Less than two months until the opening round of the New Zealand Rally Championship, the list of main protagonists is starting to take shape.
The fight will be on as the leading crews try to make inroads into the significant advantage currently held by the all-conquering Hayden Paddon in his Hyundai i20 AP4.
Organisers of the Otago Rally, the Dunedin-based season opener, have made changes to their event itinerary in order to comply with the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions, including the likely scrapping of the ceremonial start and Saturday’s popular street stage.
But once the rally gets underway and cars hit the smooth Otago gravel roads, it will be pedal to the metal.
Paddon would seem to be unbeatable, but it’s not yet known if the five-time national champion will contest all events. That will depend on his proposed WRC program.
The list of challengers is becoming longer and more illustrious by the day, arguably headed by last year’s star-in-the-making, Robbie Stokes.
The son of former champion, Brian, Stokes has been honing his skills as fast as he’s been developing his Ford Fiesta AP4, and he looms as Paddon’s heir apparent.
That’s not to say it’s a two horse race though. Far from it.
Another young charger, Jack Hawkeswood, will be aiming to step up his speed even further this year in his Mazda 2 AP4, as will Paddon’s protege, Ari Pettigrew, in an AP4 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Add into the mix Mike Young (Subaru), Matt Summerfield (Mitsubishi Mirage), Dylan Turner (Audi AP4), Regan Ross (Fiesta R5) and Emma Gilmour (Suzuki AP4), and there’s a whole host of drivers who can be on the pace.
Two-time champion, Ben Hunt, will also be on the money too, although rumour has it that he won’t be in a Subaru. There’s talk that he’ll be R5-mounted, but Hunt is playing his cards very close to his chest.
Then there are the other new cars; some we know about, others we don’t.
Todd Bawden will continue to appear in his Ford Fiesta R5, but there are also two brand new R5 cars currently on their way, although their drivers are currently not public knowledge.
Another in a new car will be Haydn Mackenzie, upgrading from his Lancer Evolution to a Toyota Yaris AP4, the ex-Shannon Chambers car.
The 2022 championship begins at Otago on April 8-10 before heading north for the International Rally of Whangarei on May 13-15.
Teams will then head back to the South Island for Rally South Canterbury on June 18, before a return to Hawke’s Bay for the second year running on July 30.
Round five of the championship will be the first day of Rally New Zealand, while the final round will be made up of days two and three of the WRC showpiece.
Along with contesting the full NZRC, there will also be a number of competitors who will hand pick certain events, rather than committing to the whole series.
A real carrot in this regard will be the season-ending Rally New Zealand where locals will not only be able to pit themselves against the world’s best, but potentially a number of leading Australian teams keen to head across the Tasman.
All in all, it’s shaping up to be the most exciting NZRC for many years.
2022 New Zealand Rally Championship
Round 1 April 8-10 Otago Rally
Round 2 May 13-15 International Rally of Whangarei
Round 3 June 18 Rally South Canterbury
Round 4 July 30 Rally Hawke’s Bay
Round 5 Sept 29-30 Rally New Zealand Day 1
Round 6 Oct 1-2 Rally New Zealand Day 2 and 3
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