Current Rookie and Junior New Zealand Rally Champion, Matt Jansen, and Co-driver Jason Farmer, have successfully completed their first World Rally Championship event together – last weekend’s 40th Rally New Zealand – May 6th to 9th.
They steered their MITECH Welders-backed Subaru safely through all 21 stages, covering almost 400 kilometres of arguably the best rally roads in the world, to finish a very meritorious 23rd overall of the 54 starters – 38 finishers and 10th in the NZRC field.
“We are rapt to have done the whole event,” said Matt, “and although, like everyone else, we had our share of dramas and issues along the way, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience of our first WRC rally together.”
The mandatory Pirelli tyres, that all 4WD cars must use, proved the most challenging issue, as they are much heavier than the Dunlops normally fitted to the MITECH Subaru.
“The tyres had quite an effect on the setup of the car,” said Matt, “and carrying the second spare upset the balance of the car and significantly affected brake wear.”
“However we finished the rally without a scratch, which is a whole lot more that can be said for some of the cars we saw parked up in stages we went through for a second time – there was even one suspended in a tree…..”
“It was also amazing to see the lines being taken by the WRC cars – Geez, they cut the corners so much, they are off the road more than they are on it……There is simply no way we could take those sorts of lines without risking serious damage.’
“That has to be one of the highlights for me, and clearly shows why their stage times are so much faster than ours.”
“That Whaanga Coast stage is just awesome and could be considered the real rally winner this year, as it yet again proved too much for so many, including the last two World Rally Champions – Petter Solberg and Sebastien Loeb – the latter both times…”
The Pmtmotorsport team now return to their base in Christchurch to prepare for the other international rally on this year’s calendar – the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship Rally of Whangarei, at the start of July.
– Credit: www.chrissport.co.nz; Image Credit: Euan Cameron.