Mainland Rally Series - Judd Takes Maximum Points at Catlins

Mainland Rally Series - Judd takes maximum points at Catlins

Christchurch driver Jeff Judd along with co-driver Grant Marra have led home the field in the lastest round of the Stadium Finance Mainland Rally Series, the Catlins Coast Rally, held over the weekend. Judd’s result sees him as the fifth different winner in the five rounds to date.

Judd set the pace on stage one, but had to fight off a hard charging Michael Tall/Matt Richards in stage two. Tall would then hold on to a solid second place, with Deane Buist/Karl Celeste producing another outstanding display to come home third in their two-wheel drive Ford Escort.

Returning after missing the last two rounds, Carter Strang/Stewart Robbie came home fourth, just 2.4 seconds away from beating Buist for the final podium spot, while Matt Summerfield/James Palmer rounded out the top five.

The top ten was rounded out by David/Emma Quantock, Garet/Gemma Thomas, Tony Gosling/Blair Read, Andrew Sim/Blair Logan and Dave Ollis/Sean Haggerty.

Class B, for cars 1301-1600cc, went the way of Mike Sheehan/Sarah Faulkner in their Ford Fiesta, comfortably heading home David Taylor/Jonty Brenssell and Andrew Vause/Damien O’Kane.

Class C, for two-wheel drive cars over 1601cc saw Buist and Celeste lead home the Sim/Logan Ford Fiesta.

As well as outright victory, Judd/Marra took their Subaru Impreza to victory in Class D for open-four wheel drive cars, leading home Tall/Richards’ Mitsubishi Mirage and Strang/Robbie’s Mitsubishi Evo 6.

Class E for Pre ’96 four-wheel drive cars was won by Garet and Gemma Thomas in their Mitsubishi Evo 2, who headed home Phil Collins and Tracy Spark’s Audi Quattro.

A fourth consecutive podium finish means Buist maintains his lead in the series points with 107 points, now 12 points ahead of Judd with Summerfield a further four points behind. David Quantock (80 points) and Richard Bateman (71 points) rounded out the top five as the series heads to the Hanmer Rally of September 2nd.

ENDS

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