myevo.com

back

. Ben Briant . 

  rally driver 

Overview                            last update: 24 april 2001

Lancer Evolution driver

Age:

20`A Gemini'

Born

Luton General Hospital - 11 June 1980

Weight 

13 stone

Height 

1.86m (6'.1")

Lives:

Bakewell, Derbyshire

Martial status:

Single

First rally:

-

First international rally:

-

Rallies started:

-

Rally finish:

-

Podiums stands:

-

Group wins:

-

Championship title:

UK Champion 2000 Group N

Education: 

Stancliffe Hall boarding school up to age 13

Denstone College boarding school 13 to 18

Career summary                     

Ben's ambition is to be World Rally Champion. Already a UK Champion at 20, Ben is now poised to make a huge impact on the Interntaional rally scene as he follows his ambition.

visit Ben's pics gallery...

Major Rally results                    

2000 - A5 British Rally Champion 


1999 World Rally Championship 
Rallye Sanremo - International FINISHED 1st Class 


2000 British Rally Championship 
International Kumho Tyres Scottish Rally - FINISHED 1st Class 

2000 British Rally Championship 
International MSA Tarmac Rally - FINISHED 1st Class 


2000 British Rally Championship 
International SEAT Jim Clark Memorial Rally - FINISHED 2nd Class 

2002 Rally season

After such a superb result on the recent Boucles de Spa Rally, the team headed to the French Island of Corsica with high hopes.

But after the first day of competition the feeling with in the team was utter dismay and bitter disappointment. 

The Tour de Corse Rally, round two of The FIA Group N World Championship couldn't have been any worse for Bakewell driver Ben Briant and Jayson Brown in their Proton PERT.

"The tyre choice was the problem, basically we didn't take the correct tyre to suit the conditions. With stage lengths of 40km and the amount of corners, the tyres were being destroyed, they couldn't cope" explained Ben.

After the first loop of stages, 42km, Ben and Jayson were lying 7th, but losing time to the cars in front. A decision was made to change the style of driving for the next stage, a 36km stage that would test both the car and driver to the limit. Ben attacked the stage as hard as possible, leaving braking to the very last minute and taking risks were possible.

"It certainly was a roll-a-coaster ride through stage 3. Ben and the car were on the absolute limit commented Jayson.

But 6km into the stage Ben picked up a puncture. With 30km still to drive the only decision to make was were to change the tyre. 
It would be very dangerous and time consuming to attempt to drive the rest of the stage on the puncture, as well as damage the car. 

Stopping and changing the puncture cost Ben and Jayson 3 minutes. Dropping them down the leader.

"I couldn't understand why we had the puncture. We simply cut the corner, taking the line that the cars in front had taken. Nobody else had a puncture, just us, remarked Ben, It was simply the tyres."

With time lost changing the puncture on the stage, things didn't change. The tyres being the only problem.

"We were losing time simply because of the tyres. The grip level was non existent, the side walls were not strong enough and  couldn't cope, I would drive the door handles off the car and still be losing time. This in turn dropped us down the field. The moral 
was low with in the car, because we weren't competitive enough" said a disappointed and angry Ben.

The Team tried to get a set of Michelin tyres to use for the second day, but to no prevail. 

On the second day a decision between Ben and Jayson was made. 

"We decided to retire the car. I didn't feel comfortable driving in these conditions, the grip level was inconsistent and didn't want to risk anything. Also people don't realise the problems you have, they just look at stage times, because that's what counts, and 
Jayson and myself were starting to look very stupid said Ben. And this isn't the first time the tyres have let us down, this years Swedish  Rally"

For the rest of the session, starting from the next rally, The Cyprus Rally, round three of The FIA Group N World Championship Ben will change tyre manufactures.


......End

Ben Briant, 21 from Derbyshire and Co-Driver Jayson Brown, 28, Abergaveny, Wales, will 
contest round 2 of the Group N World Rally Championship - The Tour de Corse, at the wheel of their Proton PERT.

Ben and Jayson have had a mixed start to the 2002 season, in which they plan to contest both the  Group N World Rally Championship and Belgium International Rally Championship. Finishing a disappointing 9th of the registered Group N Championship contenders in Sweden, and a creditable 6th o/a and 3rd Group N on the recent Boucles de Spa Rally, Belgium.

Having never rallied on the Island, Ben will find that experience will count. With the big drops and relatively high speeds, it's a rally in which you have to use your head and push hard at certain points. 

"The aim for Corsica is to finish in the points, that means 6th at the lowest. Once again the calibre of
driver will prove to be very tough, but after the performance on the recent Spa Rally I'm confident that Jayson and I can do it. The new pace-note system should be more confidence inspiring, the car is good and I have a good feeling, so it's left to me to drive as fast as possible" commented Ben.

"It's a very tough and demanding rally. The speeds aren't high but the road and general conditions can soon catch you out. I feel that after the Boucles de Spa rally result, Ben's undoubted car control and our confidence building within the car that we will achieve our goal of finishing in the points, any less and we will be very disappointed" remarked Jayson.

Ben and Jayson start the recce for the 2002 Tour de Corse, Tuesday 5 March. They have a pre-event test scheduled for Thursday 7th. The rally then starts on Friday 8th and finishes Sunday afternoon. 

Over the winter break a decision was made to contest the Group N World Rally Championship and  the Belgium International Rally Championship. Luckily enough, the WRC Rallies that Ben had contested in 2001 were to be included in the 2002 Championship, apart from The Acropolis Rally. This meant that the experience that Ben had gained in 2001 on the WRC was not wasted and could be put to good use.

There was also change in the team. Jayson Brown was bought into the team as Co-Driver, and Mellor's 
Elliot Motorsport were to run the car full time.

Jayson had approached Ben early in the New Year as regards the vacant Co-Driving seat. Ben had been 
team mates with Jayson during the 2001 season, so he knew a little about Jayson. With his experience 
on the WRC rallies, included in the 2002 FIA World Production Car Cup and his obvious ability and 
talent Ben couldn't turn that opportunity and experience down.

The programme required two car's. Therefore, an International GpN Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 officially 
entered by Mitsubishi Ralliart UK was built for the Belgium Championship and an International GpN 
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 was built to compete in the Group N World Rally Championship. 


Swedish Rally

The year started with The Uddlehom Swedish Rally, round 2 of The World Rally Championship, but most importantly for Ben and Jayson round 1 of the newly formed FIA World Production Car Cup. 

The aim was to get a point. This would mean that they would be on the points table and would then be 
seeded on the points gained for the forthcoming rounds. Looking at the entry list it was going to be very very differcult. The calibra of driver competing in Sweden was certainly very good - 2 ex British Rally 
Champions, Italian Rally Champion and ex Subaru WRC Driver ! 

Mellor's Elliot had done a deal will Proton to run Karamjit Singh, the 2001 Asia Pacific Champion on the FIA World Production Car Cup, in a Proton PERT. The car is the same as a Mitsubishi Evo 6, but
badge under licence as a Proton.

The deal meant that Ben became the second driver in the team.

This would be the first major rally since the accident in Ypres, back in June last year. It would also be 
the first event for the new car, and as a team for Jayson and Ben.

Ben eventually finished 9th in the Group N Championship and out of the points. (Points are scored the same as full WRC - first place to sixth place.)

"In hindsight, I should have done more pre-event testing. Ben wasn't up to full rally speed, and 
spent most of the rally building speed up. It's very easy to think on the stages that your going fast, but in reality, when you look at the time it's well of the pace. I suppose it didn't help that we kept leaving the road too!!" remarked Ben

"The car ran faultlessly, Jayson and I got on and worked well together. One major point that was 
discovered was that the pace notes weren't that good. There's too much information, which Jayson 
couldn't get out fast enough, and by the time he did, we were at the corner. This in turn we feel slowed us 
down, because I was lifting, trying to listen to the notes" remarked Ben

This is something that both Jayson and Ben have addressed. 


Boucles de Spa

Having done most of the Belgium events for the first time in 2001, Jayson and Ben are confident that they 
can win the GpN Championship in 2002. As Ralliart UK's official entrant in the Belgium series, the car 
will be one of the best, if not the best. For this event Ben had to use the Proton PERT as the Evo 7 
wouldn't be finished in time.

Ben and Jayson got off to very good start on the weekends Boucles de Spa Rally. Finishing 6th o/a and 3rd Group N.

"Ben has attracted great interest and admiration from the Belgium crowds. With his committed, sometimes 
wild driving style on the tarmac roads of Belgium. Last weekend we set many top GpN times, the new note system worked and we proved that, but couldn't be consistent enough to challenge for a GpN win" 
commented Jayson.

.....END.

2001 Rally season                     

DATE: 27 AUGUST 2001

A FINISH IN FINLAND FOR BEN BRIANT / TIM LINE, 49th overall on Neste Rally Finland 

21-year old Bakewell driver Ben Briant, accompanied by Royal Artillery sergeant Tim Line (38, from Melksham, Wiltshire) finished last weekend’s Neste Rally Finland in 49th position overall and 14th in class after overcoming numerous problems. Driving a Guy Colsoul-prepared Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, this was their fourth outing on the 2001 World Rally Championship, and ‘steep learning curve’ seems an appropriate description of the season so far.

Fresh from a top ten place on the Astra Stages rally the previous weekend in a Group A Subaru Impreza, the contrast from North Wales couldn’t have been greater. “Every World Championship rally has its own severe characteristics,” said Ben at the finish, “and this is what makes them so different and so much more daunting than, for instance, British stage events. In Finland it’s very fast gravel stages, and, with a start number of 105, these were extremely rutted by the time we went through them on the first day.   

“Conditions improved somewhat on the second and third days, but we suffered from punctures and a broken drive-shaft and picked up some penalties, so we never made up our lost time. We’re happy to have got to the finish, however, and all this experience will stand us in good stead for the future.”

Ben and Tim’s next event is the Tour of Flanders in two weeks time.

Ends….

For further information contact Mark Taylor on 07767 377600, Ben Briant on 07980 758324, or Tim Line on 07718 877410.

16 JULY 2001

Rallying mean also to learn from mistakes and to improve ... There is good and less good times, important is to believe in the future success. 

At the same time you give your team and mechanicians the opportunity to get in contact with "internals" of the car, which usually cannot be seen... !

We believe that Ben rallying pédigree will allow him to reach some nice results quite soon, especially if he will take the flying line to the finish like in this beautiful picture. 

9 JULY 2001

DISAPPOINTMENT IN DEUTSCHLAND

Mechanical problems thwart the hopes of Ben Briant / Tim Line

Apart from speed and excitement, one thing in particular makes rallying such an interesting sport – unpredictability. It’s one of the ultimate tests of man and machine, and for any team, human fallibility or mechanical frailty can make the difference between a good result or a disappointing one.

Ten days ago, 21-year old Bakewell driver Ben Briant had an unfortunate clash with a concrete electricity pylon in Ypres, that briefly put Melksham co-driver Tim Line in hospital. This last weekend they bravely decided to go ahead with their plans to drive a Guy Colsoul Rallysport Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI on the Rallye Deutschland, but their efforts were frustrated by a host of mechanical problems.

“We were determined to dust ourselves off after Ypres and drive steadily to get a good result on the Deutschland,” said Ben at the finish yesterday (Sunday 8 July). “It certainly hasn’t turned out that way, because everything’s gone wrong that could have gone wrong – boiling brake fluid; no handbrake; a blown turbo; punctures; a broken jack; the car refusing to start. We did get to the finish, but we’ve lost 34 minutes and are in 34th position. I know these things happen in rallying, but it’s a depressing feeling.

“Our next major rally’s not until Finland on 24th August, so we’ll now need to regroup, recover properly, and prepare ourselves mentally and physically.”

The Mitsubishi’s problems started on Friday’s first leg, during the timed runs on the twisty tarmac stages through the vineyards around Trier. The brake fluid started boiling, making the brakes all but useless, and to make matters worse, the handbrake packed up, making it impossible to negotiate some of the hairpin corners without reversing. The Colsoul team fixed these
problems by the end of the day, but Ben and Tim finished a disappointing 26th overall and sixth in class. 

Worse was to come on Saturday, however, when the turbo failed on the second stage of the day. To add to Ben and Tim’s problems, a front tyre punctured, and they were forced to stop and change the wheel when the disintegrating tyre threatened to damage the suspension. The jack handle then broke, and Tim had to prop the car up on logs and rocks before the new wheel could be repositioned on the wheel studs. This exercise did nothing for Tim’s hand, stitched up after the Ypres accident, and the exhausted crew dropped to last position after checking into the regroup control nine minutes late. 

After some respectable times over the next few stages, another disaster – an electrical fault meant that the car wouldn’t start after the next regroup, and several more vital minutes were lost while the problem was fixed.

By contrast, Sunday’s run was uneventful, but too much time had been lost to climb back up the order. Rally crews, both those in the car and those responsible for servicing and maintaining it, accept that incidents are inevitable, but Ben and Tim must be thinking that the law of averages will mean that a good result is just around the corner.

Ends…. 

09 april 2001

Round 2 - Belgian Division 2 Rally Championship

Ben Briant superb result: 5^th OVERALL   and 2^nd Group N

FULL REPORT:

The TAC Rally was based in Tielt and was a one-day event with 20 stages made up of 4 loops of five stages.  Thanks to Foot and Mouth disease the event had attracted a large amount of foreign crews from the Netherlands, Ireland and Britain forcing the organisers to raise the entry from their planned 50 to 75.  The stages generally comprised of narrow, slippery, super smooth tarmac roads bordered by ditches.

Starting 16^th car on the road in their Mellors Elliot Motorsport EVO 6, Ben and Tim had set their sights on a top 5 finish, “I always try to set a target for each event, by doing this, it keeps myself and Tim focused on the task, and stretches the skill each rally”, commented Ben.  The event was important for Ben and Tim, as a class win would have put them at 1^st equal with David Sterckx, the current leader of the Belgian Gp N Division 2 Championship.

The pressure was certainly on to perform.  Since the Hannut Rally, Mellors Elliot had spent their time developing the car into full International Tarmac spec, with the main advances coming from alterations made to the engine management system and the suspension.  “The car just feels like it wants to go” commented Tim, “I have never experienced such a rush of blood up my legs from a car off the start line.  It’s just phenomenal”.

With the roads still very damp and slippery from the day’s previous rain, Ben and Tim immediately attacked the opening stages, using the valuable experience they had gained on their previous forays to Belgium this year. 

On the first tight and twisty 2.5 km stage, Ben set a time 5 seconds quicker than any other Gp N car. “The car is going like a rocket, every corner we come out off, it’s power sliding it’s way to the next!” said Ben.  This was to be the start of a monumental battle between the top Gp N driver, Sterckx and Briant.  Swapping stage times with each other all morning, at the halfway point Ben and Tim were 1 second behind.

As the stages began to dry out, tyre choice became critical.  Although the conditions suggested the use of slicks, the surface of the roads was so smooth that the tyres simply did not get hot enough to work properly.  The decision to run intermediates cured this problem to a degree, but despite setting 2^nd fastest time on stage 11, (1 second behind Snijers) as the afternoon wore on Sterckx, who was on slicks began to pull out a slim lead finishing the afternoon 6 seconds ahead of Ben and Tim.

With no sign of rain in sight they decided to try the last 5 stages on soft slicks, determined to regain the lost time.  Unfortunately a spin just after the start of stage 16 caused the pair to lose another 10 seconds and this effectively put a class win out of reach.  Pushing very hard, a minor excursion into a field followed and as darkness fell, Ben and Tim decided that they were unlikely to gain anything by continuing to drive on the limit.  They elected to play it safe and protect their remarkable 5^th overall.

Their next event is the Terre de L’Auxerrois, a French gravel rally, followed a week later by the Tour de Luxembourg.  This 170 mile tarmac event already promises some superb high speed competition, with top Gp N drivers from all over Europe and Scandinavia, already pledged to take part.