Jansen wins junior title at Rally New Zealand

Christchurch's Matt Jansen has won the Junior Championship section of this year's Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, powered by Brother [NZRC], and with a round to spare.
 
Matt, and his Huntly-based Co-Driver Jason Farmer, executed their pre-rally plan perfectly, and by finishing 3rd at the WRC Brother Rally New Zealand in Auckland yesterday afternoon - June 24th - have achieved their primary NZRC season goal.
 
In such an endurance-style rally - the longest Matt has ever contested - the MITECH WELDERS Subaru performed perfectly throughout, and with the brilliant work carried out by the PMTMotorsport Service Crew in the very restricted opportunities available, finished the 400plus kilometres of some of the best rally roads in the world in great shape.
 
"The roads were fantastic and the crew did a great job," said an ecstatic Matt. "We were able to set our own pace and while all the carnage went on around us [only 6 of the 16 NZRC starters completed all 22 stages] we stayed out of trouble and we were rapt to find that at this pace we finished 15th overall in the WRC round, 3rd in Group N and most satisfying for us, over 7 and a half minutes ahead of the top Production World Rally Championship competitor and 8 minutes clear of a World Rally Car...."
 
"It's awesome to take out our 2nd Junior title - particularly as this is my last chance [Matt turns 25 at the end of the year] - and especially after only 4 of the 5 rounds.
 
"Now we can go to Gisborne [the final round in August] and focus totally on the overall championship and not only securing our current 3rd place, but having a serious crack at 2nd, which would be our best series result since our debut season back in 2009 when we finished 4th on our way to winning both the Rookie and our first Junior awards."

Photo: Peter Whitten

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