Battle of the brand at Rally New Zealand

Battle of the brand at Rally New Zealand

The country's premier rally championship series will have an interesting battle play out between rival car manufacturers Mitsubishi and Subaru at the 38th running of Rally New Zealand.

With Mitsubishi heading the standings for the second time in the six round championship there are two Subaru's poised to pounce.

Challenged over two of the three days used by Rally New Zealand there is a total 70 point reward for this penultimate round of the series.

Not since Rally New Zealand 2005 has the Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship had a Mitsubishi out front - currently with a nine point lead.

Again for the second time this season, it has been 19-year old Hayden Paddon leading with a Lancer EVO 8.
While dominating the standings for the past six years, Subaru's hopes are currently with Palmerston North's Sam Murray. Though defending champion Richard Mason is expecting to improve his 18 point deficit in third place.

Paddon's nearest Mitsubishi rival is Rotorua's Dean Sumner - 25 points behind in fourth and fresh from outright victory at the previous round in the Hawke's Bay. Throwing a wildcard in to the equation will be the return of former champion Chris West - debuting a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 with the Andrew Simms Ralliart team. While not in outright championship contention West could drive a wedge in the points table.

Doubling the effort, Paddon and co-driver John Kennard are joined by Mason and co-driver Sara Randall as entrants in to the Production World Rally Championship field. With a New Zealand title to secure both teams are under pressure to put in a consistent effort before the one-day finale at Nelson in late September.

Also entered in to the PWRC field, Dunedin's Emma Gilmour and co-driver Glenn Macneall have comeback plans following a car destroying accident early in the season. Spending time on fitness Gilmour says she has been enjoying trail bike riding and sprint events to retune her reflexes.

With a healthy lead in the rookie category, Tauranga's Callum McInnes (Subaru Impreza) has only to earn ten points to take the 2007 title - 17-year old Northland teenager Kirsty Nelson (Subaru Impreza) the other driver in the reckoning.

New Zealand's championship field also includes former WRC works driver Alister McRae (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9) and American sports business magnate Ken Block (Subaru Impreza). Block recently placed second in the X Games held in Los Angeles early in August.

Starting with a shakedown test at Mystery Creek on Thursday morning (30 August) - the event kicks off with a ceremonial start in Hamilton on Thursday evening.

Friday is a five-stage test around the Otorohanga and Waitomo regions - including the Super Special at Mystery Creek service base. Saturday covers six stages in Franklin and Waikato districts with the Sunday a seven stage slog that concludes with a final sprint around the Mystery Creek Super Special. Ceremonial finish celebrations begin at 3pm on the Sunday at the Mystery Creek Events Centre.

Event Overview
- 2007 FIA World Rally Championship - Round 11
- 2007 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship -Round 5
- 2007 Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship - Round 5
Total Distance: 1255.98km No. of Stages: 18
Stage Distance: 353.56km Stage Surface: All Gravel
Longest Stage: SS2/4 Waitomo 43.88km Shortest Stage: SS5/9/18 Mystery Creek SSS 3.14km
Close of Entries: Wednesday 25 July Stages in Darkness: Nil
Sunrise: 0642hrs Sunset: 1757hrs
Service Park: Mystery Creek Events Centre
Rally HQ Location: Mystery Creek Events Centre, 125 Mystery Creek Road, Hamilton
Reconnaissance: Tuesday 28 August from 0800-1900hrs
Wednesday 29 August from 0800-1845hrs
Shakedown: Thursday 30 August -P1 and P2 drivers from 0800-1000hrs
-P1, P2 and P3, and others subject to availability from 1000-1200hrs
Ceremonial Start: Thursday 30 August at 1830hrs (competitors start in reverse order)
Information & Results: www.rallynz.org.nz

Vantage Aluminium Joinery 2007 NZ Rally Championship
NZ Gold Star Rally Driver - Group N (four of six rounds)

1 Hayden Paddon John Kennard Mitsubishi Evo 8 164
2 Sam Murray Rob Ryan Subaru Impreza 155
3 Richard Mason Sara Randall Subaru Impreza 146
4 Dean Sumner Paul Fallon Mitsubishi Evo 9 139
5 Callum McInnes Linda Loughlin Subaru Impreza 98
6 Nathan Thomas Richard Kelly Mitsubishi Evo 7 95
7 Dylan Turner Sandy Bansal Mitsubishi Evo 9 87
8 Emma Gilmour Glenn Macneall Subaru Impreza 81
9 Stewart Taylor Warwick Searle Mitsubishi Evo 9 79
10 Patrick Malley Raymond Bennett Mitsubishi Evo 8 78
11 Kayne Barrie Jayson Stringer/Erin K Ford Fiesta 62
12 Brett Martin Grant Marra Mitsubishi 53
13 Mark Tapper Jeff Cress Ford Fiesta 51
14 Dermott Malley Linzi Malley Ford Fiesta 49
15 Kirsty Nelson Michele Brunt Subaru Impreza 46
16 Chris Lange Malcolm Peden Ford Fiesta 40
17 Alister McRae Steve Smith Subaru Impreza 36
18 Chris West Garry Cowan Mitsubishi 6.5 30
19 Ken Block Alex Gelsomino Subaru Impreza 28
20 Sloan Cox Tarryn Cox Mitsubishi Evo 8 25

NZ Gold Star Rally Co-Driver - Group N (four of six rounds)
1 John Kennard Hayden Paddon 166
2 Rob Ryan Sam Murray 157
3 Sara Randall Richard Mason 146
4 Paul Fallon Dean Sumner 139
5 Linda Loughlin Callum McInnes 100
6 Richard Kelly Nathan Thomas 97
7= Glenn Macneall Emma Gilmour 81
7= Warwick Searle Stewart Taylor 81
9 Raymond Bennett Patrick Malley 80
10 Jayson Stringer Kayne Barrie 56
11= Sandy Bansal Dylan Turner 53
11= Grant Marra Brett Martin 53
11= Jeff Cress Mark Tapper 53
14 Linzi Malley Dermott Malley 51
15 Michele Brunt Kirsty Nelson 48
16 Malcolm Peden Chris Lange 42
17 Steve Smith Alister McRae 37
18 Garry Cowan Chris West 32
19 Alex Gelsomino Ken Block 29
20 Tarryn Cox Sloan Cox 25
21 Erin Kyle Kayne Barrie 8

ends