After a nip and tuck 2022 Junior British Rally Championship season, Northern Ireland’s Kyle White will return to the series this year in a bid to finally take the coveted title.
It arguably feels like a long road trodden for the 26-year-old, having led the championship standings in the first half of 2021 before falling down the leaderboard. Using the older specification Peugeot 208 R2 meant he was on the back foot for most of the year, but still kept the Rally4 spec machinery honest over the course of the season.
An upgrade in 2022, saw White and regular co-driver Sean Topping step into an all-new Peugeot 208 Rally4, levelling out the battle for the top spot. He was rarely out of the podium all season and his maiden JBRC victory came at the Nicky Grist Stages.
He couldn’t quite match eventual winner Eamonn Kelly’s consistency though, meaning third in the championship was the result. But now White is back and ready for a fresh start.
“I’m really excited to be back and part of this fantastic championship, the new format was instrumental in our decision to come back and compete at the highest level” he says.
“Unfortunately last year we were hit with a huge amount of back luck, we also couldn’t find a setup that worked but with some testing over the winter we have finally got the car working and feel ready to tackle the year ahead”.
With the rivalry expected to be tough, White will have to draw on all his knowledge to take the honours.
“I feel we are in a great position going into 2023 in that the car is feeling very good, there are a lot of new rallies like the Malcom Wilson, Ypres but I like that sort of challenge and will grab it by the horns, I will enjoy every minute of it! I have been twice a bridesmaid and although there is some huge competition, I hope to change that this year.”
