McRae wins Ashley Forest in Bourne car
An international driver has made history at the Ashley Forest Rallysprint and honoured a Kiwi legend in the process.
As the two Kiwi favourites fell by the wayside, Scotsman Alister McRae stayed on track on Sunday to become the first international competitor to win the event over the 1.7km course.
McRae’s victory came in a famous Subaru that was formerly campaigned by New Zealand rally legend, the late Possum Bourne.
Bourne acquired the then WRC car in 1998 and raced it until his death in 2003. The car is owned by Bourne’s former co-driver Craig Vincent.
McRae, the brother of former World Rally champion – the late Colin McRae, now resides in Western Australia.
Bourne was a three-time winner of the Ashley Forest Rallysprint in 1989,
1991 and 2000. The annual event – held in the Ashley Forest just north of Rangiora – was first held in 1979 but was not contested in 1986, 1992, 1994,
1995, 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2006.
A former WRC driver himself, Alister McRae clocked a 55.35 second run in the final elimination round of two to defeat Blenheim’s Neil Webb
(56.04).
McRae’s fastest time of the weekend was a 55.17 in the top eight shootout.
Kiwi WRC driver Hayden Paddon’s dreams of breaking the course record went up in smoke on Sunday when his revamped Hyundai i20 AP4+ rally car suffered terminal engine failure in the top 16 shootout.
Paddon registered the fastest time of the weekend with a 55.0 second pass in the top 32 round.