Jimmy McRae is returning to New Zealand this weekend to compete on the Silver Fern Rally based in South Island. McRae has unfinished business on this event which he entered in 2006. "This is a fantastic rally offering around 1200kms of high speed special stages on some of the best roads rallying can offer. Fifty four cars, drivers and co-drivers, their teams, dozens of event officials and hundreds of volunteers will all be in South Island for the 2008 Silver Fern International Marathon Rally which is held over 8 days. It is the longest duration motor-sport event currently taking place in NZ, and takes its roots from the Silver Fern and Heatway Rallies of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s." said Jimmy McRae.
McRae will head the Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) supported RS1800 Ford Escorts which have been prepared by Bryce Biggs and Neil Allport Motorsport. Pauline Gullick will be co-driving for McRae. Kumho Tyres and Revolution Wheels are also supporting the McRae Escort which has been seeded at number two in the running order behind the Escort of Brian Stokes who won the event in 2006.
The second team car will be driven by Andrew Barnes, Deputy Chairman of Lloyd and Partners whose previous marathon experience is competing on the Safari Classic Marathon Rallies where he finished fourth overall in 2003. Guy Simmons will be partnering Barnes. "This is a legendary event and I am looking forward to my first visit to New Zealand and driving over those famous stages", said Andrew Barnes.
The Auckland office of JLT will be joining the rally team during testing prior to the event and entertaining key clients with the opportunity of passenger rides alongside Jimmy McRae and Andrew Barnes. To promote the JLT business in New Zealand the Escorts will be carrying the JLT Transport decal stating Specialist Insurance Provider to the Transport Industry.
The October 16th - 23rd 2008 event, will start in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square, and take competitors south to Queenstown, Dunedin, and Invercargill, back to Dunedin, Timaru and Christchurch before finishing at the new Marlborough Convention Centre in Blenheim.
For event details, route maps & the latest info on the rally visit:-
www.silverfernrally.co.nz
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