Vardy gearing up forrally season progression

Chesterfield driver Bob Vardy remains in contention for BTRDA Rally Championship honours after a fine drive at the Plains Rally, Welshpool.

He came fourth in his B10 class and was 62nd overall at the event, which is a qualifying round of the 2017 Ravenol BTRDA Rally Series.

Vardy, who is third in his class overall in his family-owned Fiesta R2, said the Plains Rally “went really well.”

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“So far I have had a couple of solid finishes and I am aiming to get faster at each event and progress,” he said.

“Then hopefully there will be a good result at the end of the year.The competition is a lot stronger this year, so keeping consistency and gaining speed will hopefully keep me up there.”

Vardy, who is 25 this month, has been rallying since 2015 when he took part in the Cambrian Rally.

He was seeded at car 142 and finished 88th overall and seventh in class.

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At his next rally, the Rockingham Stages, Vardy was seeded at car 120 and finished fourth overall and first in class.

Vardy, who has since continued his progression, said: “I have a great team behind me as it is a family-owned rally car. We don’t have much sponsorship, so when we do get damage it’s on me!”

Vardy said he was most proud of finishing the Wales GB in October last year — his tenth rally — where he was seeded at car number 252 and finished 19th overall and second in class.

He entered the sport after previously enjoying motocross.

When I was in my teens I was racing bikes in motocross with my friend, Rhys Yates, who is now in the MSA British Rallying Championship,” he said.

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“We have always done sports together and we decided to give rallying a good go.

“One Christmas Eve my dad, John, bought us a Mitsubishi Evo 4 and we gave that a spin on a test and took it to a track day.

“Then when Rhys came to sell his Fiesta R2, we took the chance to get a quality-built rally car and really give rallying a go. Luckily throughout the two years we have been rallying we have not had any serious disasters and the car is in great shape.”

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