JEA winner Ioan Lloyd gears up for 2022

Teenager Ioan Lloyd has his sights firmly set on the 2022 British Rally Championship – with help from the 2300 Club.
The 19-year-old from West Wales won the coveted John Easson Award last month, getting the vote from the club’s judging panel, led by Ian Grindrod, ahead of other finalists Billy Grew and James Lepley.
The award, which consists of £5000 in cash plus a £1,000 bonus for a championship class win, will pave the way for Ioan to make the step up to UK Rallying’s premier series.
He said: “I was delighted to have won the award for two reasons. I have huge admiration for John Easson’s accomplishments in road rallying’s golden era  of the Motoring News Championship, so it a great honour to receive the award that bears his name. The prize money will certainly make a big contribution towards our 2022 campaign, with this funding it will be much more comfortable to compete.”
John Cope, the new JEA manager said: “Ioan is a worthy winner of the John Easson Award and we sincerely hope that the financial input that it brings make a huge difference to his 2022 plans.”
Ioan and co-driver Sion Williams enjoyed a very successful season in the BTRDA Championship, winning the Rallye R2 Cup, the Junior R2 Cup and the R2 class in the Welsh Championship, driving a Peugeot 208.
And that hat-trick of titles has been the springboard to a move into the British Championship for 2022, with the intention of contesting the BRC Academy or the Junior BRC – depending on which car he has.
“The Peugeot is up for sale at the moment, and we’ve had several inquiries for it. If it sells, the team and I will be looking for a suitable Rally4 car to use,” added Ioan.
Despite his tender years, Ioan has been around the sport almost all his life, thanks to his dad Gareth, who runs the family business West Wales Rally Spares.
“I was watching rallying almost before I could walk, so I blame my dad entirely for my addiction!” joked Ioan, who works as a fabricator at WWRS.
“But dad has been very, very supportive of my career, and is part of the small team that look after the car – and me – at every rally.”
The four-man service crew consists of Gareth, co-driver Sion Williams’ dad Dylan, and  mechanic Richard Tadman.
“The whole team have been brilliant, and so much of our success last year was down to them. We had no mechanical retirements at all, which is testament to the work they put in. Luckily for me, they’re all on board again for 2022.
“I’m aware that it’s going to be a big step-up this year, but I’m really enjoying my rallying and feel  I’m getting better with each event I do, and ready to take on this new challenge.”