Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield heads to the third round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, the Joe’s Garage/Lonestar Rally Canterbury, just looking to make the finish.
After winning the event as a non-championship round in 2012, Summerfield has always been a favourite for victory on his home event, but in the past three editions since the event joined the NZRC, the 24 year old has yet to make the finish, twice rolling out of the event and once suffering engine failure.
This season to date, Summerfield and co-driving sister Nicole have shown plenty of speed in the Castrol Edge-backed car, but unfortunately mechanical problems have failed to see that speed transferred into results.
“So far this year, the car speed has been really good, which has been encouraging, we just need to prove that speed consistently across an event,” says Summerfield. “Every time we come to our home event we talk it up and say we want to win, then it all goes pear shaped, so this time we just want to finish. If we can do that, a good result should take care of itself.”
The Joe’s Garage/Lonestar Rally Canterbury Rally Canterbury run on Sunday 5 July. After leaving the start at Rangiora at 7.40am, teams will cover nine special stages in the Ashley and Okuku Forests totalling 171km, before returning to the finish in Manchester St, Christchuch from 5.30pm.
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