Local driver Josh Marston upset the favourites to win Sundays 2018 Lone Star Canterbury Rally, the third round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship. Seeded at five, Marston emulated his fathers victory back in 1999, and gave his Holden team its first win in the national series.
From the beginning of the ten specials stages in North Canterbury’s Ashley and Okuku Forests, Marston took control,winning this test and then adding five more to head home Australian entrant Nathan Quinn in his Ford Fiesta by 9.9 seconds,with little known Aucklander, Raana Horan third in his Mitsubsishi Evo.
Adding to the delight of the Holden team was the performance of track star Greg Murphy who came home fourth.
Marston handled the slippery conditions with ultimate skill and relished in following the wheel tracks of his more favoured rivals. This included the 2015 winner of the Canterbury rally Ben Hunt who retired his Subaru Impreza on stage 1 with electrical issues, second on the road and the winner of last years event, Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield, who struggled with his short wheel based Mitsubishi Mirage in the slippery conditions and the 2016 winner Dunedin’s Emma Gilmour , who retired her Suzuki with two stages remaining following mechanical issues.
For all Summerfields issues, he did finish and added to his points tally by finishing sixth in the #67 car field.
Rangiora’s John Silcock driving a Mazda RX 7 won the classic section and eighth overall while one of Canterbury’s noted circuit racing driver Trevor Crowe was 23rd in his Subaru Imprezza. Crowe, now in his early 70’s, finished third in this event in 1975 when it was the first national championship rally to be staged.
Results;
1/ Josh Marston /Andrew Graves, Christchurch, 1 hour 56.18 1st
2/ Nathan Quinn/ David Calder, Coffs Harbour Aus, 1.56.27.9 2nd
3/ Raana Horan / Michael Connor, Auckland, 1.56.31.8 3rd
4/ Greg Murphy / Mark Leonard, Hastings, 1.57.13.0 4th
5/ Geof Argyle / Joelle Ayre, Fielding, 1.59.16 5th
6/ Matt and Nicolle Summerfield, Rangiora, 2.00.10.9 6th
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