The Jardine Lloyd Thompson supported MSA Gravel Rally Championship team had a great result on the opening round of the Championship, the Sunseeker Rallye based in Bournemouth on Friday/Saturday 23/24th February.
John Lloyd and Pauline Gullick driving the Ford Focus WRC scored a class win, finishing seventh overall on this one of Lloyd’s favourite rallies. It was a steep learning curve for Lloyd who was driving the Focus, which is run by Geoff Jones Motorsport for the first time in anger.
“On the opening stage in Bournemouth on Friday evening I was concentrating on driving the Focus and wondering why I could not see in the very wet, dark conditions, it was at the end of the stage I realised that I did not have my headlights on. I still did not feel that the second run through the parkland and along the promenade was much quicker and I was amazed to find that we were third quickest on that stage and were lying fifth overall. This is an amazing car to drive and it is a long time since I have enjoyed myself so much on an event. I am very pleased to have won the class and finish in seventh place and am now looking forward to the season ahead,” said John Lloyd.
Teammates Andrew Barnes and Neil Dashfield driving a Group N Subaru Impreza also had a trouble free run and finished 5th overall in the Subaru Group N Trophy and 21st overall in Group N.
Both cars are run by Geoff Jones Motorsport and were using Yokohama Tyres.
The event was won by Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery driving a Hyundai Accent WRC.
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