Jagger in 4WD in Otago opener

Whangarei rally driver Ben Jagger gets his 2011 New Zealand Rally Championship campaign under way when he joins the country's best rally drivers heading south for this weekend's Rally Otago.
This will be the first of five national rallies over the season which also includes a non-WRC Rally New Zealand, Rally Wairarapa, International Rally Whangarei and Rally Nelson where the series will wind up in September this year.
One year ago it was Jagger's first attempt at the four wheel drive category after becoming 2WD Champion in 2009. He along with co-driver Ben Hawkins drew attention to themselves by placing fifth overall at Rally Otago after showing some impressive pace in their new SeedForce Subaru Ipreza WRX.
Their campaign of last year was helped financially when Jagger was awarded the Rally New Zealand Rising Stars Development Award.
A complete revamp of their rally car prior to this year's opening event has Jagger feeling confident with improved performance expected for this season and also a change over to Hankook tyres should aid the team's pace.
"We've put a lot of work into the car during the off season and it's feeling pretty good and I'm hoping for a repeat of when we were here last year or even better," Jagger said.
Jagger goes up against the regular hardball players including current champion Dean Sumner and past champions Richard Mason and Chris West. Also back in the mix is last month's winner of Rally Portugal in the Production World Championship Hayden Paddon who will be hard to beat.
With a varied field of driver entered in different classes, also included in the line up of drivers entering the Rally Otago in other categories is Ben Jagger's uncle Brian Stokes in an Escort MKII.
Rally Otago got under way last night and concludes tomorrow.