Sports car turned Rally Car victim to Rallye Sunseeker Mechanical failure causes Ginetta G20 GTR to retire on stage four Sky
Sports broadcaster Tony Jardine and Sean Moriarty of Motorsport News have fallen victim to the Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth – the opening round of the prestigious MSA Gravel Rally Championship. The media duo hit problems in their Sportinglife.com sponsored Ginetta G20 GTR half way through stage four when the steering track rod end pulled out, meaning all steering control was lost, bringing the car to an abrupt halt.
The service team managed to make emergency repairs on site so that the Ginetta could make it back to the service area in Poole. Once back in service, the team dealt with the problem in just ten minutes, although so much time had been lost from stopping in the middle of SS4 the sports car turned rally car was forced to retire.
The event was finally won by Marcus Dodd in a Hyundai Accent WRC car, over a minute ahead of nearest competitor Steve Perez. Still under the early stages of development to transform it from a sports car into a fully fledged rally machine, and with only one rally finish under its belt so far, the Sportinglife.com backed Ginetta G20 GTR is proving to be a real head-turner whenever it competes.
With its rear wheel drive and long front end, it made a refreshing change for the spectators and a unique opportunity to see a sports car competing against normal rally cars. The Ginetta G20 GTR commanded attention even during the road sections between stages, with every single passer by stopping in their tracks to stare at the distinctive and unusual rally car.
Most spectators explained what a great difference it was to see such a car competing in the rally, with many choosing to pose for photographs in front of it, creating a real buzz in the service area.
“After a promising start to the rally it is a disappointing end for our sports car debut,” driver Jardine commented, “Our steering failed at the end of a long straight, under heavy breaking, and we suddenly veered off to the right. I’m just glad it didn’t happen earlier on during the straight when we were travelling at much higher speeds, which would have shot us into the trees.” Flying though the first two floodlit stages on Friday night in front of thousands of excited rally fans, down the Winter Gardens and along the Bournemouth promenade, the sports car wowed the crowds who had gathered to watch the spectacle. Still adjusting to the Ginetta after competing in Rally Norway a week before in a Ford Fiesta ST, driver Jardine almost landed the Ginetta on the beach just minutes into the event.
Miscalculating a chicane along the Bournemouth promenade and narrowly missing the barriers, Jardine eventually managed to lose just a few seconds before he was back on track. After retiring from the official event on Saturday morning, the Ginetta G20 GTR was permitted to compete in the two spectator stages in Somerley Park, home to event patron Lord Normanton.
Receiving rapturous applause as it flew through the country park, the small sports car proved that it has the potential to be equally as thrilling on a rally stage as it is on a race track. McLaren engineer Andy Beale, who was assisting with servicing the Ginetta G20 GTR at Rallye Sunseeker, said, “The car is only in the early stages of development to bring it up to rally level, but it is still a shame that Tony and Sean were unable to bring it to its second ever rally finish.
I look forward to seeing it at its next rally, where I’m sure it will gather as much attention as it did in Bournemouth.” Co-driver Moriarty ended, “I was looking forward to competing in the Ginetta G20 GTR, and it’s disappointing that mechanical problems hit us so early on into the event. The two stages we were allowed to compete in after retiring proved that the car has the ability to be competitive on a rally, and on our second run in Somerley Park we were flying.”
