Catlins Coast rally zooms into action
Expensive, dangerous and dirty it may seem to the uneducated eye, car rallying is also exciting, participant Craig Jessop, of Balclutha, says.
It is the buzz of motorsport that has kept him involved most of his life and for the past 20 years with the Catlins Coast Rally, which will be staged from Owaka tomorrow.
He is a founding organiser of the annual rally, which began in 1999.
The Eastern Southland Car Club member has been clerk of course for much of the past decade and an organiser throughout the Catlins rally history.
Ironically, having helped create what has become a landmark event, he has never competed in it.
‘‘I’ve not got to drive it because it was our idea to run it – and someone’s got to run it.’’
It takes more than 120 people, including volunteers and service group who benefit from proceeds from the event, to stage it.
‘‘It used to eat me up that I couldn’t do it, but I get great satisfaction seeing others do it, especially the North Islanders that come down. It’s done in a great atmosphere of camaraderie.’’
Participation in the Catlins rally has become a rite of passage for both professional and amateur drivers who like to get out and give their cars a good caning on the Clutha District’s famous and infamous gravel roads.
‘‘You’re not going to meet anything coming the other way – that’s the great thing about rallying – and you can use all the road.’’
Depending on the phases, cars can routinely reach speeds of between 170kmph and 220kmph.
The event developed out of the Wyndham Rally to give participants a sense of adventure out in the wop wops ‘‘We wanted to create the ultimate rally, but we wanted it to be relaxed to make everyone want to do it, and it’s worked.’’
This year 67 competitors – one down on last year – have entered.
They include defending champion Andrew Graves, of Gore, who rates the Catlins rally as one of his favourites. Last year’s victory was his third, following wins in 2010 and 2013 in his trusty Mitsubishi EVO 3.
The Catlins Coast Rally will begin adjacent to Owaka Motors in Campbell St, Owaka, at 10am tomorrow with competitors facing six high speed Special Stages over 150 kilometres before it concludes in Owaka in the afternoon.