With just the world-famous Acropolis Rally to go before the world’s best hit New Zealand’s shores, excitement is boiling to fever pitch inside the WRC and amongst the Kiwi population.
A return to New Zealand after a 10-year hiatus is seen by most as long overdue, and based on ticket sales, it is a thirst that will be quenched for locals.
Event organisers have recently announced that Gold Pass ticket sales have fully sold out and that the WRC’s return will be a sell-out.
Spectator zones across the North Island will be jam-packed with fans to greet the latest and greatest in WRC machinery and provide just the atmosphere that is expected for a world-class event.
Since the 2012 edition of Rally New Zealand, the event has missed a whole generation of WRC cars, but this year’s hybrid regulations are proving no less enticing for those lining up for tickets.
The excitement and build-up are echoed around the WRC service park, with many looking forward to getting to New Zealand shores despite the long trip.
“It’s one of the most fantastic rallies on the calendar and if you speak to any driver, they’ll always put it in the top list of events they’ve done,” M-Sport Team Principal, Richard Millener said.
“Logistically for a team, it’s one of the most complicated, purely because of distance.
“Our rebuild times are four to five days between each event, so for New Zealand, we’ll have to send the cars probably six days before we need them there, to account for going from where we are in Cumbria, northwest England, down to Heathrow and then to fly to the Middle East somewhere, or Singapore, then to New Zealand.
“We’ve then got to clear customs in Auckland and get them into the service park.”
In many ways, what will be ever-present to New Zealanders this time around will be the size and scale of that service park which will be on the Auckland Wharf.
While the setup won’t be on the scale of those that are present at European WRC rallies, the might of Toyota and Hyundai’s setups will be remarkable to see and will give everyday New Zealanders the appreciation of what goes into such a big event.
Millener explained that his team, M-Sport Ford, will be taking a different approach from the other teams, particularly due to their lower budget.
“I tend to look at the most cost-effective way is to rent something in for those (long haul) events,” he explained.
“So we’ll rent a container office from local resources and also bring in external caterers that are local. That helps bring some more money into the local economy, which I think is always important for where we visit and also reduces our carbon footprint.”
So as the build-up to the WRC continues, look out for not just the big names and those who will be trying to match it with the world’s best, but also keep a lookout for those unsung Kiwis who will be working just as hard as anyone to make this show the biggest and best it could be.
There are just five weeks to go…
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