The Motorsport UK British Rally Championship will embark on a new journey next weekend as the series heads for the blisteringly fast closed-roads of west Wales and two-days of flat-out action at the Get Connected Rali Ceredigion on September 3-4.

The Aberystwyth based event enters the BRC calendar for the first time and hosts the fifth round of the series, after an impressive inaugural running in 2019.

The event returns complete with a star-studded entry list and an top-line roster of championships, all eager to sample some of the finest sealed surface roads in the UK.

In a tightly packed schedule, crews will kick off with a ground-breaking double run around Aberystwyth town centre before heading out onto the undulating moorland roads for 14 competitive miles on Saturday evening under fading light.

Sunday hosts the bulk of the mileage with the mammoth 17-mile Llanfihangel stage to start the day, with a further three tests before service. A repeat of the morning's loop gives a total of 71 miles in the leg, a tough test for the BRC1, Junior BRC and National Rally title protagonists.

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After back-to-back rounds on gravel, the championship returns to asphalt for its third and final sealed surface encounter of the season and there is a fascinating battle for BRC1 honours developing, with former champions and eager hopefuls ready to fight for the prestigious title.

Leading the charge is four-time BRC champion, Keith Cronin.

On paper his points advantage is significant but when dropped scores come into play it's level pegging with 2021 runner-up Osian Pryce from Machynlleth.

The duelling Volkswagen Polo GTi pilots have offered up a fabulous contest on both surfaces with each driver taking two wins apiece.

In the pound seat for Rali Ceredigion is Pryce and co-driver Noel O’Sullivan.

While being on home soil is not a huge advantage on the uncharted roads, Pryce was rally winner in 2019 so his previous experience will undoubtedly put him in good stead for a top result in the Michelin-shod Polo.

Cronin’s and Mikie Galvin’s Grampian win came at just the right time though and a swap to Pirelli rubber in the early part of the season has ensured the fight for maximum points is as exciting as ever. However, you don’t have to dig much deeper to see who could usurp the Volkswagen domination in 2022.

Ruairi Bell and Max Freeman have shown an incredible pace in their Skoda Fabia, pushing Cronin, and beating Pryce in Scotland but have also had their fair share of bad luck with two zero scores. An asphalt win on a non-championship round early in the year underlines their speed and are well placed for a maiden BRC win.

As is James Williams, also searching for that elusive British Championship victory. His Hyundai i20 has suffered a few teething issues which have held him and co-driver Dai Roberts back through the season, but the ever-resilient Welsh pairing have the bit between their teeth after some strong stage times against the odds.

In 2019, Jason Pritchard took third overall in a Ford Escort MK2 at Rali Ceredigion and entertained the crowds with the tail-happy machine. This time around he is equipped with a Volkswagen Polo GTi, and he and Phil Clarke would be happy with a repeat result.