RAGLAN RALLY OF THE COAST
Best known for its long left-hand point break, Raglan, on the North Island’s west coast, was also home to the final round of this year’s New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) on 13 October. Rain on the previous day suggested that it would be a wet event, but damp roads in the morning were dry come the afternoon stages.
The cars covered 177km of special stages starting on Kauri Flat, 20 minutes north of Raglan. The four roads in the rally were run twice to total eight stages. The last four runs south of Raglan included the well-known Whaanga Coast Road.
Barring any car problems, it was expected the World Rally Championship’s ( WRC) Hayden Paddon would run away with the race. As it happened, despite concerns over the Hyundai’s driveline, which they had to nurse to the end, they still won with a five-minute margin to second-placed Ben Hunt, giving Hyundai New Zealand its first NZRC championship title. Paddon had already won the drivers’ championship in the previous round on the Coromandel.
The rally caters for different classes of cars in different categories, leading to the participation of one of this year’s standout cars — the yellow and white Audi Quattro S1 of Geoff and Keri-anne James. They found the car in Finland three years ago and bought it as “something a bit different”.
Raglan was its first rally outing in anticipation of racing a full season next year in the Historic class. Unfortunately, it only lasted just into the second stage — 2km in, the Audi entered a sweeping right-hander in sixth gear and caught a wheel on a large rock, forcing it into a barrel roll. Thankfully, it’s thought that most of the damage is cosmetic. The chassis was undamaged and the roll cage was bent down slightly on one side.
This left the Historic class with just two runners fighting for the title. Regan Ross and Ford Escort RS1800 co-driver Samantha Gray held off John Silcock and Grant Marra in their RX-7 for the line honours, although Silcock’s points differential in the championship secured the title.
Several other drivers were crowned winners of their respective championship categories in what was once again an outstanding season. The NZRC will kick off again next April with the Otago Rally.