Maldon rally driver Nabila Tejpar ended the opening round of the 2019 Junior British Rally Championship in a ditch, after rolling out of the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally (16th February) on the very last stage of the event.
The 25-year-old reigning British ladies Rally Champion had enjoyed a successful day behind the wheel of her Pump Supplies backed Peugeot 208 R2, battling through tricky conditions in the North Wales forests. But just a few miles from the finish line, Tejpar and co-driver Max Freeman were launched off the road on a deceptive crest, putting the car onto its roof and into retirement.
After recently announcing an extended rallying campaign for 2019 with included an assault on the BRC, Peugeot Iberica Cup and other selected rounds in Europe, Tejpar would kick start her season with the British series in Llandudno. She would also be aiming to fight for a slice of a £24,000 prize fund this season, thanks to a new initiative from PEUGEOT UK and TOTAL, supporting Peugeot 208 R2 drivers in the Junior BRC.
Over 50 miles of competitive driving lay ahead, utilising stages used by Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB and rocky and slippery conditions greeted the crews on Saturday. Despite unseasonably high temperatures, the muddy surface would keep drivers on their toes as they tacked ten stages just South of the rally base.
Thanks to a winter test programme with the PT Racing team in Portugal, Tejpar was ready for her Cambrian encounter and professed to be “at home in the car” throughout the opening loop of stages.
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As she gained more confidence in the conditions, her stage times tumbled and Tejpar found a pace she was comfortable with throughout the afternoon loop. Competing at night has never been a favourite part of the Essex driver’s career but her solid performance in the daylight had set her up nicely for a strong result at the season opener.
Sadly a deceptive right-hand corner over a crest on the final test would spell disaster as the wrong line through the bend saw her plummet into a ditch with the car landing on its roof. Emerging unscathed, Tejpar was disappointed not to have made the finish ramp.
“I`ll hold my hands up and say it was just a mistake on my part which meant we ended a really good day early,” she said.
“I’m gutted that we rolled out of the event but it hurts that little bit more when it is on the final stage of the rally. I was really enjoying being back in the car, it felt very natural today and everything had been going so well, but I just got the line wrong and over we went.”
Tejpar was eager to remain positive despite the cruel end to her rally.
“I have a pretty good finishing record so you know when you compete at this level sometimes accidents happen. Up to that point, it had gone really well so that’s certainly the focus going forward. Surprisingly I don’t feel that my confidence has been knocked actually and I need to now concentrate on next weekend as I head out to the first round of the Iberica Cup in Portugal”.
Tejpar now travels to North Portugal to contest Rallye Serras de Fafe (22/23rd February) for the opening round of the Peugeot Iberica Cup.
