With names like Hayden Paddon, Ken Block and Frank Kelly on the entry list, it’s worth remembering that this weekend’s Rally of Whangarei is, first and foremost, round two of the NZ Rally Championship.
Just three weeks after the opening stanza at Otago, the NZRC returns with a two-day, 18 stage event on roads formerly used in the country’s WRC round in the 2000s.
Paddon, Block and Kelly may get much of the non-motorsport media attention, but the battle for NZRC honours will be one keenly watched.
Audi Quattro AP4 driver, Dylan Turner, shot out of the blocks to lead after day one at Otago, but he was eventually overhauled by former champion Ben Hunt’s Subaru WRX STi.
While far from being a battle among just these two, their recent form suggests they’re the two most likely to set the pace.
Both have good road positions, and will start seventh and eighth on the road. With warm and dry weather predicted up north, road sweeping will play a huge part in stage times – to the detriment of two other NZRC front-runners.
Father and son, Andrew and Jack Hawkeswood, are both also entered in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship component of the event, and behind Paddon and fellow Kiwi Mike Young, they’ll start third and fourth on the road.
It could be a key difference when stage times are calculated, handing a decided advantage to Hunt, Turner, and other NZRC speedsters such as Phil Campbell, Josh Marston, Emma Gilmour and Raana Horan.
Campbell took an impressive third place at the Otago Rally after finally finding some reliability from his Ford Fiesta AP4, but the other three all suffered niggling problems that thwarted their chances.
Marston and Gilmour are both recent NZRC round winners and will always be shooting for a top five placing, while the impressive Horan – still a relative newcomer to rallying – will be hoping to overcome his rollover from Otago.
With an ex-works Skoda Fabia R5 at his disposal, he’s arguably got the fastest NZRC car in the field, and road position should also work to his advantage.
The early leader in Dunedin, Brendan Reeves, is absent this weekend because of factory Hyundai Australia duties at Targa Tasmania.
Reeves was fast in the Stokes Motorsport Fiesta AP4 and has had success in Whangarei before, so his absence may be a blessing for his NZRC rivals.
As always, the two-wheel drive battle between Marcus van Klink’s Mazda RX8 and Regan Ross’ Ford Escort RS1800 will be worth the trip north alone.
Both are coming off successful runs at Otago, and their sideways driving styles are sure to have the spectators in raptures.
This is only the second of the series’ six rounds, so a poor result in round one hasn’t necessarily put anyone out of contention yet.
The smart money seems to be on the consistent Ben Hunt once again, but the speed of Turner’s Quattro was a breath of fresh air in Dunedin.
Speed may not be everything though, and getting through the 18 special stages unscathed should at least guarantee a strong result.
Whether that’s good enough to put you on the top step of the podium remains to be seen, but it promises to be an enthralling battle.
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