AND JOINS TOP RALLY TEAM
TV man to get ride of his life in most powerful car he has driven.
Tony Jardine is bracing himself for the ride his life driving a top car for a top team, Geoff Jones Motorsport of Machynlleth in Powys, Wales. The media man from Ascot will drive a Prodrive built 300 bhp four wheel drive Subaru Impreza for championship winning driver and rally preparation expert Geoff Jones. This is the most powerful state-of-the-art rally car Jardine has ever driven.
Helping Jardine achieve his ambition are Sportinglife.com and Kumho tyres but he will be partnered for the second successive Rallye Sunseeker by recently appointed Motorsport News Editor, Jim Holder. Jim will be navigating as the pair tackle 15 stages comprising 70 miles of south coast forest for this the most professional yet traditional opening round of the MSA National Gravel Championship, the famous Rallye Sunseeker (24-25 February) centred in Bournemouth, celebrating it’s 21st successful year.
In awe of the car and his new team boss, former Grand Prix Team Manager and F1 expert Tony Jardine went to the busy Geoff Jones workshops and on into the Dovey forests surrounding Machynlleth to sample the raw Subaru power with Geoff himself beside him in preparation for the biggest rally in the South of Britain.
Geoff Jones said, “ He had a good feeling with the car immediately. I had to brace myself a couple of times as he nearly ran out of road but that was because he was getting used to the amazing traction and sheer power that he has never experienced before. It is part of what we do in our business, help people with less experience, and develop their potential to whatever level they want to go. Tony will definitely benefit from our approach but his enthusiasm and car control are already at a high level.”
When navigator Jim Holder was told that the media crew were to get the chance to drive a nearly new Subaru with all the latest electronic gadgetry developed by Prodrive - the same company that run the World Championship cars for Petter Solberg, he lost his breath. “At the time I had to suck in air quickly and then shouted down the phone to Tony,’ Can we handle it’? “ Tony Jardine’s response had been to laugh nervously, but following the critical test in the Welsh forest last weekend he became quite analytical.
“The car is a serious piece of kit. It was an awesome experience and we cannot thank Geoff enough for giving us this chance. He calmly guided me through a mind-blowing turbo charged four wheel driven electronic projectile thrill. The Impreza was state-of-the-art. We even had to rehearse launch control starts by pressing a series of buttons that propel the car off the line like a rocket. F1 cars don’t even have these gizmos any more, they have been banned!”
Geoff Jones added, “Tony and Jim need to build their speed and confidence next weekend or they could go off in a big way. This car is a top British Rally Championship car which will be driven next month by John Lloyd. I really want them to enjoy the day but I also would like the car back in one piece!” Jones will over see his operation in Bournemouth but because of the demands made on him as a test driver he will also pilot the latest Subaru Cup car from Prodrive in the event, running close to Jardine so they can service together and talk on the radio between stages.
In addition the team will enlist the freelance services of McLaren supercar technician Andy Beale who will be working on his second rally with Jardine and Sportinglife.com. The Lightwater man was delighted to be making a reappearance, “I really enjoyed the Roger Albert Clark Rally working with Tony last November. Despite the numbing cold I learned a lot and can’t wait to get my hands on the Subaru.” Jones has many championships under his belt but in the last five years he has built up his rally preparation business in Wales. He is ideally placed for test and development work and indeed frequently helps companies such as Prodrive or indeed Nissan when he helped develop the Micra and even worked with them on Paris Dakar in 2004.
A Geoff Jones Motorsport car won as recently as 11 February when John Ingram won the first round of the BTRDA Championship in a World Rally Ford Focus. There will be no less than fifteen World Rally Cars starting the Sunseeker on Friday night (24 February) over the first two floodlit stages of the Winter Gardens and out along the Bournemouth promenade where thousands of people will be spectating. There are six former and current British Champions on the entry list and twenty two other four wheel drive turbo charged cars in the production category for Jim Holder and Tony Jardine to challenge. Once they get over their nerves they need to do a top job for a top team to tame the turbo charged Subaru and guide it to the finish in one piece. Jardine will have truly achieved his ambition.
