Ford becomes third manufacturer to sign-up with BRC

Just hours before the start of the opening round of the MSA British Rally Championship – the Rallye Sunseeker International – Ford confirmed that it will enter the MSA British Rally Manufacturers’ Championship. Ford joins Renault and Citroen – who have already registered – to make it a three-way battle between the brands for the 2012 season.

Points for the Manufacturers’ Championship will be established by the two highest-finishing cars of each marque overall, which means that any of the crews in Fiestas registered for the BRC will have the potential of helping Ford win the title.

“This is great news and I am delighted that Ford has decided to join the BRC”, said Championship Manager Mark Taylor. “It further underlines that our decision to keep in-step with current trends by making the championship eligible for modern-day, front-wheel-drive cars, is the right one. I am also pleased for our teams, who will now have an even greater opportunity to represent the manufacturer of the car they are driving.”

Whilst Ford continues to compete at world level with its WRC team, it also has a rich heritage within the British Rally Championship, with its cars winning the title 18-times since the Championship began in 1958 and therefore, has recorded more victories than any other manufacturer. The last time an official Ford entry won the title was in 1996, when Gwyndaf Evans and Howard Davies claimed the accolade driving an F2 Escort RS2000.