Great Result For West

For Immediate Release

17 JULY 2011

Great Result For West

Chris West of Timaru produced a fine drive to finish third at Round 4 of the 2011 NZ Rally Championship, the Rally Of Whangarei, this weekend.

In addition to third place of all the NZRC competitors West and co-driver Erin Kyle of Hastings finished fourth overall in the field which was bolstered by a classy line up of international entrants contesting the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.

It was a very happy West at the finish in Whangarei on Sunday afternoon. "It was a great weekend, a good achievement for the whole team. The car ran well all weekend and it is nice to have a result," said Westy who has suffered more than his share of misfortune in the series.

West, the 2004 National Rally Champion, finished fourth on Saturday and followed that with third on the second day, results that secured him third overall of the NZ Rally Championship competitors in the field.

With the major runners in the Asia-Pacific Championship starting ahead of the NZRC competitors Westy was the twenty-second car on the road during Saturdays first leg. With several days of wet weather prior to the event and drizzly rain on the day Westy had to overcome the deteriorating road conditions. He did that in fine fashion to run prominently all day long in the Andrew Simms Mitsubishi EVO 9.

"The car is good but conditions are not ideal so far back," said Westy during an early break. Despite the challenge of running down the order West was never out of the top five stage times for the NZRC competitors throughout a day which he described as "hard work."

On Sundays second leg West, Kyle and the Andrew Simms Mitsubishi EVO 9 started sixth on the road giving them more advantageous road conditions. Another top drive was to follow. Westy was

fourth fastest in the first two stages before setting a string of top three stage times for the remainder of the day. Near the end a brake problem hampered the duo a little but they finished the day third of the NZRC competitors.

The result saw them on the New Zealand Rally Championship podium and fourth overall in the star studded field. "We suffered a bit on Saturday because of our road position but you deal with it, get on and do it." After a tough season and a demanding weekend Westy declared himself to be "pretty happy" as he stood on the NZRC podium.

With one round remaining West is now fourth overall in the Brian Green Property Group 2011 NZ Rally Championship while Kyle lies third in the co-driver standings.

The final round of the championship, Rally Hawkes Bay, takes place over the weekend of 20-21 August.

Support for Chris West in the Brian Green Property Group 2011 NZ Rally Championship comes from Andrew Simms Mitsubishi, the New Zealand Herald, Castrol, Pirelli and Donnithorne Simms Mitsubishi.

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