Defending national champion Ben Hunt has claimed his third win of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship after winning the Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally Coromandel on Saturday.
Hunt (Skoda New Zealand Fabia Rally 2) took the win in the championship’s return to the Whitianga-based rally by 10.4 seconds over fellow title contender Robbie Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally 2).
Jack Stokes finished third for a second successive podium in his Team Hutchison Ford Fiesta AP4.
Hunt and the older Stokes traded times all day, but the three-time national champion did enough to protect an advantage he claimed on the opening stage.
He also collected the maximum five bonus points for winning the power stage to open up his championship lead over Stokes to 11 points with two rounds remaining.
Jack Hawkeswood (Force Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris AP4) finished fourth place while Kingsley Jones completed the top five in his Auckland Denture Clinic Skoda Fabia R5.
Bryn Jones continued his dominant campaign by taking victory in the NZRC 2WD class over combatant Tim Mackersy – both in identical Ford Fiesta Rally 4 cars – by 23.8 seconds.
Deane Buist maintained his dominance in the Historic 2WD class to win a fourth consecutive round in his Ford Escort.
Stephen Gill (Ford Escort) was a comfortable second despite a clutch issue, while Pat Norris (Toyota Corolla) finished third.
Haydn Mackenzie relished a move to the Toyota Proto and a change of classes to win the Rally Challenge 4WD battle.
Vanuatu driver Julien Lenglet (Subaru Impreza) put in a stunning drive to be second in the class while Andy Martin (Subaru WRX) was third – pipping good mate Gavin Feast for the final podium spot.
Kyle Percival completed a solid drive to win the Rally Challenge 2WD class.
Kevin Laird triumphed in the Group A Challenge ahead of Josh Keighley in a battle of the two Subaru H6s.
The championship heads south to the Battery Town Rally of Bay of Plenty in six weeks.
Overall Results – 2025 Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally Coromandel
1/ Ben Hunt /Tony Rawstorn, Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo
2/ Robbie Stokes/ Shayne Reynolds, Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo
3/ Todd Bawden /Katrina Renshaw, Ford Fiesta MkII R5
4/ Jack Stokes/ Hayden Graves, Ford Fiesta AP4
5/ Jack Hawkeswood/ Jason Farmer, Toyota GR Yaris AP4
6/ Quentin Palmer/ Michael Goudie, Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo
7/ Kingsley Jones/ Waverley Jones, Skoda Fabia R5
8/ Haydn Mackenzie/ Kieran Anstis, Toyota Yaris Proto
9/ Josh Marston/ Andrew Graves, Holden Barina AP4
10/ William Menzies/ Doug Dolan, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
11/ Julien Lenglet/ Fleur Pedersen, Subaru Impreza
12/ Carlin Leong/ Nathan Roa, Subaru Impreza
13/ Andy Martin/ Matt Hayward, Subaru WRX
14/ Deane Buist/ Karl Celeste, Ford Escort
15/ Eugene Creugnet/ Philippe Delrieu, Mitsubishi Mirage AP4
16/ Gavin Feast/ Jean-Paul van Der Meys, Subaru WRX
17/ Bryn Jones/ Sean Lockyear, Ford Fiesta Rally4
18/ Tim Mackersy/ Lauren Mackersy, Ford Fiesta Rally4
19/ Dan Cowper/ Andrew Bielby, Subaru WRX
20/ Daniel Haines/ Matt Priest, Ford Escort
21/ Brent Taylor/ Dave Neill, Toyota 86
22/ Dale Perry/ Christian Iggulden, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
23/ Kevin Laird/ Aled Jones Subaru, Impreza H6
24/ Rob Darrington/ Mal Peden, Toyota GR Yaris
25/ Chris Ramsay/ Amy Hudson, Toyota Corolla APR2
26/ Josh Keighley/ Neill Woolley, Subaru Magnum H6
27/ Tony Differ/ Jayson Stringer, Mitsubishi Lancer EX
28/ Steve Gill/ Grant Molloy, Ford Escort
29/ Kyle Percival/ Findlay Tyack, Ford Escort
30/ Miles McElwain/ Mike Bunyard, Toyota Corolla AE86
31/ Jeff Torkington/ Jasmine, Cornelius Toyota MR2
32/ George Feast/ Mark Bastin, Subaru Impreza
33/ Adrian Sutton/ Stephen, Dill Nissan Pulsar
34/ Marc Milner /Steven Uffindell, Toyota Starlet 4AGE
35/ Harvey Semmens /Geoff Johnsen, Ford Escort Mk1
36/ Mike Vincent /Darryn Todd, Hillman Avenger
37/ Chris Burke/ Stephen Taylor, Toyota Celica
38/ Darren Hartley/ Brandon Cooper-Barnett, Toyota Celica
39/ Pat Norris/ Kevin Cooke, Toyota Corolla AE86
40/ Mike Cameron/ Helen Cameron, Mitsubishi Lancer
41/ Russell Jenkins/ Murray Mannion, Toyota Corolla
dnf Dylan Thomson/ Bayden Thomson, Subaru Impreza
dnf Zeal Jones /Matt Sayers, Subaru GR Impreza
dnf Ben Huband /Corinne Watson, Subaru Impreza WRX
dnf Dave Strong /Rob Scott, Honda Jazz RS
dnf Lukas Ramsay /Olivia Robinson, Ford Fiesta R2
dnf Rodney James /Adam Miller, Toyota MR2
dnf John Whooley /Carol Liston, Honda Civic
dnf Chris Fitzgerald/ Will Ward, Subaru Impreza
dnf Nick Flanagan /Tristan Lees-Baker, Peugeot 205
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