PRESS RELEASE: 30th May 2011
Bad luck in the Borders for Cave and the JRM
Rally Team
Jim Clark Rally – 27th & 28th May 2011
A
concerted effort by Tom Cave and the JRM Rally Team did
not materialise into the result they were hoping for this
weekend, when the run of bad luck from the past two rounds
of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship continued
into round four, the Berwickshire-based Jim Clark Rally.
This time, it was a gearbox problem which conspired to
provide Cave and the team with an early exit.
The Jim Clark Rally is the only rally on the UK mainland
held on closed public roads. Starting on Friday evening
in the centre of Duns, the route featured 140 competitive
miles split into six stages before the overnight halt
and a further ten on Saturday.
With the rally hosting the first of three asphalt events
in this year’s British Championship, the team was
hoping that the change of surface from gravel to tarmac
would bring with it a change of fortunes – after
the DNFs in rounds two and three because of an accident
and a puncture respectively. However, there was no doubt
amongst the team that both car and driver could deliver,
as Cave proved by finishing an impressive second in the
opening round of the season.
To acclimatise himself to the JRM Mitsubishi Evolution
X in asphalt specification, Cave from Aberdovey, together
with his co-driver Craig Parry from Llanymynech, took
part in Friday morning’s pre-event shake-down, where
the 19-year old driver commented on how pleased he was
with the car’s pace and handling. Therefore, the
team was upbeat about a good result, although with competitors
only able to drop two scores from the season’s seven
rounds, the mood was one of caution in order to ensure
a finish and still be in with a chance of a good result
at the end of the year.
With this in mind, Cave and Parry set-off from Duns for
the first of Friday evening’s stages perhaps more
cautiously than they had intended – their quest
not helped as rain started to fall during SS2 - plus other
crews managed to get through the stage while the roads
were still dry. The difficult conditions also meant that
the brakes were getting more use than anticipated, which
consequently caused them to fade during the longer stages.
Therefore, the crew were relieved to make it back to
the service park in Kelso for the overnight halt unscathed
and in eighth place. Determined to make up for lost time
on Saturday, Cave and Parry moved into seventh on stage
eight. But then, in the middle of stage nine, they started
to feel something was wrong with their car’s gearbox,
which then became stuck in fourth.
They nursed the Mitsubishi to the end of the stage and
back to the service halt at Kelso Racecourse, where the
JRM team did everything they could to change the gearbox
within the allocated time. Although replacing it quickly,
the clock ticked two minutes beyond the time allowed,
which meant that Cave and Parry were out of the rally.
It was a disappointing end to a promising asphalt debut
for Cave in the JRM Mitsubishi. The team will now assess
what caused the problem that caused the team’s first
retirement due to a mechanical issue for well over a year.
Team Quotes
Tom Cave
“This is a frustrating end to the event. Things
were starting to look up for us on Saturday’s first
loop of stages. We were making changes to the car’s
set-up because of the conditions and picked up more pace
but, towards the end of stage nine, the gearbox stuck
in fourth. I didn't want to force it and do more damage.
The boys tried their best to change it in time but we
went OTL. I’m trying not to dwell on the championship
position too much. It’s a huge learning curve this
year, so I’m going to try to take some positives
from everything that happens.”
Chris Hodgson (Technical Manager)
“Having won this event last year, we know our cars
can be quick here and therefore, we were hopeful of a
good result. We are not sure why the gearbox became stuck
in fourth, as we rarely have a problem and Tom is never
hard on the transmission, so we will have to analyse what’s
happened. It’s a shame for the whole team, as we
needed a strong result at this point in the season. But
the sport is like that sometimes and luck can turn the
other way just as quickly.”
PRESS RELEASE: 2nd May 2011
Cave caught out by Kielder curse
It was not the result that JRM Rally Team and driver
Tom Cave were hoping for - or indeed capable of - on this
weekend’s Pirelli International Rally, the third
round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship.
A puncture and the subsequent damage caused on the sixth
of the event’s 12 stages in Kielder Forest, whilst
lying in fifth place, signaled the end of the event for
Cave and the JRM Mitsubishi.
The rally started and finished at Carlisle Racecourse,
the action commencing with two seven-mile runs through
Newcastleton Forest on Friday evening. Then, following
the overnight halt, a further 79 competitive miles, split
into 11 stages, were scheduled for Saturday, all of them
taking place in the daunting Kielder Forest.
After a non-finish in round two, 19-year old Cave, from
Aberdovey, and his co-driver Craig Parry from Llanymynech,
were eager to get their British Rally Championship hopes
back on track with a strong result this weekend. The pre-event
test went extremely well and the Welsh pair were confident
that a good result was more than possible.
However, Kielder has a reputation for providing one of
the toughest tests on cars and crews, with its long straights
punctuated by a mixture of slow and fast corners, most
of which are flanked by deep and unforgiving ditches.
Added to this is the arduous nature of the road surface,
with a mixture of rough and smooth gravel peppered with
randomly strewn rocks that can catch out even the most
wary of drivers – punctures being the curse of the
conditions.
With the recent spell of dry weather, the main topic
of conversation before the rally was that of dust. However,
it was the loose stones lying on the surface of the stages
that was the main cause for concern in the first of the
event’s two stages on Friday night. Cave drove sensibly
on both, playing himself in to his surroundings and returned
to Carlisle for the overnight halt in seventh place.
Saturday dawned dry and bright and began with two runs
through Falstone and Bower Forests. With the JRM Mitsubishi
running perfectly, Cave and Parry started to push and
moved up to sixth place by the time they reached the remote
service area overlooking Kielder Water.
They were now in fifth and only two seconds away from
fourth. Cave could now see a chance of reaching a top-three
position before the main service halt after stages five
six – which were re-runs of SS3 and SS4.
After setting a good time through stage five, the plan
appeared to be working. But then, five miles into the
second run through the 13-miles of Bower Forest, one of
the rear tyres clipped a rock and punctured.
With the car appearing to handle okay, Cave opted to
continue, but by the time he and Parry reached the end
of the stage, the damage caused by running on the wheel-rim
over the remaining eight miles was too bad to continue.
It was a bitter disappointment for both the crew and the
team, as everything was going so well up until that point.
With the British Rally Championship regulations allowing
two dropped scores out of the season’s seven rounds,
it means that with this result added to the non-finish
from round two, if they are to keep their title hopes
alive, Craig and Parry are now under pressure for a 100%
finishing record for the rest of the year.
The car will now be repaired in readiness for round four,
the Jim Clark Rally that takes place on 27th & 28th
May and sees the road surface change from gravel to asphalt
for the first of three tarmac events
PRESS RELEASE: 26th April 2011
JRM aims to get Cave back on track for the Pirelli
Rally
The JRM Rally Team and driver Tom Cave are eager to get
back to their more familiar position at the front of the
field on this weekend’s Pirelli Rally, following
a non-finish in round two of the Dulux Trade MSA British
Rally Championship, the Bulldog Rally of North Wales,
which took place earlier this month.
The third round of the UK’s premier rally series
will see teams converge on Carlisle, before heading into
Kielder Forest to contest the event’s 10 special
stages. Although having a reputation for its fast and
demanding terrain that punishes just the slightest of
mistakes, the JRM team are confident they have the car
and crew for the Northumberland gravel roads.
Its success over the past two years has proved that the
JRM Mitsubishi Evolution X performs well on exactly the
type of stages that have become the hallmark of the Pirelli
Rally, with the pace and stability of the car likely to
prove a distinct advantage. Cave from Aberdovey and his
co-driver Craig Parry from Llanymynech, are also capable
competitors over this character of terrain, where skill
and bravery are the order of the day.
Following the off-road excursion on their home event
in March, the Welsh pair have not stood still and recently
took Group N class victory on the Somerset Stages Rally.
The win confirmed they had lost none of their former pace,
which previously saw them finish second overall on the
opening round of the British Rally Championship in February,
when driving the JRM Mitsubishi.
Cave will get himself re-acquainted with the car this
week when he tests the Evo X in Kershope Forest, not far
from where the Pirelli Rally takes place. And, to ensure
he hits the ground running, the 19-year old has enlisted
the help of two-times event winner and double British
Rally Champion Guy Wilks to provide him with the benefit
of his experience.
The Pirelli Rally starts on Friday evening from Carlisle
Racecourse and heads to Kielder Forest for two runs through
the seven-mile Newcastleton stage. Following the overnight
halt, crews tackle another eight stages on Saturday before
returning to the Racecourse for the finish, after covering
a total of 93.33 competitive miles.
Team Quotes
Tom Cave
“I think that the key to success on this event
will be a good recce and a good set of pace notes. We
will then have an idea of where we will be able to push.
The stages are fairly long, so if I have the feeling and
confidence in the car, then I’ll attack. However,
only two scores from the season’s seven rounds can
be dropped, so it’s important to get a result on
this event.”
John Barnes - Team Manager
“I’m confident that our car will go well
in Kielder Forest. We won the Pirelli Rally last year,
so we know it has the pace over the type of roads that
are found in this part of the country. Plus I’m
sure that, once Tom’s driven it again on the test,
he will be back on form very quickly. The team is extremely
focussed on giving him the best tool for the job and making
sure we do all we can to put his title hopes back on track.”
PRESS RELEASE: 4th April 2011
Early exit for JRM in North Wales
Bulldog Rally of North Wales
Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship Round
Two
It was not the outcome the JRM Rally Team and driver
Tom Cave had been hoping for on this weekend’s Bulldog
Rally of North Wales, the second round of the 2011 Dulux
Trade MSA British Rally Championship, when an off-road
excursion at the end of the first stage forced the 19-year
old from Aberdovey and his co-driver Craig Parry from
Llanymynech into early retirement.
The
one-day rally started and finished in Welshpool and featured
ten stages, the combination of which provided teams with
a total competitive distance of 82 miles. Cave was driving
the same Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X he had
used on two previous rallies this year and, with both
outings delivering good results, he was looking forward
to being back out in the JRM car.
Boosted by an impressive second overall on the opening
round of the British Championship in February, the team
were targeting another podium finish this weekend, especially
with this being the crew’s most local BRC event
of the season. However, with the forests of North Wales
a challenging environment for even the most seasoned of
drivers, a good result was never going to be easy.
With this in mind, Cave was determined to push from the
start and, even after the heavy overnight rain had left
the stages more slippery than experienced during the previous
day’s recce, onlookers reported that Cave was setting
a blistering page over the opening 4.5 mile run through
Llangywer Forest. There was no doubt that the car and
crew were working well until, with only a few hundred
yards of the stage left to go, the back of the car stepped
out.
Of course, in rallying, this is never a cause for concern.
However, on this occasion, for some reason the car suddenly
turned in the opposite direction, sending Cave, Parry
and their Evolution X off the road, down a bank and into
a tree. Although there was only minor damage to the Mitsubishi’s
screen pillar, they were stuck and therefore, could not
get back on to the road and continue.
Although disappointed, the crew and team were philosophical
about the incident, as regulations allow two scores to
be dropped from the season’s seven rounds. Their
attentions now turn to round three and the Carlisle-based
Pirelli Rally, which takes place on 29th & 30th April
and utilises the demanding gravel roads in the infamous
Kielder Forest.
Team Quotes
Tom Cave
"I am absolutely gutted our rally ended like this
– and so soon. And the worst part is, I'm still
not entirely sure what happened. The conditions were very
tricky and possibly I left my braking too late. All I
know is that when I turned into the left-hander the rear
of the car started to slide - just as I wanted it to.
It then felt like it found some grip and suddenly the
rear snapped the other way, which pitched us off the road
and down a bank. There was no way we could get back on
the road and that was it. That’s one of our two
lives lost, so we’ll now have to make sure that
we take a good haul of points from the rest of this season’s
events.”
John Barnes - Team Manager
It’s not the result that any of us wanted, or indeed
expected, but it’s the nature of the sport and I’m
afraid we have to accept that these sorts of things happen
sometimes. We will have a good look at the car to see
if there’s anything that may have contributed to
the off, but having driven it from the stage and back
to the service area, there doesn’t seem to be any
mechanical issues. We will now focus on making sure that
we give Tom the best chance he can of a great result in
round three.”
PRESS RELEASE: 30th March 2011
JRM aim to go one better in Wales
The JRM Rally Team will be in action again this weekend,
when Tom Cave drives one of its Mitsubishi Evolution Xs
on the second round of the 2011 Dulux Trade MSA British
Rally Championship, the Bulldog Rally of North Wales.
Taking place on Saturday (2nd April), the team will be
aiming to finsih one-place-higher, after Cave scored an
impressive second place on February’s opening round,
the Bournemouth-based Rallye Sunseeker.
Since then, the 19-year old from Aberdovey has contested
two events in his own car, winning one of them –
the Mid Wales Stages - overall. Therefore, Cave is eager
to maintain his winning momentum in the Welsh forests,
especially as the Bulldog Rally can be regarded as his
home event.
With his team-mate for the Rallye Sunseeker Daniel Barry
opting to use his own car this weekend, JRM will be running
just one of its Mitsubishis. However, the Irishman is
expected to rejoin the JRM fold later in the season, having
been extremely impressed with the car and the team during
his first outing in Bournemouth.
Cave will use the same car as he drove on that occasion
and, to ensure it’s set up to cope with the longer
and more demanding North Wales stages than those of the
Dorset forests, he tested the JRM Mitsubishi yesterday
(Monday). He will be accompanied by his regular co-driver
Craig Parry from Llanymynech.
The Bulldog Rally of North Wales starts and finishes
in Welshpool. Its one-day format features ten stages that
combine to provide a competitive distance of 82 miles
in many of the classic forests that were used by the RAC
Rally more than a decade ago.
Team Quotes
Tom Cave
“I’m feeling really fired-up about this weekend.
Things are going well at the moment and my confidence
is high, so I’m looking forward to getting back
into the JRM car and the BRC. We’ll be attacking
from the start and see how our pace matches up with the
others. I’m expecting it to be very competitive
and a tough battle, but I’m up for it - that’s
for sure.”
John Barnes (Team Manager)
“I really think Tom can do well this weekend, as
he has already proved he can be quick in the Welsh forests.
Because there is no opportunity to score points towards
the teams’ championship with four-wheel-drive cars
this year, we are not so disappointed to only be fielding
one of our Mitsubishis. It also allows us to put all of
our focus onto Tom. However, we hope that Daniel will
be back with us again before the season is out.”
PRESS RELEASE: 28th March 2011
Double second first time out for JRM Racing
FIA GT1 World Championship – Round One
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi
It was a successful start to the season for JRM Racing
in the first round of the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship,
when Richard Westbrook and Peter Dumbreck scored a second
place in both the first and second of today’s one-hour
races at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. For team-mates
Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr in car 23, the day started
well when the German paring finished third in race one,
but a difficult race two saw them cross the line in 14th
place.
Qualifying
The
competition between the 18 cars taking part in the opening
round of this global sports car championship started with
a qualifying session on Friday evening. A concerted effort
by all four JRM Racing drivers meant that both cars went
through to Q3 - where the positions for the top eight
places are decided - with Westbrook/Dumbreck qualifying
in sixth and Luhr/Krumm in eighth.
Qualifying Race
Both JRM Racing Nissans got away well from the rolling
start, with Westbrook – who was first to drive car
22 – moving up to third place as other cars became
tangled in a first corner incident. However, Krumm in
car 23 had to take evasive action and slotted into fifth
place when all the turn-one activity died down.
The following laps saw Westbrook right behind the Ford
GT of Fredrik Makowieki, with never more than a second
separating the two cars, right up until the mandatory
mid-race pit stop to change drivers and tyres. Krumm also
maintained his position behind the two Sumo Power GT Nissans
and, following a quick stop by the JRM Racing crew, Luhr
emerged from the pits in fourth.
Whilst Dumbreck, now in car 22, continued the fight with
the Ford GT ahead of him - now driven by Maxime Martin
- Luhr was gaining pace and passed Enrique Bernoldi in
his Nissan on lap 23. Although Dumbreck tried, he also
could not get past the Ford and, for the remaining eight
laps, the top three positions stayed the same, seeing
JRM Racing with two cars in the top three in the team’s
first ever appearance.
Championship Race
With the finishing positions of race one dictating the
starting positions for race two – the Championship
Race and where most of the points are scored – the
team were delighted to see both its Nissan on the front
two rows of the grid. As the lights went green, Dumbreck
was quickest off the rolling start, so much so, he thought
he might cross the line before the car in pole position
and momentarily lifted off.
This allowed Bernoldi to get past and into the lead,
with the JRM Racing driver slotting into second. In a
repeat performance of the race one, Dumbreck hounded the
leading car, right up until the pit-stop and again, was
unable to find a way past.
Luhr also had to lift-off the throttle at the start,
when he found himself sandwiched between two cars, the
subsequent loss of momentum seeing him drop to seventh
on the opening lap. With his Nissan running well, he started
to fight his way back up the field but, on lap ten, an
Aston Martin lunged into the side of his car so hard that
it punctured the left-front tyre.
The German had no choice but to come into the pits to
change a wheel – frustratingly, just one lap before
the window opened for the compulsory wheel and driver-change.
Krumm took over for the second half of the race, but with
so much time lost, there was little chance of finishing
in a points-scoring position. However, he discovered that
car 23’s suspension had been damaged in the earlier
incident and, even with it handling strangely, he still
went on to set a series of impressive lap times and brought
his car home in 14th place.
Meanwhile, due to a drive-through penalty because Ricardo
Zonta – now driving the leading Nissan - was hit
by the Ford GT of Makowieki in the pit lane, Westbrook
emerged from his and Dumbreck’s pit-stop expecting
to be in the lead, but because of a super-fast tyre change
by the Hexis Aston Martin crew, Stefan Dusseldorp was
now in front by a margin of nearly seven seconds.
Lap-by lap, Westbrook reduced the gap until, on lap 27,
he was less than half-a-second behind the leader and now
in a position to overtake. But, try as he might, he could
not find a way past the Aston Martin. He eventually crossed
the line just 0.474 seconds behind and delighted to take
a double second-place for JRM Racing in his first event
for the team.
This result puts Wesbrook and Dumbreck second in the Drivers’
Championship standings and JRM Racing second in the Teams’
Championship. The second round of the FIA GT1 World Championship
takes place at Zolder in Belgium on 9th & 10th April.
As a mark of respect following the country’s recent
disasters, both of the team’s Nissan GT-Rs carried
stickers which read: ‘don’t give up Japan’.
In addition, all team members wore black armbands during
race-day.
Team Quotes
Peter Dumbreck (Car 22)
“It was great to finish second in race one, which
set us up well for a front-row position in race two. My
start was so good I lifted, as I thought I might have
gone too soon, which meant Enrique (Bernoldi) got by.
The car felt good so I could stay with him, but as the
tyres got hotter I couldn’t make the move to get
by. You have to take the points that are on offer and
that’s what Richard and I did today and we intend
to do the same for the rest of the year.”
Richard Westbrook (car 22)
“If someone had said to me before this weekend I
would have had two second places in my debut with JRM
Racing, I would have been delighted. When I took over
from Peter in this evening’s championship race I
was surprised to be six seconds behind the leading Aston
Martin and, although I was able to catch it, there just
wasn’t the chance to get past. I’m pleased
to say that everything is working well with Peter and
the whole team, so I’m looking forward to Zolder.”
Michael Krumm (Car 23)
“I was pleased with the strong performance of the
Nissan GT-R today and to finish third in the first race.
The second race was not what it should have been, but
even with the car not driving in a straight line after
Lucas was hit at the end of his stint, I was still able
to lap at a good pace, which shows the potential is there
when everything is right.”
Lucas Luhr (Car 23)
“I was very happy to finish on the podium in my
first ever race in the Nissan. I was therefore hoping
that the second race would be just as good, but I was
squeezed out at the start. Perhaps I backed off too much
as I dropped to seventh, but when I got hit and had to
make a pit stop because of a puncture, that was it for
my race. However, because of the performance today, I
am optimistic about the rest of the season.”
Nigel Stepney (Team Manager and Chief Engineer)
“For the first round of the championship the whole
team did a great job, especially Peter and Richard for
driving two strong races and finishing in second place
twice. Michael and Lucas went well in the first race,
but the problems in the second denied them another podium.
We have a few things still to improve on for this year,
but all-in-all today’s been a good start to the
season.”
James Rumsey (Team Principal)
“All of the team did a really good job: The preparation
of the cars was excellent and they performed well. I’m
really pleased with car 22’s results. It was a shame
about the problems that slowed car 23 in the second race,
especially having finished third in the first, but to
lie second in the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship
is a good position to be in after the opening round.”
Drivers
Michael Krumm was born in Reutlingen, Germany
Lucas Luhr was born in Mülheim-Kärlich, Germany
Peter Dumbreck was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Richard Westbrook was born in Chelmsford, England
Team
The JRM Racing team is based in Rye, East Sussex and is
part of the JRM Group.
As well as running the GT1 racing team, the company is
a constructor of rally cars, supplies a wide range of
motorsport parts and equipment and offers extensive engineering
and vehicle preparation facilities.
PRESS RELEASE: 28th February 2011
Second and fifth for JRM in British Rally Championship
opener
JRM
got its 2010 Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship
campaign off to a flying start this weekend in round one,
the Dorset-based Rallye Sunseeker. Driving the team’s
two Group N Mitsubishi Evolution Xs, Tom Cave finished
an impressive second and Daniel Barry crossed the line
a credible fifth.
The rally began on Friday evening with a ceremonial start
on Poole Quay in front of 1000s of spectators. Thankfully,
the rain held off as the rally cars were paraded alongside
the Sunseeker Powerboats moored in the harbour, but the
conditions changed overnight, resulting in areas of standing
water on the first of Saturday’s 11 stages in the
Ringwood and Wareham forests.
After a good result on the Wyedean Rally two weeks beforehand,
Cave – together with co-driver Craig Parry - was
on the pace from the word go, setting the second fastest
time on SS1, just 2.3 seconds behind Scottish Rally Champion
David Bogie. Barry and his co-driver Rory Kennedy also
started well, a further three seconds down and in seventh
place. But, with this being Barry's first ever event in
the JRM car, he admitted that he was still getting used
to its handling characteristics.
A storming run by both JRM crews through SS2 saw Cave
take the lead of the rally by 2.6 seconds, with Barry
moving up to fourth. However, Bogie fought back during
stages three and four and reclaimed the top-spot from
Cave - albeit by just 2.9 seconds - before crews stopped
for the first service halt.
The next loop of stages took competitors west and into
the Wareham Forest complex, where the nature of the roads
changed again, competitors commenting that the ruts and
puddles were making it hard to find a rhythm. One such
driver was Jason Pritchard, who’s Subaru slid off
the road and into a ditch at the end of SS6. Cave was
next through the stage and, with spectators on the track
slowing him down as he approached the scene, the incident
caused him to lose around ten seconds whilst he took evasive
action.
Barry found the slippery conditions even less to his
liking, as he was still trying to get used to his new
Evo X and was pleased to get through the Wareham stages
unscathed. Therefore, when cars arrived for the second
service halt after SS7, Cave was 12.2 seconds behind Bogie,
with Barry fifth, a further 36 seconds adrift.
Cave embarked on the event’s remaining four stages
with the aim of putting pressure on Bogie and, although
taking the fastest time on SS8, the Scot ahead of him
remained un-phased. Therefore, the leading positions were
maintained to the finish, with Bogie first, Cave second
and Elfyn Evans, in a Subaru, third.
Still not completely comfortable in the car, Barry opted
for a measured approach to the final loop of stages and,
in doing so, consolidated his fifth place. The JRM team
was delighted that its cars ran perfectly throughout the
event, with both finishing in the top five.
Quotes
Tom Cave
“It’s new car and a new rally, so I am delighted
with second place and having been able to set the fastest
time on three of the eleven stages. I pushed hard in the
final loop, but not too hard, as I didn’t want to
spoil a good result. The JRM car felt very good and everything
worked well, so it’s a great start to the season.
The next round, the Bulldog Rally of North Wales, is my
home event, so I hope to keep the momentum going.
Daniel Barry
“As this was my very first event in the JRM car
I’m pleased with fifth place, but I know there is
great potential for an even better result. The Evo X has
loads of power and the braking is fantastic, so I’m
sure that once I get more used to it and I can get the
set-up right for me, I will be on the pace of the front
runners. I’ve really enjoyed this event. The team
have been great and done as much as they can to make me
feel at home, so I’m hoping that I can continue
with them for the rest of the season.”
John Barnes (Team Manager)
“I’m very happy with the way things went this
weekend. To have two cars in the top five and get through
the whole event with no problems is an excellent start
to the season. I’m pleased with the way the team
worked together and I must congratulate both drivers for
doing such a good job for us. I therefore hope we can
achieve an even better result in the next round of the
British Championship.”
PRESS RELEASE: 21st February 2011
JRM gets set for British Rally Championship return
2010
British Teams’ Champions JRM return to the Dulux
Trade MSA British Rally Championship this weekend with
a two-car assault on the first round, the Poole and Bournemouth-based
Rallye Sunseeker. The team will field a pair of Group
N Mitsubishi Evolution Xs: one driven by 19-year old Tom
Cave from Wales and the other by 26-year old Daniel Barry
from Ireland.
For Cave, this will be his second outing in a JRM Mitsubishi,
his first being on the Wyedean Rally earlier this month
when, although suffering from a stomach upset, finished
second in Group N and seventh overall. Together with his
co-driver Craig Parry, this impressive drive provided
him with invaluable experience in the car and therefore
Cave aims to hit the ground running for the BRC season-opener.
However, for Barry, this will be his first event in the
JRM Evo, although he has vast experience of driving Mitsubishis,
having won the Evolution Challenge in 2009 and campaigned
his Evo IX on five IRC events in the past year. Added
to this, the rapid Irishman has a record of good performances
on the Dorset event and hopes that his knowledge of the
stages, coupled with his Mitsubishi pedigree, will stand
him in good stead this weekend. He will be co-driven on
this occasion by highly-experienced fellow Irishman Rory
Kennedy .
Both drivers will test their JRM cars on Thursday, when
they take part in the pre-event shake-down. However, with
the event a round of the UK’s premier rally championship
and with a strong R4 (production 4WD class) entry, both
drivers know that to achieve a good result will not be
an easy task, even though – if past performances
are anything to go by - the JRM Mitsubishis are likely
to feature at the head of the field.
Having secured the British Teams’ Championship
in 2010, JRM is delighted to be retuning to the BRC this
year. However, because of changes in the regulations,
the company is unable to defend its title, as only competitors
with two-wheel-drive cars will now be eligible to score
points towards the Teams’ title.
The Rallye Sunseeker kicks off on Friday evening, when
crews line-up for a high-profile ceremonial start on Poole
Quay. The competition gets underway on Saturday morning,
with the route of 60 competitive miles split into 11 timed
special stages in Ringwood and Wareham forests.
Quotes
Tom Cave
“I’m raring to go. It’s a bit of a trip
into the unknown again, like the Wyedean Rally, but this
time I have one event in the JRM car under my belt. The
plan for the weekend has to be the same as before: flat
out from the word go. The stages are relatively short
– the longest only 10 miles – so if you have
a spin or a puncture it would be very difficult to pull
any time back. It will be a pretty frantic day –
short stages and short service halts - but I’m definitely
looking forward to it.”
Daniel Barry
“Although I will be competing in a JRM Evolution
X for the first time, I’ve had some good runs on
the Rallye Sunseeker in the past, so I hope that my knowledge
of the stages will more than compensate as I get used
to the car. I really hope that we can pull off a good
result this weekend, as it would set us up nicely for
the start of the season and this could then lead into
a full British Rally Championship campaign with JRM.”
John Barnes (Team Manager)
“Although we can’t battle for Teams’
points this year, I think that last year we more than
proved what our cars can do. Therefore, if we can provide
the opportunity for Tom ad Daniel to battle for Drivers’
Championship points, then that’s exactly what we
aim to do. I’m delighted that we are starting the
British Rally Championship again and hope that if both
our drivers achieve good results, that they go on to contest
the whole season as a two-car team.”
PRESS ELEASE: 14th February 2011
Tom Cave performs well on the Wyedean in JRM
Evo X
Driving a JRM Mitsubishi Evolution X on an event for
the first time, 19-year old Tom Cave from Aberdovey, together
with Co-driver Craig Parry, delivered an impressive performance
on Saturday’s Wyedean Rally, by finishing seventh
overall and second in Group N.
Having arranged to hire a JRM car for the Forest of Dean-based
event, with a view of going on to contest the British
Rally Championship, Cave tested the Mitsubishi on Friday
morning at Walters Arena and, following a few adjustments
to the car’s setup, was very pleased with the way
it performed.
It was therefore a blow that, on the morning of the event,
a stomach upset almost forced him to retire – even
before the rally began! However, he opted to continue
and, as it turned out, on the very first of the day’s
seven stages, he set the second-fastest time overall!
An excellent performance in a new car and on his BTRDA
and Wyedean Rally debut.
As other competitors more familiar with the stages and
those in more powerful machinery started to push, Cave’s
second place came under threat. However, his case was
not helped when he suffered a number of spins during stage
three.
At the service halt the team found a broken rear anti-roll
bar link, which would have most certainly unsettled the
car. Added to this, a change of tyres onto the type used
for British Championship events was also suspected to
have altered the way the car handled.
Even so, Cave never set a time outside the top ten in
all of the event’s seven stages and was obviously
enjoying his first experience in a JRM Mitsubishi. He
was therefore extremely satisfied to finish second in
Group N and seventh overall, amongst a field of 180 cars.
“I was very happy with the way the JRM Mitsubishi
felt to drive. The team did a really good job”,
said Cave. “Without the problems of the day I am
sure we could have challenged for the class win and a
higher overall placing. I therefore look forward to driving
the car again now I have some experience of it –
and hopefully I’ll be feeling better too!”
Team Manager John Barnes was extremely pleased with the
outcome: “Tom drove really well and I’m delighted
that the car performed so well too. I am also pleased
that it has now been confirmed he will be with us for
the first round of the British Championship.”
The JRM Rally Team will next be in action on the Rally
Sunseeker, the opening round of the British Rally Championship,
which takes place on 26 February. Cave will be joined
at this event by Daniel Barry, who will drive another
of the company’s Mitsubishi Evolution Xs.
PRESS RELEASE: 7th February 2011
Daniel Barry joins JRM for Rallye Sunseeker
It has recently been confirmed that Daniel Barry will
join the JRM rally team for the opening round of this
year’s MSA British Rally Championship, the Bournemouth-based
Rallye Sunseeker, which takes place on 26th February.
The 26-year old from Enniskerry in Ireland has just concluded
a deal with JRM to drive one of its Group N Mitsubishi
Evolution Xs and hopes that this association with the
team will expand into a full BRC campaign.
After becoming UK Mitsubishi Evolution Challenge Champion
in 2009, Barry has contested five IRC (Intercontinental
Rally Challenge) events in the past year and gained a
massive amount of experience by doing so. He now feels
that the time is right to return to a championship in
Britain and has opted for the country’s premier
series with one of the UK’s premier teams.
“I was looking at various options for 2011 when
the opportunity of driving a JRM car came up”, said
Barry. “I am therefore delighted that we were able
to put a deal together with the team for the Rallye Sunseeker,
especially as I have fond memories of the event, having
won the opening round of the Evolution Challenge there
two years ago. I’m therefore hoping that if things
go well I can continue with JRM for the remainder of the
season.”
Barry has had a long history with many of the team’s
personnel, having been a customer of the now Daventry-based
rally operation well before it became part of the JRM
Group. The team is therefore pleased to see him in one
of their cars for the first round of the British Championship.
“After becoming British Teams’ Champions last
year, it would have been a great shame not to be able
to compete in the BRC again this year”, said Team
Manager John Barnes. “We are therefore very happy
that Daniel has decided to join us. His team-mate will
be Welsh youngster Tom Cave, who is contesting the Wyedean
Rally this weekend in another JRM Evo X. We will therefore
have two cars out on the first round of the British Rally
Championship, which is precisely what we were looking
to do.”
After a highly successful season in 2010, when JRM achieved
its goal of winning the British Rally Championship Teams’
title, the company is eager to maintain its profile and
develop its business of hiring and selling rally cars
and competition parts. As well as events in the UK, JRM
is also discussing options with a number of drivers with
the view of competing on a series of overseas events.
PRESS RELEASE: 24th January 2011
JRM entertains the troops alongside Indianapolis
legends
In
support of the soldiers that are currently in action in
volatile parts of the world, JRM sent two of its cars
to RAF Honington in Suffolk last week where rally driver
Gwyndaf Evans and stunt driver Terry Grant put on a show
for the soldiers based at the camp. They joined an event
that featured some of the legends of Indianapolis 500,
including: Al Unser jr, Davey Hamilton, Johnny Rutherford,
Sarah Fisher and Mario Andretti.
The visit to East Anglia was part of a tour, instigated
by the Indy drivers, of USA military bases in Europe and
the Middle East, designed to show their support for the
work service men and women are doing on behalf of their
country. Their trip also marked the centenary year of
this world famous race.
Having been impressed by the performance of Evans driving
the JRM Group N Mitsubishi Evo rally car and Grant driving
the Evo 400RS track-day car in the Live Action Arena at
last week’s Autosport Show, Captain Iain Thomson
from the 1st Royal Tank Regiment contacted the company
to ask if the same display could be re-enacted for the
troops. As an ardent supporter of the work being done
by the forces and the Help the Heroes charity, Executive
Director of the JRM Group James Rumsey had no hesitation
in agreeing to the request.
The day at Honington began with a presentation, before
moving outside and onto the runway where the action took
place. To kick things off, Terry Grant entertained onlookers
with a stunning display of precision driving, with one
of his tricks seeing him turn doughnuts around a slightly
worried-looking group of Indy drivers.
To provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the troops,
the Indianapolis team had brought with them a two-seat
Indy car, in which a selected group of soldiers were able
to take a ride with none other than Mario Andretti. Whilst
this went on towards the Eastern end of the runway, the
two JRM drivers provided rides for other military personnel
present: Evans demonstrating the capabilities of the company’s
rally car, whilst Grant showed how fast and maneuverable
the 400bhp track-day car can be - in spectacular fashion!
As each passenger emerged from the JRM Evos, the look
on their faces told the story of their experience, it
was clear from some of the comments what the main topic
of conversation between the troops that evening. In fact,
the display by the two JRM cars was so impressive that,
when Evans and Grant were in full swing, it temporarily
drew attention away from the Indy car activity.
Following the event, the JRM team was praised for the
show it put on and principal organiser, Captain Iain Thomson,
1st Royal Tank Regiment said:
“As an Army Unit we have never experienced such
an event within the barracks. It was a first and I hope
we may be able to organise another like it again. We have
many motorsport fans within the 1st Royal Tank Regiment
and JRM did us proud. Once Terry and Gwyndaf got going,
their performances went down a treat and we are grateful
for the JRM team’s input which made the day such
a huge success.”
PRESS RELEASE: 24th January 2011
JRM collects award at ‘Night of the Champions’
JRM’s achievement of winning the MSA British Rally
Championship Teams’ title last year was acknowledged
on Friday evening, when Team Manager John Barnes was presented
with the MSA trophy at the association’s annual
‘Night of the Champions’ at the Royal Automobile
Club in London’s Pall Mall.
Having recorded three outright rally wins and two second
place finishes, a better set of results than any other
team in the 2010 MSA British Rally Championship, JRM clinched
the Teams’ title on the final round with an impressive
first and second place finish. During the season, most
of the points were secured by Gwyndaf Evans, who drove
the team’s lead Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
X in each of the six events.
Also helping the team in its quest to score teams’
points were former Icelandic Rally Champion Daniel Sigurdarson
in his JRM supported Evo X and young Irish charger Alastair
Fisher, who finished second on the Yorkshire Rally in
the team’s ‘National’ specification
Mitsubishi.
“Considering it was our first full season with
two cars, we were very happy to have secured the British
Teams’ title”, said Barnes as he accepted
the award from guest presenter, M-Sport’s Malcolm
Wilson. “We will now use the experience we gained
last year in the campaigns we are involved with this year,
which currently looks like a mixture of British and overseas
events.”
Further announcements regarding the JRM rally team’s
plans for 2011 will be announced in the next few weeks.
