Jennings Takes Third in S1600 PBRC as Noble Wins

Posted: October 27, 2003 6:58 PM

On a charge at the final round of the season, Jennings had been leading the rally until Stage 11, Yateley 2, when a small error cost him 20 seconds and his chance of second overall in the S1600 Championship.

Having already secured the Nations Cup title, co-driver Gordon Noble takes 12 points for their third place finish securing the S1600 Co-drivers Championship with 61 points.

Stage 1 and Jennings was to suffer from being first car on the road in the slippery weather conditions and slid off causing minor body damage and a broken rear damper. However, undeterred he still maintained a comfortable eight second lead on nearest rival Leon Pesticcio.

Throughout the rally Jennings pushed on, setting stage times well ahead of Pesticcio. Happy in the knowledge of his lead Jennings was disappointed when on Stage 11 an off cost him that lead. He added; I thought I could do it this weekend but with only two short stages to run I dont think I can make the time up.

Jennings appeared through the spectator stage of Rushmoor Arena once more provisionally securing third in the S1600 category. Into the final 10 minute service of the 2003 Championship Jennings commented; It was good to lead the rally for most of the day but annoying not to win it, it was so nearly mine. I am happy with third overall in my first S1600 season.

Gordon Noble commented; This season has had its challenges so its good to have won the co-drivers championship. I have been impressed with the speed of the car and Garry this season. The team have also been fantastic to work with.

Peugeot Motorsport Manager, Mick Linford commented; Garry was trying hard today to secure second in the championship but its rallying and its tough and a small error cost him, but he drove well and we are pleased with the result.

Super 1600 Championship 
Kris Meeke 67
Leon Pesticcio 58
Garry Jennings 55

Super 1600 Co-drivers 
Gordon Noble 61
Tim Sturla 60
Chris Patterson 52

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29/09/03
Jennings Off Costs Him Second Peugeot Works Super 1600 (S1600) driver Garry Jennings was lying second overall in the S1600 championship as the 6th Round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship headed for Yorkshire for the Trackrod Rally. Garry and co-driver Gordon Noble led the cars away from the start ramp in the centre of the busy market town of Malton and headed for the first stage, a short spectator special round the Showground at nearby Pickering.

Garry was to benefit from being first on the road as he left the other competitors behind in his dust. A steady run through the Cropton and Gale Rigg stages brought him back to Service in Pickering with no dramas.

On the following loop of three stages through the Dalby Forest complex, a difficult section through the quarry on Stage 6, Givendale, caused Garry and many other competitors to hit a rock but thought there was no damage to the car. However, back in service they discovered they had lost the rear bumper which was soon replaced.

Stage 7, a rerun of the Pickering Showground stage which had become very rough during the first run, was cancelled, and the cars headed back to tackle Cropton and Gale Rigg for the second time. Co-driver Gordon Noble said The gearbox started to rattle near the end of Stage 8, so we decided to drive at a reasonable pace on the next stage, but be gentle with the gears. The 206 technicians changed a gearbox in service as a precautionary measure. Garry has driven very well today, Im impressed with him. At the end of Leg 1, Garry was second placed Super 1600 and lying sixteenth overall.

Leg 2:
Overcast and slightly damp conditions prevailed as dawn broke over Malton and drivers gathered to leave parc ferme at 7.00 am. The Pickering Showground stage had been regraded overnight but there were no dramas before the cars headed back to the forests for two long stages across the moors, Langdale and Pike Hill.

Just after the start of Stage 11 when on a fast sweeping bend, any chance Garry had of winning the S1600 championship were shattered as the front wheel dropped into a culvert close to the edge of the track and the car was stuck. It took several spectators and over four minutes in lost time before Garry was on his way once again, fortunately with no damage to the crew or car.

At second service Garry commented, Its really frustrating, we needed to be holding onto second behind Kris Meeke if we were to be in with a chance of the S1600 title. This has cost us today as we only have two more stages to make up the time difference.

Jennings really attacked stages 14 and 15, taking the steep fast down hill track into the famous Dalby Woodyard at speed in order to make up time. But as much as Garry pushed on, time was not on his side in order to close the gap.

The Irish duo finished the rally 4th in Super 1600s. This puts the pair in joint 2nd place overall in the S1600 Championship going into the final round. Their goal is to secure second in the championship as the lead in now out of their reach.

The Tempest Stages is on October 26th in and around Aldershot, Hampshire in the South of England.

Points:

Super 1600 Championship
 
Kris Meeke 
 67
 
Garry Jennings 
 43
 
Leon Pesticcio 
 43
 
Ryan Champion
 38
 
Super 1600 Co-drivers
 
Chris Patterson 
 52
 
Gordon Noble 
 49
 
Tim Sturla 
 45
 

The Peugeot 206 Super 1600 carried the 2003 Brake! Road Safety Week logo on the Trackrod in support of this years campaign. Gordon Noble is a road safety engineer for Omagh District Council so the campaign is close to his heart.

Road Safety Week is an annual event founded and coordinated by Brake, the road safety charity, and supported by schools, companies, community organisations, local authorities and police forces. The objective is to raise awareness of dangers on the road and how to be safe, and encourage all road users to take care. This year Road Safety Week is 22-28 September.

Volunteers are always needed for educational visits and community events and more

• More information available at:
• Peugeot Motorsport

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08/09/03
Jennings Takes Third on Home Rally
Round 5 of the Pirelli British Rally Championship came to a new home town of Armagh, just a short drive from home for works Peugeot 206 Super 1600 driver Garry Jennings who was recovering well from his recent water skiing accident, brought his 206 home in 3rd place in the Super 1600 category.

Leg One started from The Mall and headed out for the first loop of three stages, all close to Armagh.
In damp and overcast conditions, Stage 1 proved to be challenging with a gearbox problem that was to mean a unit change at service. The crew went on to pick up a puncture on Stage 2 resulting in a loss of over three minutes when combined with the gearbox problems.

At the half way point, the service area at the Armagh City Hotel, the Peugeot mechanics worked at lightening speed to change the gearbox and a front strut comfortably within the twenty minutes available, only to discover a bent sump guard, caused by earlier heavy landings, which stubbornly refused to fit back onto the car, and 30 seconds penalties were incurred. The saga of events on the first loop left Jennings lying down the field and seventh in Super 1600.

As the cars headed back to repeat the stages, darkness descended but Garrys bad luck on his home event was to continue when he switched on the lights at the start of Stage 6, only to have the cars lighting fail. He got through the stage on only two spotlights and co-driver Gordon Noble proved his worth reading the notes by the light of a pencil torch kept for just such emergencies.

However, at the end of the day, Jennings had reclaimed valuable places overall and was looking forward to making a strong challenge on the ten stages to come.

Leg two; the day dawned fine but with low lying mist over the Sperrin Mountains and the stages nearest Garrys home town of Ballinamallard. A steady run over the first loop of three stages saw Garry rise to 17th overall and fifth in S1600, despite the rear shock absorbers over heating on the bumpy stages. These were changed at the subsequent service.

On the following loop of three stages, Garry continued his fight back to 14th overall and 4th in Super 1600.

Jennings commented; I was disappointed at the start of the rally, ending up at the back of the field but to finish 12th overall and 3rd in Super 1600 on my home rally was good considering I hadnt been in the car for five weeks.

Gordon Noble commented Garry coped very well today with the difficult conditions. With three stages between services, there was never going to be a right tyre choice. One minute it was dry with plenty of grip, the next minute it could be raining hard or lots of mud on the road.

The sixth round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship takes us to Yorkshire for the Trackrod Rally. 27/28th

• Peugeot Motorsport
• Ulster Rally

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15/08/03
Garry Jennings making good progress after water ski-ing incident
206 Super 1600 works driver Garry Jennings making good progress after water ski-ing incident

Team Peugeot TOTAL - Super 1600

Manx International Super 1600 winner, Garry Jennings fell and dislocated his right hip in a water ski-ing incident in Ireland on Friday. Jennings, who has had the dislocation corrected in surgery, is making a good recovery. Pending physio treatment and confirmation from the medical team, he aims to contest the Ulster International Rally as planned in his works Peugeot 206. Jennings commented; I was out on Loch Erne last Friday (8th Aug)water ski-ing behind a friends boat when I fell. I think I was very lucky not to have done more damage and although Im sore, I am glad my leg is facing the right way now!

  Mick Linford, Peugeot UK Motorsport Manager added; Garry is the sort of guy who enjoys adrenaline sports; but unfortunately they bite back sometimes. Lets all wish him a quick recovery in time for Ulster.