Starring ITV duo Tony Jardine & Lee McKenzie T
The only true all British team competing in the 2004 Wales Rally GB (16-19 September), featuring the ITV pairing of F1 analyst Tony Jardine and Speed Sunday presenter Lee McKenzie, overcame a dramatic start to this year’s event, battling against adverse weather conditions and technical difficulties on the first day of one of the toughest rally’s in the world.
The action began for the Sportinglife.com / MG team at Cardiff’s Super Special Stage on Thursday evening, with the MG ZR of Jardine and McKenzie experiencing engine problems. Friday morning marked the start of leg 1, with the rough opening stages shaking the bones of the whole car, resulting in a broken strut, damaged back axel and failing front windscreen heating. With no service for four stages, Jardine and McKenzie were forced to work underneath the car to make temporary repairs.
Having nursed the MG ZR over 64 km, the ITV duo were relieved to reach the first service stop. The mechanics transformed the Sportinglife.com showroom class MG into a new car, enabling Jardine and Mckenzine to set some respectable times over the remaining stages of the first leg, to finish the day 53rd overall and 1st in class. The Sportinglife.com / MG team got off to a flyer at the start of Leg 1 on Saturday morning. The MG ZR was firing on all cylinders, with Jardine and McKenzie finding a great rhythm.
However, conditions on the Welsh stages were slick and treacherous resulting in the car flying off the track into a soft bank rising up to six foot. With the MG wedged between sawn down tree trunks, co-driver McKenzie ran off to find help and returned with five willing marshals, who eventually hauled the car out of trouble. Having lost over seven minutes time as a result of the big shunt, the ITV pairing dropped from a strong position to the back of the pack, but still leading the Group N3 class and placed as a very respectable 18th amateur overall. Jardine and McKenzie had built a reputation as the king and queen of comedy drama.
The final leg of the Wales Rally GB on Sunday would see misfortune continue for the ITV duo.
Jardine lost his balaclava, the helmet intercom system was refusing to work and they arrived to the first start point five seconds late. Luckily both driver and co-driver could see the funny side. It was the last day and the Sportinglife.com / MG team were determined to finish on a high. Jardine and McKenzie were pushing their Michelin shod MG ZR to the limit, clawing back an impressive 1 minute 20 seconds to overtake the four wheel drive Mitsubishi in front. The ITV duo completed the event in style, finishing 41st overall and an impressive 1st in class. McKenzie, from Ayr in Scotland, summed up her emotions:
“It’s the most fantastic achievement. I’ve really got the rally bug now. I experienced my first crash in a rally car, but the worrying thing is I found it exciting. You realise a dream has been fulfilled once you cross the finish line - It’s a feeling I will never forget.” Jardine was full of praise for the Sportinglife.com / MG team, commenting: “It was a real team effort and an extraordinary achievement for everyone involved. This is probably the toughest motorsport event in the world. The MG mechanics have done an amazing job.
Lee (McKenzie) has got stronger and stronger, and we benefited from Robert Reid’s (Richard Burns World Champion co-driver) vast experience, as he has been the perfect mentor for McKenzie”.
