- Seven teams set for the start line as the Defender Challenge by Bowler series heads to North Wales for penultimate round.
Tuesday 14th October ‑ Rally teams racing the iconic Land Rover Defender will descend on North Wales this weekend as Round Six of the Defender Challenge by Bowler series takes place at the Cambrian Rally.
Motorsport fans will see seven teams compete for top honours when the inaugural year of the Defender Challenge reaches its penultimate round as it visits North Wales for the first time.
Teams from across the country will gather on Friday for scrutineering at the Victoria Centre in Llandudno, where fans will have the chance to get up close to the vehicles and meet the teams ahead of the weekend's race action.
On Saturday, the eight‑stage course, beginning and ending in Llandudno, will test the teams and their Bowler‑prepared Land Rover Defender 90 vehicles across 45 stage miles, including some of the best forest stages in the country. The route will see teams drive through Penmachno and Betws‑y‑Coed, before tackling the iconic Great Orme headland.
Edd Cobley, a Land Rover Experience instructor from Leicestershire, currently leads the Defender Challenge championship by 15 points, having won the last four rounds of the series.
He said: "With just two stages to go, it's very exciting to be leading the championship. It's been a fantastic debut series for the Defender Challenge and I'm look forward to going for a five‑timer at the Cambrian Rally.
"Wet conditions made the last round in Ludlow very tricky, but this series is showing another element to the Defender. It's been a brilliant event and all of the drivers can't wait to get on the start line at Llandudno."
The Race2Recovery team, spearheaded by driver Ben Gott, also head to Wales in good spirits as they push for a fifth consecutive podium finish. The team enables people with disabilities to participate in professional motorsport and have received backing from long‑term partner Land Rover to enable them to compete in the series. One of the disabled members of the team, female co‑driver Stephanie Boddez, has been winning plaudits for her efforts in the series so far. Belgian Boddez uses prosthetic limbs after losing both her legs to meningitis at the age of 17. She became involved with the Race2Recovery team when she contacted them after watching them on the Top Gear TV series. The team invited her to join them for a day in the co‑driver's seat and, after she showed a natural flair for navigating, they invited her to become a full member of the race team.
Ben Gott said: "We are continuing to grow as a team and are learning a lot from taking part in our first race series. Co‑driver Stephanie Boddez is gaining more experience, and growing in confidence, and we are now fully up to speed with the Defender 90. To get five straight podium finishes is fantastic and we're hoping to build on that achievement in the final two rounds of the series."
Rally fans can find out more about Stephanie Boddez' story in a new short film released online by Land Rover: http://youtu.be/SRH9fyfRNw0
2014 is the debut year of the Defender Challenge by Bowler race series, which features seven rounds, held across the UK. The series has been created to offer competitors a clear pathway to progress to further international rally raid competition such as the Africa Race and Dakar Rally.
Information for people wishing to attend the Cambrian Rally as spectators can be found at www.cambrianrally.co.uk
People wishing to find out more information about the Defender Challenge by Bowler should visit: www.bowlermotorsport.com or, to get a taste of the action, watch the highlights video from Round 5 at: http://www.landrover.co.uk/sponsorship‑and‑experiences/defender‑challenge.
ENDS.
For further information contact:
Paul Garbett, Defender Challenge by Bowler Communications:
paul.garbett@fasttrackagency.com,+44
(0)7718 340555
Jessica Rumboll, Land Rover UK PR:
jrumboll@jaguarlandrover.com,
+44 (0)2476 564258
Editor's Note:
About the Defender Challenge:
The Defender Challenge by Bowler is a one‑make rally series
operated by Bowler Motorsport designed to act as a feeder series to
the annual Dakar rally and other global rally competitions.
Continuing the strategic partnership announced in 2012 between Land Rover and Bowler Motorsport, the Defender Challenge will see competition‑prepared Land Rover Defenders being used in a one‑make, seven round, rally series taking place across the UK. The series will be regulated by the MSA (Motor Sports Association) and each Defender Challenge car will be FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) compliant enabling competitors to compete internationally.
The ultimate aim of the series is to provide a route for teams to progress to top rally raid competitions such as the Dakar and the Africa Race, a pathway previously non‑existent for drivers and teams aspiring to compete in the world's toughest races. Competing in the Defender Challenge by Bowler are drivers with experience of races such as the Dakar, the Dubai Desert Challenge, and drivers for whom this will be their first stage rally. For Damien Taft, this was his first motorsport event since representing the UK in the 1994 Camel Trophy. In addition, Richard Hayward is a previous Dakar competitor and a second place finisher in the former London‑Dakar race. Other drivers, such as Steve Richards and Andrew Wicklow, were racing in their first ever stage rally event, both with the aim of developing their skills and gaining the required license to compete in the Dakar.
All competitors drive Bowler‑prepared Land Rover Defender 90 vehicles that have been expertly modified for safety, performance and durability. The modifications to the competing Land Rover Defender 90 vehicles include a full MSA / FIA certified roll cage, fire extinguisher system, racing seats and harnesses, light‑weight Bowler wheels, a full Bowler racing suspension system with bespoke springs and heavy duty racing dampers and an engine tune to 175hp that delivers 450Nm of torque.
The Defender Challenge is a 'class' within existing rally events where total entries of all classes will be between 80 and 130 cars (including the Defender Challenge cars). These events vary in distance and duration, but all will give the team (driver, navigator, service crew) an introductory experience of national level motorsport. Completion of the series will gain the driver their National B rally license, and attendance at some of Bowlers' overseas races will allow this to be converted into the International license required for events such as the Dakar.
About Land Rover:
Land Rover is supporting the Defender Challenge by Bowler
series. Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing
authentic 4x4s that represent true breadth of capability across the
model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover Sport,
Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4
sectors. Land Rover products are currently sold in approximately
180 global markets.
About Bowler Motorsport:
Bowler is a market leader in the production of racing and high
performance all terrain vehicles, and has been since 1985. The UK
pioneers in Rally Raid cars, Bowler has continually competed at the
highest levels and, during this time, has designed, developed and
produced some of the most innovative, durable and exciting all
terrain vehicles ever seen.
The Bowler Wildcat, Nemesis and now the EXR have all been proven in the toughest race in the world ‑ the Dakar. Each evolution of Bowler has refined the knowledge and experience gained from the previous one.
Based in Derbyshire in the UK, Bowler uses both technology and craftsmanship to deliver vehicles with style, strength, performance and an unrivalled spirit of adventure.
About Race2Recovery:
Race2Recovery is a successful off‑road racing team that provides
opportunities for people who live with disabilities to participate
in motorsport.
The team is the first and only motorsport team with disabled team injured members to twice enter and complete the Dakar Rally (in January 2013 and 2014). Team members achieve the extraordinary through endeavour and endurance; they are courageous and undaunted by injury, disability and challenges.
Race2Recovery is a strong and supportive team; members become a part of the R2R family and the team are supported by a loyal community of followers from around the world.