NZRC battle gains traction at Rally New Zealand

NZRC battle gains traction at Rally New Zealand

Spread throughout a world-class field, New Zealand’s top rally drivers will be focused on gaining important national championship points at this weekend’s Rally New Zealand.

A fortuitous win for Dean Sumner at Rally Otago makes him the target at the second round of the Vantage Aluminium New Zealand Rally Championship and the return of defending national champ Hayden Paddon won’t make retaining his lead any easier.

Win-hungry Subaru drivers Richard Mason and Emma Gilmour will want to be in on the action as well as capitalise on their wildcard entries into the Production World Rally Championship (P-WRC).

On the other side of the manufacturer fence, Chris West in a Mitsubishi Evo IX will be hunting retribution after Round 1 victory slipped from his grasp on the final stage. After a spectacular, car-destroying crash on the dusty Otago roads, Glen Smith will rejoin the NZRC field in his Evo X.

Placing second in Rally Otago, but only managing to claim fourth on the NZRC points table, Gilmour is determined to bank some good points.

“We’re going to put our best foot forward,” 30-year-old Gilmour said.

“We have a good road position through our entry in the P-WRC and that will help in the national championship. We’ve adjusted a few things since Otago and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable with the car.”

Group N 2WD and Open 4WD competitors join the Group N 4WD for the three-day event. On Day 2 they will be followed by Kiwi 2 and Historic Challenge NZRC competitors contesting the one-day Possum Bourne Memorial Rally, comprising stages in Franklin where New Zealand rally legend Possum (Peter) Bourne was from.

Rally New Zealand features more than 390km of special stage rallying throughout Kaipara, Whangarei, Franklin, North Waikato and Raglan districts, with central servicing based in Auckland at Queens Wharf.

*The NZRC points are accumulated over five competition rounds, which comprise 11 independent days. Points scored on each day are combined with bonus points - awarded for the overall class placing at each round - to make up the leader board.

ENDS

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