by Geoff Mayes
Welshmen Andrew Hockridge and Tony Derrick will be looking to take advantage of their strong start to the season in the Citroen C2R2 Cup and build on it this coming weekend on the
Jim Clark International Rally.
Hockridge and Derrick, who are contesting the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship for the first time this season, might not have seemed like obvious contenders for class honours on Pirelli, but a mature and calculated drive by Hockridge saw the pairing keep their noses clean as they tackled fourteen tough and treacherous stages in the infamous Kielder forest complex.
The Geoff Jones Motorsport-run car returned to the ceremonial finish in Carlisle first amongst the Citroens and third two wheel drive car home to take an early lead in the hotly contested class.
Despite his early season victory however, Hockridge is refusing to get drawn into any battles.
"We may have taken victory on the Pirelli but I am still learning the little car and this will be only my second ever tarmac rally in the Citroen, and my first time contesting the Jim Clark Rally," he noted. "I anticipate the pace to be rapid but will just run my own rally and see where we end up."
Hockridge and Derrick do have some prior tarmac rallying experience though, thanks to their days of competing in road rallies back home in their native Wales but still expect a steep learning curve when they arrive in Kelso this weekend.
The pair recently contested the RBS Manx National Rally as a high speed test, where they perfected the tarmac set-up. Some very competitive times throughout the rally saw Hockridge return to the finish in Douglas with another class podium, having taken the fight to the much quicker Super 1600's, giving him a confidence boost ahead of the Jim Clark Rally.
