and forth place - and leading the teams championship is a great start for us. What can you say about Guy? He drove a perfect rally. I’m also very pleased with Phillip’s performance. He used his head and pushed-on when he felt comfortable enough to do so. He overcame problems really well and I am sure he could have made it onto the podium. I must also praise the team for their work. It was another great job all-round. We now look forward to next event and the change to a tarmac surface.”

Pirelli International Rally - Results
1 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:31:32.9
2 Juho Hanninen/Mikko Markkula (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:32.38.4
3 David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Subaru Impreza N14) 1:34:13.7
4 Phillip Morrow/Daniel Barritt (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:34:21.1
5 Patrik Flodin/Goran Bergsten (Subaru Impreza) 1:35:05.7
6 Stuart Jones/Andy Bull (MG S2000) 1:35:25.8
7 Eyvind Brynildsen/Maria Andersson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:36:50.0
8 Jonathan Greer/Jonny Hart (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:38:15.3
9 Wyn Humfries/Robert Fagg (Subaru Impreza) 1:39:07.2
10 James Wozencroft/Chris Ridge (Subaru Impreza) 1:40:47.7

Championship positions

Drivers
1 Guy Wilks (GB) 20
2 Juho Hanninen (FIN) 18
3 David Higgins (GB) 16
4 Phillip Morrow (GB) 15
5 Patrik Flodin (S) 14
6 Stuart Jones (GB) 13
7 Eyvind Brynildsen (NO) 12
8 Jonathan Greer (GB) 11
9 Wyn Humphreys (GB) 10
10 James Wozencroft (GB) 9

Teams
1 Mitsubishi Motors UK 36
2 Team TQ.com 30
3 Atlas TEG Sport 29
4 Revolution Wheels 13

Photo Captions
Left: Guy Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh recorded a dominant victory for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team in round one of the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship, the Pirelli International Rally, which took place on 18th & 19th April (copyright free image).

Right: in their very first event for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team, Phillip Morrow and co-driver Daniel Barritt scored a hard-earned fourth place in round one of the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship, the Pirelli International Rally, which took place on 18th & 19th April (copyright free image).

Notes for Editors
Guy Wilks is 27 and lives in Darlington, Co. Durham.
Phil Pugh 36 is and lives in Tywyn, Gwynedd.
Phillip Morrow is 24 and lives in Lisburn.
Daniel Barritt is 27 and lives in Burnley.

PRESS RELEASE: 14th April 2008

The Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team commences the defence of its British Rally Championship drivers and teams titles this weekend, when its two works drivers Guy Wilks and Phillip Morrow contest the opening round, the Carlisle-based Pirelli Rally.

After a stunning year with the Mitsubishi team in 2007, recording five wins out of seven rounds, reigning British Champion Guy Wilks is back for a second season and has just one thing on his mind - to retain his and Mitsubishi’s crowns.

He is joined this year by 24-year old Ulsterman Phillip Morrow, who earned his seat with the works team after winning last year’s Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge, the highly competitive one-make series for Group N (production specification) Mitsubishi Lancers.

The team will be fielding two brand-new Lancer Evolution IXs and, although similar to last year’s cars, Mitsubishi is confident they will prove to be even more competitive this season.

In preparation for the Pirelli Rally and to ‘shake-down’ the freshly-built Lancers, the team spent two-days testing in Kielder Forest last week, where Wilks and Morrow got to grips with their new machinery.

“I felt at home with the Mitsubishi straight away and, having not driven on a forest stage since the Rally GB, I was pleased to be ‘on it’ right from the start of the test”, said Wilks. “Although the new car is basically the same as last year’s, by working with the team we made good progress with the set-ups. Although we mustn’t be complacent, I think we’ve got a fantastic chance of retaining our titles this season.”

The test also provided Morrow with his first opportunity to get behind the wheel of his manufacturer-backed Mitsubishi and, following an enlightening two-days he said:

“The works Lancer is superb. I felt comfortable with the package right from the word go, not just with the car, but the whole team. I was very pleased with the way the test went and it’s certainly made a difference to my confidence, going into my first ever event as a works-driver. Although I’m fired-up, I’m going to take a sensible approach and aim for a top three finish – and if things turn out better, then it’s a bonus.”

Also attending the test was Ralliart General Manager and the Mitsubishi UK Motorsport boss Paul Brigden, who was more than satisfied with the outcome:

“When you put two brand-new cars into a forest and drive them hard for the first time there’s always a moment of anxiety that things are going to go okay. But the test went very well and having started with the same set-up we used last year, we were able to make a number of improvements. I was impressed that Guy looked like he had never been away and how Phillip adapted to the works environment so quickly. We’re now looking forward to the first round and carrying on where we left off last year.”

For 2008 Wilks will continue to be partnered by his regular co-driver Phil Pugh. Morrow will be accompanied, as he has been on many occasions, by the experienced Daniel Barritt.

After four years as the chosen constructor for the Mitsubishi UK team, Chesterfield-based ADR Motorsport continue to build and prepare the works cars, plus provide the all-important on-event technical support throughout the season.
The Pirelli Rally starts and finishes in Carlisle and features 14 timed special stages, four on Friday evening and a further 10 on Saturday, totalling 105 competitive miles in the infamous Kielder Forest.

The team welcomes Lovell Group and Virgin Money as a new sponsors for 2008. They join the team’s technical partners: Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo, and Performance Friction Brakes.

PRESS RELEASE: 10th January 2008

Mitsubishi announces 2008 UK Works Rally Team line-up at Autosport International

- Guy Wilks confirmed for second season
- Phillip Morrow gets set for the ultimate prize drive
- Team confirms British Rally Championship entry with two new Lancer Evolution IXs

Photo From left to right: Phil Pugh, Guy Wilks, Phillip Morrow, Daniel Barritt

This year’s Autosport International sees Mitsubishi Motors UK announce its 2008 Works Rally Team line-up, with reigning British Champion Guy Wilks retained for a second season and joining the 2007 Evolution Challenge Champion Phillip Morrow for an assault on the British Rally Championship.

Following a stunning season with the Mitsubishi team last year, when he recorded five victories out of seven rounds, Wilks put himself well and truly in the frame for re-selection by the Cirencester-based Mitsubishi importers. Throughout the season, he was often comfortably the quickest driver in the field, having recorded more fastest-stage times than all of the other BRC drivers put together!

“I am delighted to be re-joining the Mitsubishi team”, said Wilks. “We had such a good season last year I could hardly say no! To be honest, 2007 was a bit of a learning curve for me in four-wheel-drive machinery, so now I know what to expect I am really looking forward to getting back into a Mitsubishi and carrying on from where I left off.”

Having also enjoyed a successful season in 2007, Phillip Morrow joins the team by virtue of him winning the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge – the highly competitive, one-make series for Group N Lancer Evolutions. After posting six victories in the first seven rounds, the young Ulsterman did not need to contest the final round, such was his command of the championship last year.

“After four years of competing in the Evo Challenge I am so pleased to have finally won it”, said Morrow. “And now, to take up what is the best prize in British motorsport and drive for a works team is just fantastic. In fact I still can’t believe it and it is only now being at the Autosport Show with the team that it is starting to sink in. I can’t wait to get the season underway!”

2008 sees the MMUK team’s fourth season in the British Championship and, having claimed the team’s title and finished first and third in the driver’s standings, Team Principal and General Manager for Ralliart Paul Brigden, says that the plan is to go one better this year.

“Of course it’s difficult to top last season, but we had our fair share of misfortune and, although there was no doubt that we had the quickest cars out there, we missed-out on a one-two result at the end of the year. Therefore, our goal for 2008 has to be to finish as many events as we can in first and second places and to end the year retaining the team’s title and occupying the top two places in the driver’s championship.”

For the 2008 season Wilks will continue to be partnered by his regular co-driver Phil Pugh, with Morrow accompanied by the experienced Daniel Barritt.

ADR Motorsport will continue to prepare and run the two works Lancers, one of which is on display on the Mitsubishi stand at the Autosport Show, the other currently being built in the company’s Chesterfield workshops.

The team welcomes Lovell Group and Virgin Money as new sponsors for 2008. They join the team’s technical supporters: Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo, and Performance Friction Brakes.

PRESS RELEASE: 2nd December 2007

Mitsubishi - Double British Champions!

Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship - Rounds Six and Seven

Wales Rally GB - 30th November, 1st & 2nd December 2007

- Mitsubishi Motors UK wins British Rally Championship Teams title

- Guy Wilks wins rounds six and seven to become British Rally Champion

- Gwyndaf Evans finishes third in British Championship

- Victory in PWRC category

It was a weekend to remember for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team, with Guy Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh winning rounds six and seven of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship to take victory in both the British Team’s and Driver’s titles on this weekend’s Wales Rally of Great Britain. Driving their Group N Lancer Evolution IX, they also dominated the Production World Rally Championship category ahead of some of the best Group N teams in the world.

Team-mates Gwyndaf Evans and Huw Lewis finished second in round six and, in doing so, helped secure the Team’s title, the result also seeing them claim third place in the BRC standings. And it would have surely been another one-two for Mitsubishi in round seven if it was not for impact damage following a hard landing causing their car’s transmission to expire on Saturday.

As well as the final round of the UK series, the Rally GB also hosted the final round of the World Rally Championship and therefore represented the year’s biggest challenge for BRC crews. With a total of 224 miles, the event being over twice the distance of a domestic international rally, British Championship organisers had split the event into two rounds, the first concluding after Friday’s initial leg of six stages and the second at the end of the event, following a further seven stages on Saturday and another four on Sunday.

As it has been all season, the battle for honours was between Wilks, Evans and their main championship rival Mark Higgins, the Rally GB set to decide the outcome of both the driver’s and team’s titles.

After a spectacular ceremonial start in Cardiff on Thursday evening, the rally got underway from Swansea early on Friday, with three stages in the Neath and Rhonda Valleys run once in the morning and again in the afternoon. With fog and rain on the agenda conditions were exceptionally tricky and it was destined to be a mixture of caution and bravery that would prove to be the order of the day.

At the service halt following the first trio of stages, the BRC leader-board showed Higgins six seconds ahead of Wilks, who was in-turn 10 seconds ahead of Evans. Both Mitsubishi drivers reported that despite the conditions all was going well except for experiencing a little too much oversteer. However, once the technicians had done their stuff, the two Lancers handled perfectly and Wilks emerged from SS4 just over a second ahead of Higgins.

Evans was also quicker and, when Higgins succumbed to a puncture on SS6 his fate was sealed. But in true rallying tradition, things are never that easy, as half way through the last stage of the day Wilks’ light pod removed itself from the front of his Mitsubishi, leaving him with only dipped-beam to negotiate the remaining eight miles of Rheola Forest in the dark and foggy conditions.

Although dropping time, Wilks returned to Swansea 3.2 seconds ahead of Evans, the team delighted to claim first and second in round six of the British Championship. The result meant that Mitsubishi had secured enough points to claim the British Team’s Championship and Wilks needing to finish third or higher in round seven to claim the Driver’s title. It also meant that for Evans a second British crown was now out of reach, but he was assured of third place, whatever happened during the next two days.

Such was the pace of the two red Evos, Wilks and Evans started day-two an impressive first and second in the PWRC class, ahead of all the regular Production World Rally Championship runners!

With the fog lifting, but the wind and rain increasing, conditions were little better for Saturday’s six stages in the forests on the Brecon Beacons. Needless to say, team tactics were to hold stations and for the initial loop of three stages that’s exactly what happened.

At the service halt in Swansea Wilks’ only problem appeared to be a soft brake pedal, but for Evans things were not quite so straight-forward. Having taken a jump in SS8 at high-speed, the resulting heavy impact on landing had damaged a number of components, the most significant being the transmission casings.

Although there appeared to be no change in his car’s handing, the mechanical injuries manifested themselves on stage 11, when Evans lost all gears on junction eight and frustratingly his car coasted to a halt.

Thankfully for Wilks, all went according to plan and he made it through the forests unscathed to the final test of the day, the spectacular indoor stage in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. And he didn’t disappoint, with a near perfect display of car control in front of 1000s of spectators.

Wilks finished the day 8.6 seconds ahead of Higgins in the British Championship standings (calculated from Saturday’s stage times only) and one-minute seven seconds ahead in the PWRC rankings, whilst holding a position of 14th overall.

With two runs through Brechfa and Trawscoed Forests, split by a mid-morning service in Swansea, Wilks headed-off for the final push on Sunday morning. Aiming to keep out of trouble and perhaps driving a too-steady pace, he struggled to find a rhythm in the first stage, but did by the second. In doing so, he extended his lead over Higgins – even following a heart-stopping moment when his car’s ignition master-switch shut itself off for no reason one-mile from the end of SS15.

With just routine checks at the service halt, the whole team held their breath whilst Wilks and Pugh negotiated a repeat of the morning’s two stages. But their fears were unfounded and following a trouble-free run they headed to Cardiff to win round seven of the British Championship by nearly a minute ahead of a troubled Higgins, where they received a Champion’s welcome on the WRC finishing ramp in front of hoards of spectators and the media.

After passing post-event scrutineering, to check the car’s conformity to the technical regulations, with flying colours, it was confirmed that Mitsubishi were the 2007 British Teams Champions. Wilks and Pugh were crowned British Rally Champions, having scored a maximum of 100 points during the season, for winning five events out of the seven rounds and the team won the final round of the Production World Rally Championship and finished this WRC qualifying event an impressive 14th overall. Not bad for a weekend’s work.

The Cirencester-based Mitsubishi Motors UK rally team is supported by HKS, Pirelli, Sparco, Speedline Corse, PIAA, Ricardo and Performance Friction Brakes. The team’s two Lancer Evolution IXs are built and run on events by ADR Motorsport of Chesterfield. Guy Wilks is supported by Mobil 1 and Sega Rally.

Guy Wilks:
What a result! It really means a lot to me to become British Champion – and to do it with five wins this season, plus beat all other PWRC competitors on this event, is a real bonus. I joined the Mitsubishi team this year knowing that their commitment and attitude to winning the British title was second to none. So, together with Gwyndaf I am delighted to be able to win the double for the team. I have to thank everyone for their support and hard work this season to enable Phil and I to achieve what we have done this year.”

Gwyndaf Evans
We were fully on course to make it a one-two for Mitsubishi in the BRC and PWRC, so it was a great disappointment not to finish. But you have to look at the bigger picture and I’m delighted that the work we did on Friday helped secure the Team’s title and allow us to claim third in the British Championship. I know how much this has meant to the whole team. I really must thank Mitsubishi for a great year and there is no doubting the commitment of everyone involved. I’ve have to admit that I have been pleased to still be on the pace of the championship front-runners, which means I’m now considering my options for 2008!

Paul Brigden – Team Principal & General Manager - Ralliart
This has been a superb weekend for the team and I am absolutely delighted to have secured both the Driver’s and Team’s titles. We have worked for this result over the past four years and to eventually achieve it is a great feeling. Although it wasn’t our priority, it was also satisfying to dominate the PWRC category as well. We’ve had a dream-team this year in Guy and Gwyndaf - both of them capable of winning the British title. We’ve now set the bar very high for next season. My thanks go not only to Guy, Phil, Gwyndaf and Huw for the jobs they have done in the cars, but to ADR Motorsport, our sponsors and supporters for what has been a fantastic season.

Wales Rally GB

Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship - Round Six Results
1 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:27:18.8
2 Gwyndaf Evans/Huw Lewis (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:27:22.0
3 Mark Higgins/Scott Martin (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 1:28:17.9
4 David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Subaru Impreza) 1:29:36.1
5 Wyn Humphreys/ Ally Mackay (Subaru Impreza) 1:41:20.3

Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship - Round Seven Results
1 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 2:17:04.9
2 Mark Higgins/Scott Martin (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 2:17:52.3
3 David Higgins/Ieuan Thomas (Subaru Impreza) 2:21:56.7
4 Wyn Humphreys/ Ally Mackay (Subaru Impreza) 2:30:16.0
5 Robert Swann/Darren Garrod (Subaru Impreza) 2:30:46.1

Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship - final positions

1 Guy Wilks 100
2 Mark Higgins 94
3 Gwyndaf Evans 75
4 Wyn Humphreys 72
5 Robert Swann 69
6 David Higgins 68
7 Darren Gass 53
8 Rob Gill 50
9 Phillip Morrow 46
10 James Wozencroft 40

Teams

1 Mitsubishi Motors UK Ralliart 230
2 Stobart TEG Sport 215
3 TQ.COM 196
4 Suzuki GB 181