Rally championship taking shape
The first four events of the 2021 New Zealand Rally Championship have been confirmed with competitors to start doing battle in Otago in April.
The opening rounds of the championship, which is sponsored by the Brian Green Property Group, will be a replica of what was planned for the 2020 season and the final two events are yet to be confirmed.
Action gets under way with the Otago Rally on April 16-18, followed by the International Rally of Whangarei on May 14-16. Rally South Canterbury will run on June 19 and Rally Hawke’s Bay is set for July 24.
Organisers will confirm details for the subsequent rounds once the international calendar is locked in place.
Championship co-ordinator Blair Bartels says he is delighted to lock in dates this early after the 2020 season was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are really pleased to be able to give competitors and fans some certainty around next year’s calendar,” he explains.
“There was a lot of positive feedback about what the 2020 calendar looked like and that has helped shape the 2021 calendar.
“We know there is a lot of anticipation already around next year’s championship and we are excited to be able to announce the first part of the championship to allow organisers and competitors to start detailed planning.
“It hurt not to have a championship in 2020 but it was the right decision for the sport and our local communities. We want to thank everyone in the rallying community for their ongoing support during this tough time.”
Elton Goonan, acting CEO of MotorSport New Zealand, praised organisers for being “so proactive in getting the 2021 season lined up”.
“The 2020 season was shaping up to be an incredible year until we were forced to postpone the championship so we’re very pleased to see that strength and momentum carry forward into 2021,” he adds.
2021 Brian Green Property Group NZRC calendar:
• Otago Rally: April 16-18
• International Rally of Whangarei: May 14-16
• Rally South Canterbury: June 19
• Rally Hawke’s Bay: July 24
• Round 5 (TBC)
• Round 6 (TBC)
