MG ZR And Gwyndaf Evans Enter The Jim Clark Memorial Rally

MG Sport & Racing has confirmed that the MG ZR will compete in the Jim Clark Memorial Rally, which takes place 12-14 July. Driven by Gwyndaf Evans and co-driver Chris Patterson, it will be the sixth time that the pairing have got to grips with the MG which has shown so much potential over the past few months.

The Jim Clark Memorial Rally, in memory of Scotland’s first Formula One Champion, is the fourth round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship. The rally starts at Calton Hill in Edinburgh before proceeding on closed public roads south of the City. The MG ZR made its rally debut in the Junior World Rally Championship, Monte Carlo in January this year and its development continues with every event. Gwyndaf explains: "It's exciting to be joining the British Rally Championship again. Jim Clark is very fast asphalt yet tricky rally and I'm sure the task will be very valuable to develop the MG."

Co-driver Chris Patterson has supported Gwyndaf in the JWRC and two rounds of the PBRC. The first outing in the PBRC in Gateshead saw the MG ZR win the Super 1600 Class, its first event on gravel. Commenting on the next round Chris said: "I'm looking forward to the Jim Clark Rally – it's pretty challenging and therefore will provide us with another platform from which to gather data and hopefully make a step forward with the development of the MG."

The main focus for the MG ZR is the Junior World Rally Championship but the Pirelli British Rally Championship is proving to be the ideal testing ground. Rob Oldaker, managing director, MG Sport & Racing explains: "It’s always good to perform in front of a home crowd and at the same time collect some valuable data. The opening round of the PBRC provided us with a win in the Super 1600 Class so we know the car’s capabilities. I know that Gwyndaf and Chris will be pushing hard for another result."

GSE Motorsport is responsible for the development of the car. The JWRC rounds at Acropolis mean that the car has been fully tested on gravel. The tarmac rounds of the PBRC will provide the opportunity to further test the car before the next JWRC round in Germany. Steve Bond, rally manager, GSE Motorsport said: "Despite our disappointment in Greece we are heading to Edinburgh with renewed enthusiasm – a return to tarmac and the PBRC both present us with new challenges which we are relishing. We know the car has great potential and this is another important step in its development. We fully intend to go to win and hope to build on our previous PBRC results."

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