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| www.benjagger.co.nz |
Media Release
Monday 22nd August 2011
Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship 2011
Rally Hawkes Bay - FINAL ROUND
20-21st August 2011 |
| Jagger Denied Final Podium by Engine Blowout |
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Ben
Jagger and Ben Hawkins
image:
Little Devil Motorsport
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Ben
Jagger denied first podium of the season at Rally Hawkes Bay.
image: Euan Cameron
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Whangarei
driver Ben Jagger suffered a cruel twist of fate when on the very last
special stage of the final round of the New Zealand Rally Championship
the engine in his Subaru gave in denying him his first podium finish of
the season.
"We knew we were in trouble when the cockpit was filling with smoke
earlier on and we were having to keep topping the oil up between
stages. We were nursing it but the engine just gave up in the end."
Jagger and co-driver Ben Hawkins started in eighth place on Sunday
morning after finishing there after a fairly solid first day of the
rally. They were climbing up through the field of national contenders
stage by stage but were surprised to find they had reached third
position when told by a TV crew.
"We knew we were doing some good times but it was a TV crew who told us
we had moved up to third place when they came to interview us at the
end of one of the stages." said Jagger.
A third place would have been the pair's first podium finish since
moving up into the four wheel drive category last year after winning
the two wheel drive national title in 2009.
But motorsport can be a cruel game and anything can happen before
crossing the finish line with Jagger's fruitful day turned on it's head
just kilometres away from the end.
However 2011 has been a strong season for Jagger and Hawkins although
suffering two significant retirements hindering their progress up the
standings, one at Rally NZ with a broken gearbox and this weekend's
blown engine. A new points structure rewards finishing a rally and
penalises harshly when you don't.
With a marked improvement on 2010 where they finished 15th, the pair
can be happy with finishing well inside the top 10 placing ninth in
their second season in the four wheel drive class.
At the end of the season last year, Jagger and Hawkins went on to claim
victory at their home event Rally of the Far North.
The well earned victory with quick and consistent stage times was just
what the "Two Bens" were looking for with which to complete what was at
times a very difficult debut season in the new SeedForce Subaru Impreza
WRX.
This coming October 15th the pair will attempt a repeat rally win in
front of their local supporters.
"This year the car has been performing very well and we have been very
happy with it. We'll have to do something about getting our engine
sorted before Rally of the North so we can defend our title." said
Jagger.
Richard Mason took overall honours in the Brian Green Property Group
New Zealand Rally Championship claiming his third title in the national
competition.
Emma Gilmour finished in second place ahead of Hayden Paddon who
competed just three of the five rounds in the series due to clashes on
the calendar as he competes in the Production World Rally Championship
which he currently leads.
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Further information
regarding Ben Jagger and the SeedForce Subaru Impreza WRX
is available at www.benjagger.co.nz.
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