Jagger Predicts Top 10 Finish at Home Rally After Successful Test Session

Following his Top 10 finish at Rally Wairarapa in May Ben Jagger believes he has the goods to once again make the grade this weekend at Rally Whangarei besides the fact that the event includes drivers from other countries competing the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

"We had a really good test session before this weekend with Richard Mason coming to lend us a hand on coming to grips with the SeedForce WRX Impreza's suspension package. Now I know exactly how to read it and get the best results out of it." said Jagger.

Fellow Subaru driver and two time New Zealand Rally Champion Richard Mason offered the Whangarei driver plenty of insight into how to set up his car but was not willing to part with all of his secrets.

"Richard uses a different suspension package than we do and was happy to show us all about our own and how to get the best out of it but didn't let on too much about how he sets his own car up."

This weekend's International Rally Whangarei is the jewel in the crown for the New Zealand Rally Championship where it shares it's fourth round of the season with the FIA's Asia Pacific Rally Championship attracting drivers and teams from around the world to compete in the Pacific region.

Past World Rally Championship drivers Alister McRae from Scotland and Australian Chris Atkinson are two of the headliners both driving for the Proton team and are joined by current leader in the Production World Rally Championship Hayden Paddon who returns to his home of New Zealand this weekend specifically for the national championship before heading to Rally Finland.

The Geraldine driver will pick up after a one round sabbatical in the NZRC where he relinquished the lead to Richard Mason and will be looking to recover the ground lost this weekend.

But Whangarei local Ben Jagger is unswerved in his goal for the weekend of achieving a top 10 finish at his home event albeit amongst a fleet of national and international competitors. The 21 year old believes that he along with co-driver Ben Hawkins can mix it with the best of them on the Northland roads which he classes as his favourite.

"I'm feeling pretty confident we have a car which has never felt better and is working the way I want it to. I'm really looking forward to the weekend and getting a good result for our supporters up here at our home event." he said.

Ben Jagger currently sits ninth in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship and second in the Junior competition behind Nelson's Ben Hunt.

The on-road action gets underway on Saturday morning with the expected 76 rally cars leaving Whangarei's Town Basin heading out to where they will compete on stages as far south as Maungatoroto including passes over the iconic Hella Bridge just north of Paparoa -a favourite spectators viewing point.

Twice the competitors will contest the super special stage at Pohe Island in Whangarei on Saturday where local Lions Clubs are hosting a family day complete with entertainment and challenges for all to enjoy between the two runs where the first cars are scheduled for 11.27am and 3.49pm.

On Sunday the cars once again head out south of the city to contest the second leg of special stages returning in time for the Rally finish and ceremony presentations beginning at 3.30pm at the Town Basin.

Maps, spectator tickets and information can be picked up from the rally headquarters, corner Dent Street and Quayside Way or from Salut Bar and Brasserie, 69 Bank Street. More information can be found at www.rallywhangarei.co.nz