Cox on fire at Wairarapa

Cox on fire at Wairarapa

A superb drive from Rotorua teenager Sloan Cox has seen him take a career best second place on leg one of the third round of the New Zealand Rally Championship, Rally Wairarapa.

Cox, along with co-driving sister Tarryn, started the event with confidence after a recent test session and were immediately on the pace, setting the fourth fastest time in the Taslo Engineering Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 on the short special stage one.

As the rally moved into some longer stages, Cox backed that up with a third place on the second stage and another third fastest time on stage three meant that the brother-sister pair held down third position as the crews entered service for the first time.

In the middle group of stages, the pair struggled to match their early morning pace, setting two sixth and a seventh fastest time across the next group of three stages but still held the edge in the battle for the final podium spot with the open-class car of mentor Geof Argyle.

Special stage seven is notorious for the slippery, goat-track like section in the middle of the stage but not even a split wheel rim that caused a puncture half way through the stage could stop Cox’s charge. Not only did he set the third fastest time for the stage, he moved ahead of Dean Sumner for second position outright, a position he maintained through the days final stage, exactly 30 seconds behind leader Chris West by the days end.

Day two will see a further nine special stages totalling 126 kilometres of competitive driving before the ceremonial finish at Solway Park, Masterton at 4.15pm.

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