News

Jagger steps up to four-wheel drive for 2010

Northland’s Ben Jagger will step up to the Group N four-wheel-drive class of the 2010 Vantage New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), thanks to the assistance of the Rally New Zealand Rising Stars programme.

Jagger had the strongest year of his young career in 2009, winning the Group N two-wheel drive class of the NZRC.  Then to top the season off, took away the Rising Stars Development award by impressing the Rally New Zealand judging panel and winning the driving test shoot-out.  He now receives a $50,000 running budget plus professional mentoring toward contesting the Group N four-wheel-drive production category of the 2010 championship.

“It (the Rising Stars Development prize) pretty much made our 2010 campaign, we wouldn’t be driving a four-wheel-drive without Rally New Zealand and the Rising Stars Development award, so it is huge for us to be able to make the step up,” said Jagger.
 
He will campaign the Subaru Impreza that Emma Gilmour has driven for the past two-and-a-half seasons – quite different to the Ford Fiesta ST he’s used to. “The power would have to be the major difference,” he explains, “It’s nice to have the power to get yourself out of trouble.”

With such a competitive field of 18 Group N four-wheel-drive cars for the NZRC, Jagger is keeping his expectations realistic for his debut season in the new car: “For this season the plan is to get as much seat time as possible and learn the limits of the car. Hopefully towards the end of the season we can be in the top five and then work upwards from there,” says the 20-year-old.

Apart from a private test day and one rallysprint, Jagger has not run the car and will make his four-wheel-drive debut at the Rally Otago from 10-11 April.  Having won his two-wheel-drive class the two previous times he has competed at Otago, Jagger is well experienced with the cresty roads and fast-flowing style.

“Last year Ben (Jagger) showed us that he is capable of mixing speed with a 100% finishing record that gave him a well deserved championship. He also proved to be the class-act of the Development section of the Rising Stars weekend,” said Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr.

“This year I am sure that when Ben gets up to speed he will be a force to be dealt with,” he adds.