Jagger Wins Whangarei Extending Championship Lead
Monday 8 June 2009, 8:54AM
By Little Devil Entertainment
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Ben Jagger won the Group N 2WD class at this weekend's Rally of Whangarei extending his lead in the championship after winning two rounds in succession.
With just two rallies remaining his lead gives him a good opportunity to become this season's champion and with the fast pace he has been achieving along with consistency through the stages, he along with co-driver Ben Hawkins are looking strong.
"It doesn't get any better than this, winning on your home turf." said Jagger as he stepped out of the Seedforce Fiesta and onto the winner's podium today at the ceremonial finish.
Although a slow start to the rally had him over 20 seconds behind last year's champion Patrick Malley at the end of the first day, he was back on the pace for Sunday and at one point was sitting in 11th place overall amongst the four wheel drive cars.
A gearbox problem slowed Malley down pushing him out of contention for the lead and with Jagger on-fire on Sunday took the class win finishing 12th overall out of a field which included the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship and Vantage Aluminium Joinery NZ Rally Championship.
"We lacked a bit of confidence at the start of the rally and were playing it conservative rather than going hard and maybe off the road but after a while we picked up the pace." said Jagger.
"I wasn't quite in the zone to start with." he said.
The rally win has put Jagger into the lead with a provisional 201 points to second placed Malley on 141.
Malley lost points with his retirement at Otago in May but with the retirements of Dominik Unterberger and Daniel Harris this weekend clawed his way back up the points table to sit behind Jagger.
Rising Stars scholarship winner Ben Hunt has moved into third place after a strong drive at the NAC International Rally of Whangarei.
Ben Jagger and Ben Hawkins next head to the Rally of Wairarapa over the weekend of 18-19th July where another good result and preferably a third round win will put the team in good stead before the final at the Rally of Nelson in September.
"The win is good news and gives us valuable points towards the Rising Stars scheme too." he said.
Between the penultimate and final rounds of the Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship, Jagger and Hawkins will compete at the Possum Bourne Memorial Rally to earn points towards the Star Driver scheme which if they win could see them competing in the four wheel drive category in 2010.