Twintest weekend reignites rally season
Another Otago driver keen to test himself against the country’s best is Mosgiel driver Chris Hey. The cancellation of this year’s Ashley Forest Rallysprint was one of the main reason’s Hey, who is fresh from competing in two rounds of the New Zealand Hill Climb Championship — where he leads the 2WD category and is sitting second overall — has made the trip to Auckland.
Gilmour’s Suzuki AP4 car doesn’t have far to travel, as it is based in Auckland with her new chief mechanic Tony McConachy. After more than a decade of working with Australian codrivers, Gilmour has enlisted Cambridgebased Malcolm Peden to call her pace notes.
He sat alongside her for the City of Auckland’s twopass recce this week and will be navigating her through today’s competitive stages. The pair work well together and have finished as runnerup in two rallysprints and third in a full rally this season.
‘‘We are having a good run this year. Being on the podium at the Rally Bay of Plenty last month has given me a taste for finishing in the top three,’’ Gilmour said.
At Jacks Ridge, Gilmour will be joined by highachieving drivers Matt Summerfield (Mitsubishi), Dylan Turner (Audi), Raana Horan (Skoda), and a pair of AP4 Fords driven by Robbie Stokes and Phil Campbell.
Murphy is coming out of retirement for the event and will compete in a Holden Barina AP4, while van Gisbergen will drive a new Mitsubishi Mirage AP4 car that was built for Kiwi rally stalwart Brian Green and is owned by Team Ralliart.
Rallying was a sport van Gisbergen grew up with — his father, Robert, was a talented rally driver.
‘‘It was something I never really got the chance to do when I was young — I did a lot of gymkhana and sprints and stuff, but never really did a proper rally, so it is pretty exciting that our season finishes early so I can come to New Zealand and do some cool events,’’ van Gisbergen said.
One of the most poignant entries is Spencer Bourne, who makes his rally debut in a Subaru Impreza similar to that driven by his father — the late
Possum Bourne. Bourne junior, who has received some mentoring from
Paddon, will sport the number 62 that his dad used while competing in the Production World Rally Championship nearly 20 years ago.
Six stars will battle it out in the crosscar category and should not be discounted from overall honours either. Threetime national rally champion Joe McAndrew, drift star Darren Kelly and ninetime New Zealand Midget Car champion
Pickens will all have a good shot at making the shootout’s top eight.
Ian Ffitch could also be a contender for a topfour spot after impressing with a fourth place overall at the Ben Nevis Hillclimb in Bannockburn earlier in the year.
The Battle of Jacks Ridge will be broadcast live on Sky Sport tomorrow.