Rally driver Aaron Jones is looking ahead to a promising 2016 season with his family-run team.
Eighteen-year-old Aaron, from Penpedairheol, has teamed-up with a new co-driver for the forthcoming season in the shape of 17-year-old Owen Evans.
Another fresh fixture for the team is the car.
Out goes the Nissan Micra that Jones began his rallying career in and in its place is a Honda Civic Type R with a 1600cc engine producing over 200bhp.
Aaron explained: “It was a big step-up from the little Micra that I started off rallying in. This car is now able to set me up for the 2016 season where we are contending the Welsh Rally Championship, FMP Rally Championship and many more.”
The car has already shown what it can do to with a surprise trophy at an event towards the end of last year.
Aaron said: “After what turned out to be a fairly dry day, when everyone expected it to rain and get very wet, the car performed fantastically. Before the first stage of the day, the team had not really tested the car in anger, only enough seat time to get comfortable and be able to drive it.
“After getting a new set of wet tyres for the event, everything went just as planned. Each stage the crew got more confident and was able to push the car closer to its limits.”
After finishing a long day through muddy conditions, the team came home to find that they were an unexpected 14th overall out of 75-plus cars, and second in the 17-strong field for the 1600cc class. This represented the team’s best-ever result.
Aaron said: “The entry for the next two rallies Rali Cwm Gwendraeth and Tour of Epynt have been put in. The car will have a few more tweeks and it will be ready to get back out on the stages to start the 2016 season with some hopefully championship contending results.”
For more information, and team sponsorship opportunities, visit www.aaronjonesrallying.com.