MEDIA RELEASE
18 JANUARY 2007

Bluff Hill Champion Returns

Ross MacKay, the inaugural Bayview Hotel Pub Charity Bluff Hillclimb Champion, will return to defend his title when the 2007 event is held on Saturday 27 January.

MacKay, of Ashburton, had indicated to organisers that he was unlikely to return to the event this year after his car was damaged after crashing down a cliff at a recent hillclimb in Dunedin. However he was so keen to return he has leased a car for the 2007 event.

"It's not a winning car," he said today of his borrowed vehicle. "I don't know a lot about it. It's a Toyota Corolla with some good gear in it and I'll throw some sticky tyres at it. We should be reasonably competitive but we won't match the 4 wheel drives." Meanwhile MacKay's Mitsubishi EVO that he won the event with last year is being repaired after what MacKay calls his "whoopsie" in Dunedin. "I would like to return to Bluff with it next year and break the 1 minute mark," say's MacKay. "I think I could have done it last year but I broke the centre diff on the third run," he said. "With a new hill it takes time to get the road in your head." Last year MacKay blasted up the 1.6 kilometre access road to the summit of the southern tourist attraction in 1 minute 3.403 seconds.

MacKay's enthusiasm to come back to Bluff this year is obvious. "It was bloody great down there last year. I really rated the people. The officials were there to help the competitors and the other competitors were great as well. The further south you go the more competitors understand each other. I actually enjoy my motorsport more the further south I go. The further south - the more fun you have!"

MacKay will be a welcome addition to the field for this year's event. While he rates the officials and fellow competitors highly he too was a popular competitor with everyone last year. After winning the Bluff title in 2006 and claiming the major prize - a drive in the DFAC Challenge at the Silverstone Race To The Sky at Cardrona - MacKay also went on to win that event.

That major prize will again be on offer when competitors take to the road to the summit of Bluff Hill (Motu Pohue) on Saturday 27 January. The DFAC Challenge is a competition using Dong Feng trucks in a run - off that takes place as part of the lunchtime entertainment on both Saturday and Sunday (7/8 April) at the Silverstone Race To The Sky at Cardrona.

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