The 2023 Defender Rally Series by Bowler kicks off at Walters Arena with first championship rounds

This past weekend, the 2023 Defender Rally Series by Bowler and the 2023 Bowler Defender Baja Championship kicked off at Walters Arena. New and returning Bowler Defender Rally teams were introduced to a new competitive safari course layout at Walters Arena near Neath, Wales, during the combined first round.

The Defender Rally Series by Bowler Championship is comprised of 7 competitive rounds in identically-modified Bowler Defender rally vehicles and is designed for both novices and seasoned competitors. The Defender Rally Series returns for its second season, presenting competitors with different rally formats at each round, such as comp safari, hill rally, gravel stage rallies and events which include night stages. The new Bowler Defender Baja Championship for 2023 is open to contestants who competed in the previous year’s UK Championship and expands on the competitors’ year 1 skills and experience. The series includes five competitions in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Iceland. Throughout the season, participants will encounter much longer stages, new surface conditions and varying climates. They will compete once more in identically modified Bowler Defender rally cars.

The combined opening round for both series at Walters Arena began where the 2022 season concluded. Drivers were exposed to a variety of driving scenarios due to the arena’s diverse terrain and surface characteristics. The conditions did not disappoint, with grip levels dramatically fluctuating over the two days of competition. The top four drivers posted fastest laps within three seconds of one another on the opening day. The top two drivers finished the first day with identical average lap times of 11 minutes and 11 seconds. Jason Seddon and John Tomley endured an incident that resulted in their vehicle leaving the track. The Bowler tech team quickly repaired the damage and the duo were back out targeting their lap times. On the first day, returning driver Gary Bulley and new navigator Lise Solie overcame a number of vehicle obstacles in preparation for posting consistent times the next day.

On the second day of the Baja Championship, the leading teams again competed for the fastest lap times. Dave Beecroft, partnered with Fraser Parish, surpassed his brother Dan and his co-driver Barney Gillespie in the on-track sibling rivalry. Lee Caroline and his navigator Aaron Burch, were in close pursuit, having produced the quickest overall lap the day before. Although with consistent lap times, Frazer Williams and Paul Chambers were eliminated from podium contention by puncture and severely damaged wheel rim. Whilst closing up on the lead, Beecroft and Gillespie suffered an early puncture, leaving them in third place overall despite quickly answering with the fastest lap time (10:48). Caroline/Burch’s determined effort earned them second place overall, surpassing Beecroft and Gillespie. The in-form duo of Beecroft and Parish also had a flat tyre, but they pressed on nevertheless, losing only four seconds from their previous lap time. Overall, the pair finished 1 minute and 40 seconds ahead of the competition to claim the first round title.

In the first-year class of the 2023 Defender Rally series there was also plenty of activity. Friday saw the competitors introduced to their Bowler-modified rally Defenders for the first time, and focused setting the car up and getting fully acclimatised. Saturday continued the training with a further opportunity to acclimatise to their new vehicles and course; working with the Bowler technical team to prepare their vehicles for Sunday’s competition. With each fresh pairing permitted to complete 20 laps over the course of the weekend, the teams had ample opportunity to familiarise themselves with their cars and the track conditions. The first few circuits of the race were conducted on a surface made slippery by moisture from the previous night, posing an additional obstacle for the drivers and co-drivers. New international entrants Jorma Jokela and Janne Jokela set the early pace and maintained it throughout the day. Chris Cumming, the co-driver who won the title last season, teamed up with off-road motorcycle racer Vanessa Ruck (@thegirlonabike) as she began her career in rally driving. Ruck’s maiden competitive rally drive, after completing her BARS licence late last year, resulted in a third-place overall finish at the competition. Christina Dobloug, who was also returning to the UK Championship, teamed up with the veteran Dave Hooper to take on Walters Arena. Last year, an incident at the same venue derailed Christina’s 2022 challenge, but disciplined driving and solid collaboration resulted in steady, smooth lap times that gave the pair second place overall – a fantastic achievement. With the victory of Jokela/Jokela, the championship advances to the next round, where all three teams are capable of winning.

Calum McKechnie, general manager of Bowler, remarked, “It’s been amazing to get the 2023 racing season underway at Walters Arena. There was outstanding competition throughout the entire field, from returning veterans to individuals bringing their vehicle out for the first time. The Baja Championship was incredibly tight, with four different teams posting the weekend’s fastest laps. Congrats to Dave Beecroft and Fraser Parish on their victory in their respective class this weekend. For our year 1 participants, launching their bid for the Defender Rally Series By Bowler, it has been a fantastic learning curve – from their first run in the car to their final laps of pursuing the podium. Excellent driving, and it’s great to see lap times improve with each lap. Congratulations to the Jorma and Janne on their first victory – we look forward to many more! Lastly, I’d like to thank our sponsors Tata Elxsi and Castrol for their support of this year’s championships – we’re looking forward to next month’s competition!“

The next round of the Defender Rally Series by Bowler will take place at the Rally Nuts Stage Rally in Builth Wells. This 44-mile gravel stage competition takes place on April 15, 2023. The next round of the European series is scheduled for April 29-30 in Gatinais, France. This will be the first Championship event held overseas.