After a successful Cambrian Rally in 2023 which saw Ollie Mellors bring his Proton Iriz Rally2 home on the BRC podium, the Derbyshire driver will embark on a full season with the Mellors Elliot Motorsport squad.
Mellors and co-driver Ian Windress clinched a confidence-boosting second place on his first gravel event since February 2022, having spent much of the last few seasons competing in events in mainland Europe.
A revised BRC calendar and impressive media package gave the Bakewell driver a renewed interest in the series in which he has competed many times over the last eight years and he is impressed by the quality of entry to the opening round, the North West Stages.
“It really seems like the BRC has got back to a place where it used to be and it made total sense for us to look at doing the series this year” he said.
“We are aiming for a full campaign but are looking for support to do the season, but going head-to-head with the names on the entry list will be great to experience. It’s nice to bring the Proton back to the BRC as well. We were involved with the Satria back in 2016 so the Iriz does feel like it belongs here too. It won’t be easy, but we will be doing our best for sure”.
Mellors spent much of 2022 in France, tackling national asphalt rounds in the Iriz. He also represented Great Britain in the FIA Motorsport Games, returning across the channel in 2023, scooping a rally win at Fourmies en Avesnois.
“I guess we won’t really know what our pace is like until the end of the first stage but I have done plenty of asphalt over the last few years so it should suit me and the car. I haven’t done the North West Stages before so we don’t know how what’s in store, but it’s certainly a sprint event so we need to be strong from the outset. I`m looking forward to it and rallying back in the UK again.”
