Top field for Spring Rally on Saturday

A competitive field will take to the back roads of South Canterbury on Saturday as the Stadium Finance Spring Rally gets underway.

While it was to be a round of the now cancelled NZ Rally Championship, the event will be the second round of the 2020 Mainland Rally Series.

Last year’s winner Hayden Paddon won’t be on the start line due to competing in the first round of the NZ Crosscar Championship in Blenheim.

Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield (main picture) takes on the number one seed in his new Mitsubishi Mirage AP4, having won the opening round of the Mainland Series, the Catlins Coast Rally held in August.

Christchurch’s Josh Marston (Holden Barina AP4) will be hard on his heals followed by Jack Hawkeswood (Mazda2 AP4) and Regan Ross (Ford Fiesta).

The rally has attracted a number of North Island drivers and teams to head south. Joining Jack Hawkeswood are Kingsley Jones (Skoda Fabia), regular South Island competitor Mark Parsons (Subaru Impreza H6) from Drury, Pokeno’s Ray Wilson (Subaru Impreza), Steve Cox (Subaru Impreza), Antony Te Rito (Honda Civic), Paul Frazer (Ford Escort), Amy Keighley, Wayne Rowberry (Toyota Starlet) and Marty Roestenburg (Toyota Starlet).

Fifty-six competitors take to the Special Stages starting at McKinnon Road at 9:55am, finishing eight stages later at Timaru International Raceway.