Cave aims to shine in the sun
Tom Cave will start his 2012 MSA British Rally Championship campaign next weekend, when he embarks on the season opener, Rallye Sunseeker, for the second time. Cave and co-driver Craig Parry will be riding high after a stunning performance last year, where they ran winner and eventual BRC champion David Bogie a close second place on their first attempt of the event.
Cave has secured a Citroen Racing DS3 R3T for the 2012 BRC season but the car will not actually arrive in the UK until after the start of the Rallye Sunseeker. Therefore, he has decided to rent a Ford Fiesta R2 for the first round, to ensure that he stands a good chance of opening his 2012 account with a solid points finish.
The car will be run by Paul Benn Motorsport and while Tom has never driven the Fiesta R2 in anger, he did test the car when it was first launched, following its development by M-Sport. However, his flexibility, demonstrated last year when he drove no less than four different cars to the BTRDA Production Cup title, means that he hopes to be on the pace in the Fiesta quickly.
Although Tom already has one event under his belt and an idea of the nature of the rally, he realises that competition is likely to be fierce, with a crop of up-and-coming drivers choosing the two wheel-drive only BRC season to make their mark.
Commenting, he said; "The Citroen doesn't arrive in the UK until the day of the Sunseeker, so clearly we have to rent a car for the event. The Fiesta should be a good option, as it is quick and well-developed, as drivers like Craig [Breen] and Elfyn [Evans] showed in last year's FIA Academy.
"I haven't driven the car in competition before but we'll see how we go and if we can find a good rhythm, then we'll push. The aim is to start the season with a solid result and while the Fiesta might not have the legs of say a Renault Clio R3 or the Citroen, the nature of the Sunseeker means the effects of this might be less than elsewhere.
"The stages tend to be quite short, so it's crucial not to have any problems. If you lose time on one stage, then it can be really difficult to make it back up again on the remainder, as they're all so short.
"We had a fantastic event last year, finishing second behind David and matching his pace. So of course, I'm hoping that maybe we can go one better this year. But there will be a lot of quick drivers on the event and a good, solid finish is essential to start the season."
The one-day event on Saturday 25 February begins with the traditional ceremonial start on Poole quayside and sees the crews tackle 12 stages covering 66 miles in and around the New Forest area. The first crew is expected to cross the finish ramp on Bournemouth seafront at around 6pm.
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