by Geoff Mayes
MG Super 2000 Sport works driver Stuart Jones is eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming
Jim Clark International Rally, the first of three back-to-back tarmac rallies and the second round in the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship.
This will mark the first time that the new age MSD run car will compete on a British tarmac event, and they admit that the first couple of stages will be a step into the unknown.
Jones will be calling on prior experience of the stages, having contested the rally four times in the past, but is also well aware that the set up of the Lico Wheels-backed MG will be extremely crucial this weekend.
Although MSD, the team behind the project, currently run a privateer car in Ireland for Roy White, the characteristics of the roads are completely different. As such the opening loop of stages will be more of a high speed test than a true representation of the cars pace.
23 year old Jones however, has plenty of tarmac experience to call upon. The 2003 Peugeot Super Cup champion has numerous class wins, fastest stage times and even overall rallies wins on the ‘black stuff' to his credit, and with the experienced Andy Bull calling the notes the partnership is certainly a potent one.
"I am really looking forward to the Jim Clark Rally. It suits my driving style, and the MG should go really well this weekend," predicted Stuart, who was sixth on the Pirelli International Rally last month.
"We won't have the opportunity to test ahead of the rally but I am still confident that, once we've sorted the settings out, we'll be on the pace - and if it rains, all the better for us!"
