New Zealand rally driver, Bryn Jones, has continued his development on tarmac after a busy week and a half in Portugal, competing in both the Ponte de Lima Rally and Rally de Lisboa as part of his preparation and campaign in the Peugeot Rally Cup.
Jones was given the opportunity to drive a brand-new Peugeot 208 Rally4 prepared by PT Racing, gaining valuable experience on a surface he is continuing to learn and master.
The first event of the trip, the Ponte de Lima Rally, served as an important testing outing for Jones as he reacquainted himself with Tarmac competition. Joined by his sister, Zoe Jones, who made her international co-driving debut, the pair completed the rally sixteenth overall and seventh in the Rally4 category.
“Great to be back in the car on the tarmac again,” said Jones.
“I am starting to love driving on this surface. It creates quite a challenge when trying to be fast and precise.”
“We used Ponte de Lima as a test for me to find the feeling again and build confidence, but also gave us a chance to try out the new car and make sure everything was working as it should. It was an awesome feeling to be handed the keys to a car that had kilometres on it.”
The focus then shifted to Rally de Lisboa, where Jones reunited with regular co-driver Max Freeman for the second round of the Peugeot Rally Cup.
The opening day was approached with a measured mindset as Jones continued to build confidence and understanding on the demanding Portuguese tarmac roads. As the rally progressed, his pace steadily improved, particularly throughout the second day, when he began to feel increasingly comfortable behind the wheel.
By the finish, Jones had secured fifth place in the Peugeot Rally Cup standings and twenty-seventh overall, marking another encouraging step forward in his tarmac development.
“Coming to Lisbon, the goal was to get as many kilometres as possible and build on our speed,” Jones said.
“On day two, we focused on being smooth and being fast. It was nice to get the hang of it again by the end of the rally.”
Freeman was equally encouraged by the progress shown throughout the event.
“Great mature drive from Bryn,” said Freeman.
“There was a really positive feeling throughout the weekend, and it has been pleasing to see the progress he is making. We also received faultless service from PT Racing.”
The Portuguese campaign continues to provide valuable experience for Jones as he works to further refine his tarmac skills and build toward future rounds of the Peugeot Rally Cup Portugal.
Jones’ next event will be Rali da Agua on September 11-12, where he will continue his Peugeot Rally Cup campaign and look to build on the confidence and pace gained.
Header Image: Kora
