one step away for journalist
Franca Davenport finishes tough Cambrian Rally on the podium despite the fog and lack of lights London based journalist Franca Davenport emerged bleary-eyed but relieved from the navigators seat of the Castrol / Daily Telegraph Ford Fiesta to claim a second successive podium – this time on the Cambrian Rally (3 November) after battling through fog, wrecked cars and surviving the final night stage with no lights.
Co-driving for motorsport expert and Sky Sports’ presenter Tony Jardine, Franca Davenport is now on course to achieve her international rally status with Rally Ireland, the penultimate round of the World Rally Championship, as the prize. Davenport and Jardine will have to finish the Tempest Rally which is in less than a week’s time to gain the final vital signature to up-grade her licence.
The media duo were competing in the Cambrian Rally over the tough stages of Penmachno and Clocaenog forest, in North Wales, which were down to bedrock in parts badly gashing three Kumho tyre side walls, yet the tough tyres proved themselves and lost no pressure. Over a quarter of the field, of 130 cars, retired with at least ten cars suffering spectacular accidents and littering the course - the Castol / Daily Telegraph crew having to negotiate through the debris.
Olly Marshall the Managing Director of ProSpeed Motorsport who run the Castrol team was amazed by the severity of the stages and commented, “Tony even bent a front strut on the crater like surface when he was flat out in fifth gear. We were actually short of support as we were advised not to take our truck to the two service areas but to use our estate car instead as the emergency service vehicle. We had difficulty cramming in enough equipment, spares and staff which is why we couldn’t fit in the auxiliary light pod for the last stage and the crew literally had to drive blind. However, Andy Beale, a McLaren SLR development engineer, drove the emergency service vehicle and led the service team with never ending enthusiasm.”
Tony Jardine was impressed with Franca’s performance and said, “Franca continued to make great pace note calls despite the dark and thick fog on the final stage. To compound matters we were both blinded occasionally by the camera flash lights from hundreds of spectators who had made their way into the forests. Franca used a few expletives but ultimately kept her cool in very trying circumstances to guide us to a fantastic second in class finish. “Franca clearly benefited from her intensive training session with World Champion co-driver Robert Reid last week and continues to grow in confidence. With so many tight forest tracks and multiple note calling required in the mist this was a great test for the twisty tarmac of Ireland which could be just as misty and slippery in mid-November.”
The final stepping stone for Davenport to take her up to international status will take place at the Tempest Rally, based in Aldershot, next weekend (10 November). The pairing need to finish as Rally Ireland and the World Rally Championship beckons on 15 – 18 November.
