....of British Rally Championship
Windsor based ITV F1 analyst Tony Jardine, and Ascot’s newest resident Daily Express sports reporter Bob McKenzie, will be teaming up again for the “Sprint” finish final round of the Kwik-Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship - the exacting Tempest Rally, based in Aldershot (4th-5th November). The duo will be reunited for the first time since they competed on the Jim Clark Rally in 2002.
This is the first time they will be paired in a powerful group A car - the Sportinglife.com Peugeot 206 run by Chris Moore of Innovation Motorsports. Moore is adding support from his RallySchool UK business, which operates rally days and tuition courses from its Tong base near Leeds, to give the media men the best car preparation possible in time for the tough event.
For Ascot resident McKenzie, being under the competitive spotlight is nothing new. He is the man who famously ran semi-naked around Silverstone in front of 100,000 people for charity just before the British G.P. after losing a bet with McLaren’s Ron Dennis. But this rally will be no jog, McKenzie knows he will need as much energy as that breathtaking day in July. “This rally is a flat out sprint.
The stages are of varying lengths and surfaces to keep you wary, which make it a very difficult rally. We have tough night stages over the notorious Ash Ranges and the complex forests of Warren Heath and Yateley Woods to thrash through the following day. I won’t just need stamina, I will need big bursts of energy to get me through….once I have chipped off the rust after my lay off.” For Windsor resident Jardine this is his first return to the forests since the Sunseeker Rally in February.
“After the demise of MG, who I used to drive for, I have spent weekends between Grands Prix racing rather than rallying. Now I am quite twitchy about the prospect of going flat out in fifth gear between the trees again, but at least my old mate Bob will be there to see me through. I just hope we are both up to it!” Situated just twenty five miles south of London, the 2005 Tempest Rally is the only international rally in the South of England. Held over two days and seventy stage miles, team boss Chris Moore thinks the media mates will need all their experience to get them home.
“They were 37th overall after four days and nights of snow and ice on the 1993 RAC Rally, which was quite a feat. They enjoy a good chemistry in the car, but they will also need it out of the car as they will be entertaining Express newspaper prize winners who will be enjoying a VIP rally visit on behalf of the Tempest organisers. Tony and Bob will also be giving the guests a few hot tips before they take their prize of tuition with us at RallySchool UK. I am sure they will achieve a good finish.” The Sportinglife.com Peugeot will be more powerful than the showroom category cars Jardine and McKenzie are used to.
Jardine will also be using Kumho Tyres for the first time. “ I am eager to try the Peugeot Cup car, especially as it has a six speed gearbox, but the Kumho tyres have an awesome reputation so I can’t wait to try them”, added Jardine.
