| GNJ |
Tanner, it's nearly six months since we last spoke, and you've really stamped your authority on the Rally America National Championship - right from the start of the campaign! |
| TF |
"Well, coming second on the opening round of the season was a welcome surprise to me! I have to say though; it's all down to the professionalism and preparedness of the SYMS team. I drove the car, but the effortless level of support they were able to give me was just unbelievable. It definitely allowed me to raise my game to a new level right away. That was such a boost - especially on my very first event with the team. Hey, they're World Champions in Group N - I guess that's what you'd expect. Seriously, to have a result like that first time out of the gate - on an event like the Sno-Drift, that's pretty exciting! Yeah, it sure got my season off to a rockin' start!" |
| GNJ |
It's really been a battle between just four drivers over the first five rounds of this nine-event campaign: your teammate Andrew Pinker (AUS) leading with 76 points, Vermont SportsCar driver Ken Block following closely behind on 60, his teammate and reigning RANC champion Travis Pastrana lying third on 55, and yourself occupying fourth - equal on points to the title-holder. |
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| Copyright © Ronnie Arnold |
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| TF |
"For sure, the competition is absolutely fierce this year - as it has been in this championship for a number of seasons; but this season brings a new level of competitiveness to the fore. I guess it's just a sign of the times -because for sure rallying in the United States is gaining ground all the time, and this is another natural sign of that progression." |
| GNJ |
Tanner, your results so far this season must be encouraging - even to the most critical of observers. You were 2nd on the season-opener; came home fifth on Round two (100 Ace Wood). Took third on the third round, while your SYMS teammate Pinker scored his first win of the year, and third again on Round 4 in The Olympus Rally, while teammate Pinker ended up second. |
| TF |
"For sure, the progress - both in terms of results and the level of 'gelling' with the team, is growing. Also, this is SYMS' first year in the Rally America National Championship, and they're already sitting 16 points ahead of the reigning champions. This is the situation as it sits with four events to go before the season's out. To say the level of rallying is being raised in North America is a clear understatement of the facts surrounding the growth of the sport here. Tanner again: "The next few rallies are tough events of course, but with the level of experience that SYMS provides, coupled with a car as proven as the Impreza - the sky really is the limit." |
| GNJ |
With all these incredibly promising showings over the opening five rounds - realistically speaking - how far away can that first RANC win be - particularly in this, the series' most competitive era? |
| TF |
"Well, you know these events are hard; the competitors are equally tough, and everybody wants to win every single stage! It's difficult to predict, but given the level of progress so far, we shouldn't be too far away. We've got four more rounds in the 2007 RANC season, and these remaining rallies are all different from each other. In fact, they're quite different from any of the rounds we've already run!" |
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| Copyright © Ronnie Arnold |
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| GNJ |
Being a California native, the upcoming New England and Ojibwe Forests' rounds must be quite different from what you might call 'home territory' - does it matter that there are fewer 'West Coast' type events in the second half of the season? Is the trajectory of your remarkable success set to increase, or diminish in the latter half of the championship? |
| TF |
"Y'know, I'm taking the 2007 RANC on an event-by-event basis. We're just trying to do our very best in the conditions we're faced with on each and every event. I have to say though, there's a really strong safety net when you're running with an iconic, results-proven machine like the Impreza and a world-beating team like SYMS. It's a winning combination - there's no doubt about that!" |
| GNJ |
Good luck for the rest of the season, Tanner! |
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