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The removal of the rule that past winners were deemed ineligible for future titles has given the 24 year old one last opportunity to re-claim the title he first won in his rookie year in 2009, as he will turn 25 just two days before the cut off date for the 2013 series.
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"It's great to have another chance at the Junior Championship as we all remember what a motivating factor it was for our PMTMotorsport Team back in 2009," said Jansen.
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"And this year the race for the Junior Championship could be very close as we will go head-to-head with past champions Sloan Cox and Matt Summerfield, plus the return of Alex Kelsey. It should be an awesome contest...especially as we now know so much more about our MITECH WELDERS Subaru than we did this time last year..."
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"From what we learned throughout 2011 and the results we achieved in the latter part of the season, we are feeling very positive and confident that 2012 should see us much closer to the pace of our main rivals in the overall championship, as well as giving it our all in pursuit of the Junior title."
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Huntly firefighter, Jason Farmer, will continue as co-driver and the PMT Motorsport Team, who always work so tirelessly to turn out the best possible rally weapon, will all be back as well.
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Jansen is also very pleased to have his loyal group of sponsors - Mitech Welders, PMT Motorsport, Dunlop, Armstrong Subaru, Blue Bridge & Strait Shipping, HGM Construction, Pagid Brake Pads, and ScottSpeed Performance Engines - all continuing in 2012.
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jansen returns to Whangarei after recording his most significant result of the 2011 season there, when he made the most of his Wild Card Entry opportunity to finish 3rd in the FIA Asia Pacific Championship field.
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"We always enjoy the brilliant roads 'Up North', but we are usually there in the middle of winter and at times have had to endure some incredibly tough conditions. So this year it will be really interesting to see how we go on them at such an early time of the year when they should really be at their best."
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Running from 30 March to 1 April, the 2012 Brother International Rally of Whangarei uses high speed gravel roads throughout the Whangarei and Kaipara districts. Following Friday evening’s official start ceremony in Whangarei’s Cameron Street Mall, teams cover 283.28 competitive kilometres before Sunday afternoon’s ceremonial finish at the Quayside Town Basin.
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