Tom Cave relishing start of Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy season

Welsh rally driver Tom Cave is eager to begin his 2014 rally campaign next week, as the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy heads for its first round, the Vodafone Rally of Portugal. While it has been more than four months since his last competitive outing, he has spent the time wisely, carrying out as much preparation as possible ready for the start of the season.

Tom's last event was Wales Rally GB in November 2013 and while that is several months ago, he has been busy over the winter period. He has been studying on-board footage from previous editions of the rally, including the 2009 edition, in which he competed in his Group N Ford Fiesta ST.

He has also been studying the DVD provided by the Rally Portugal organisers, from a car driven over the stages. While he is not using this to make initial pace notes, Tom is able to supplement his existing knowledge of the event with further experience of the overall nature of the stages and begin to build a picture of which areas are rough and smooth and where he might be able to push and where to take things easy.

And while Rally GB saw him drive a Ford Fiesta R5 and his last two seasons in the MSA British Rally Championship saw him at the wheel of his Citroen DS3 R3, he did contest the first round of the 2012 BRC in a Fiesta R2, so has some experience of the car.

To further learn the R2 Fiesta that he will be driving in the 2014 DDFT, he carried out a day's testing in the UK using a rented car. This proved extremely useful, with a significant distance racked up to get a feel for the car and it's behaviour on both the twisty stages and the more open, faster ones which make up the first round, based in the Algarve.

Even more beneficial was the support of Elfyn Evans, the latest British driver to make it to the FIA World Rally Championship as a works driver. Elfyn used the R2 Fiesta to clinch the FIA Academy in 2012 en route to his M-Sports works drive and discussed various aspects of the event with Tom.

Commenting, Tom said; "Two weeks ago, I was quite apprehensive about the start of the season, even though I've done the event in Portugal and have driven a Fiesta R2 before. However, now that I've had a solid day testing the car, have viewed the roads on the DVD and the internet and had a chance to have a good chat with Elfyn, I really feel ready for the start of the season.

"I think it's going to be very competitive - there are some very quick drivers in the series and because we're all in identical cars, the emphasis is squarely on the driver and co-driver. Also the drivers will be on the same DMACK tyres and as we have seen in the past, the Portuguese stages can be very abrasive so it may be necessary during the event to think about managing tyres as well, adding some strategy into the mix.

"I have very fond memories of the rally in Portugal, even though we didn't have a very good event there in 2009 [Tom's car retired with engine failure]. The stages are fantastic and a real mixture of tight and twisty and fast and flowing. If it's dry, dust could be an issue and if it's wet, it becomes very slippery.

"But we will be in the same boat as everyone else. And because it's a five round series and every score counts, it will be crucial to be on the pace from the outset but make sure that we avoid any mistakes."

There will be even more support for Tom, as his sponsor and partner, Morris Lubricants, has been adopted as official lubricants supplier to the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy.

The 2014 Vodafone Rally de Portugal begins for the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy with a short test on the afternoon of Wednesday 2 April, before the crews transport to Lisbon for the ceremonial start on Thursday 3 April, at the Casino in Estoril before tackling the now-famous Superspecial stage around the Placa do Imperio in the centre of Lisbon.

Friday 4 April sees six stages, run as two loops of three either side of a single service halt in the Algarve region with a similar program on Saturday 5 April. The event finishes on Sunday 6 April, after three stages in a single loop in the morning, including the 13.8Km Loule Power Stage.