Rallye Sunseeker - 2012 BRC Round 1

Tom Cave, youngest member of the International Rally Driver's Club starts his 2012 MSA British Rally Championship campaign next weekend when he embarks on the Southern Car Club's Rallye Sunseeker. Cave and co-driver Craig Parry are riding high after a stunning performance on this event last year when they ran winner and eventual BRC champion David Bogie a close second place on their first attempt at the event.

For the 2012 BRC season, Cave has secured a Citroen Racing DS3 R3T but the car will not actually arrive in the UK until after the start of the Sunseeker therefore, Tom 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 Fiesta will be run by Paul Benn Motorsport and while Tom has never driven the 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.

Southern Car Club's Rallye Sunseeker is the season-opener of the 2012 six-rally MSA British Rally Championship. The traditionally well organised 'Sunseeker' is conveniently a one-day event, running on Saturday 25 February. It begins with the ceremonial start on Poole quayside and then sees the crews tackle 12 stages covering 66 miles in and around the New Forest area with the first crew expected to cross the finish ramp on Bournemouth seafront at around 6pm.

The Rallye Sunseeker is followed by a gala prize-giving dinner at the Highcliff Marriott Bournemouth Hotel, organised this year by the International Rally Driver's Club with proceeds in aid of the Children's Trust - Tadworth.


18th February, 2012