Otago rally turns new ground
Diverting from its traditional itinerary, Rally of Otago, the weekend’s second round of the Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship, incorporates several brand new tests to the two-day rally (10-11 May).
“There are a number of new roads – stages never used before in rallying, so none of them (the competitors) will have seen them before,” said Clerk of the Course for the rally, Norman Oakley.
Kicking off the competition weekend; the pre-event car show and ceremonial start move to the Edgar Centre – supported by Drive South, a supplement of the Otago Daily Times.
“We’ve thought the Edgar centre would be better. We can get the entire field there under cover, plus a few other things. So we’ll see how it works out.”
By virtue of the opening round win in the Wairarapa, Masterton pairing Richard and Sara Mason start their Subaru Impreza as first car on the road.
“We tend to go good on those roads in Otago; most of the roads are forestry, they are a bigger rock, so they are more hard packed,” said the former two-time champion and current series leader.
Top-seed southern competitor Hayden Paddon has spent time since the first round getting seat time in his left-hand drive Mitsubishi EVO 9 in preparation for this weekend: “The most vital part of the car has been getting more miles,” he said after winning his local South Canterbury event. “Now I’m going to Dunedin with a game face on – the aim is to win.”
Finishing second overall at the rally in 2007, Subaru driver Emma Gilmour doesn’t have the hometown Dunedin tag this season. Still expected to out-perform the boys over the testosterone testing crests, she now hails from Rotorua.
Following Friday’s ceremonial start, the cars depart from outside the Southern Cross Hotel from 8am on the Saturday, completing six stages to the south of Dunedin. The day concludes with a 2.15km sprint through part of Dunedin’s industrial area.
Resuming on the Sunday from 7:15am, five stages to the south and north of Dunedin bring the teams to the Whare Flat forest west of the city for a final 13km test. The remaining cars then return for a 2:30pm champagne finish in the Octagon.
Masterton pairing Richard and Sara Mason lead the 2008 Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship with an opening round win at their hometown Trusthouse Racetech Rally Wairarapa.
Photo: Euan Cameron
Ends.
Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship
Goldstar driver championship - points: after round one (top-ten)
1. R Mason (Masterton) 62
2. S Taylor (Hastings) 48
3. H Paddon (Geraldine) 44
4. M Tapper (Auckland) 41
5 C West (Christchurch) 40
6 B Martin (Masterton) 37
7 C McInnes (Tauranga) 34
8 S Cox (Rotorua) 24
9 A Meier (Cambridge) 23
10 G Barber (Foxton) 22
For more information:
For full ponts: http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Rally/nzrc/points.htm
About the event: www.otagorally.net
www.motorsport.org.nz/Rally or www.vantage.co.nz
Fast facts:
- Event title: 2008 SCENIC CIRCLE Southern Cross Hotel RALLY OF OTAGO
- Second round (of six) in the 2008 Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship.
- A two-day event using a mixture of forestry and country roads around Dunedin.
- Covers 258.79km of completion over 13 special stages (seven on the Saturday, six on the Sunday).
- Features a 2.15km tarmac Super Stage through a section of Dunedin’s industrial area.
- Starts with a car show and display at the Edgar Centre on the Friday evening (9th May).
- First car departs the Southern Cross Hotel (Dunedin Casino) at 8am on the Saturday morning (10th May).
- The rally is divided with the 21 modern cars leading the 50 car classic field (of which seven are in the national series).
- Finish ceremony will be held at Dunedin’s Octagon from 2:30pm on the Sunday afternoon (11th May).
- Television coverage TV One Powerbuilt Tools Motorsport: Rally of Otago - Day one 18th May, Day two 25th May
VANTAGE ALUMINIUM JOINERY 2008 NEW ZEALAND RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
1. |
12-13 April |
Rally Wairarapa |
2. |
10-11 May |
Rally Otago |
3. |
07-08 June |
Rally of Whangarei * |
4. |
26-27 July |
Rally of Hawke’s Bay |
5. |
28-31 August |
Rally New Zealand ** |
6. |
20-21 September |
Rally Nelson |
* FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship
** FIA World Rally Championship
Laurie Brenssell
Championship Promotions Co-ordinator
0274 333 667
laurie.b@xtra.co.nz
Lance Hastie
Rally Publicist
021 329 909
lance@inspire.net.nz
