Rally NZ looks back at 2013

The team at Rally New Zealand describes the racing scene in 2013 as “twisting and turning its way to the finish line”, with the NZ Rally Championship (NZRC) enjoying a fierce battle between the regular protagonists and returning Hayden Paddon. Buoyed by two new events in the Manawatu and Canterbury, support from spectators and television fans has boosted the sport’s popularity as a return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) is built. Globally, the scene is evolving with marques testing their wares at WRC level and in support categories at regional championships. New to the podium this year was Volkswagen, not only emerging as rally winner in its first full season in the WRC but as the top manufacturer.

Paddon returns to the top in style

Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard drove a revised-spec Lancer Evo 9 to the Auto Finance Direct Super Rally rules, winning outright the season opener – the Drivesouth Rally of Otago. Top scoring at the next round in Whangarei, Paddon missed the next two – attempting a comeback at the Possum Bourne Memorial Rally. Lucky to finish after issues with the car, the dropping of each team’s worst round gave him a lifeline to charge at the finale. Being fastest at the Trusthouse Racetech Rally of Wairarapa handed Paddon enough points to secure the title, wrestling it from outgoing champions Richard and Sara Mason.

New faces succeed on the local scene

Stepping into the four-wheel-drive (4WD) realm, Nelson’s Ben Hunt and co-driver Tony Rawstorn put their Rally NZ Rising Stars scholarship skills on display at the first round of the NZRC. They finished third overall behind winners Paddon and Kennard and the Masons in Otago, their first event in a 4WD turbo. They ran the season in Group N trim and scored an overall and first win at the GoPro Daybreaker Rally.

Screaming Fiestas battle it out

Also new to the series were two identical Ford Fiesta R2 spec cars, which evolved from the original Fiesta rally concept. Campaigned by Tauranga’s Phil Campbell and Venita Fabbro, and Christchurch’s Josh Marston and Rocky Hudson or Mal Peden, the two teams were at it hammer and tongs during the season. Rarely more than 10 seconds apart at the end of each rally, it was inevitable the 2WD title would go to the wire in the final round with Marston taking it. The pure engine note and sequential gearbox coupled with the committed driving style of each driver made the cars look superb and sound even better.

Rally challenge the perfect stepping stone

New for 2013 was the Gull Rally Challenge category, a stepping stone to the overall championship in which teams competed at one of two days for multi-leg events without reconnaissance. A number took advantage of the cheaper entry to the championship – in particular Te Aroha’s Graham Featherstone and Chris Davison in the Lancer Evo 7. Winning three rounds in a row, they took their insurmountable points lead by switching up to the Super Rally for the season’s final two rounds to score their first overall championship points. Featherstone also won the power stage at the Possum Bourne by setting the fastest outright time.

Classic battle for historical cars

It was a Canterbury-headed whitewash in the BNT Historic Rally with six of the 10 entrants hailing from central Mainland. Dominated by Ford Escorts, the typically leading Mazda RX7 of Kaiapoi’s Marcus van Klink and Dave Neill had their wings clipped by mechanical issues that kept them from outright contention. It was Christchurch rivals Deane Buist and Andrew Bulman, and Jeff Judd and Malcolm Read, who fought out the overall title. Buist won by two points.

What’s being lined up for 2014

The competitor portfolio for the 2014 NZRC confirms six rounds are now scheduled. Starting with the multi-leg International Rally of Whangarei in mid-April, it concludes with the late-September running of the Daybreaker Rally. Visit www.nzrallychampionship.co.nz for more details.