Catlins Coast Rally proving popular
In the scheme of things, the Catlins Coast Rally in south Otago could be considered a minor event in the domestic rally season.
However, the famed rally is on most competitors’ ‘bucket list’ with a warm reputation throughout the country due to its great roads, the friendliness of the organisers and locals, and the way the event is run.
This year it has attracted current NZ rally champion Andrew Hawkeswood who will be at the wheel of the Mazda AP4 that he built and took to the national title last year.
The 63-strong field is an impressive one, and it will be difficult to predict a winner from Saturday’s one-day event.
Defending champion and three-time winner Andrew Graves of Gore will lead the field away from the start in Owaka in his Mitsubishi EVO 3 with Hawkeswood, seeded number two.
At three is Matt Summerfield of Christchurch in his Subaru Impreza WRX who finished runner up to Hawkeswood last season in the national champs.
Balclutha’s Dean Bond, another threetime winner of this event is seeded fourth in his Mitsubishi EVO 6.5.
Last year’s runner-up, Jeff Judd of Christchurch, is at five in his Subaru Impreza WRX.
A record number of North Island entries has been acknowledged in the introduction of an inaugural Stadium Finance Southern Challenge, with six trophies available for drivers and codrivers who have crossed the water to compete.
The rally will begin adjacent to Owaka Motors in Campbell Street, Owaka, at 10am with competitors facing six high speed Special Stages over a total of 150 kilometres, before the event concludes back in Owaka at 3.44pm.
The rally is Round 6 of the MRF Tyres Mainland Rally Championship and part of the Eastern Southland Car Club Rally Championship.
McRae to challenge Paddon
World Rally Championship driver Hayden Paddon plans to compete in the iconic Ashley Forest Rallysprint September 22-23 and will be hard to beat.
But he will have some top competition from the potent combination of Scottish rally star Alister McRae and the exPossum Bourne Vantage Subaru WRC rally car.
Australian-based McRae has had this piece of silverware in his sights and has competed several times in the Subaru WRX STI which boasts 750hp.
Coupled with suspension upgraded to 2018 WRC technology the 20-year-old Subaru will be quite competitive against Paddon’s Hyundai i20 AP4 car.
The rallysprint covers a total distance of 1.7 kilometres, 55% uphill, and 45% downhill, on a shingle road in the Ashley Forest with timed qualification runs before an elimination process gets underway leaving just two drivers to compete for the 2018 title.
Hartley’s F1 seat more secure Motorsport has taken a summer holiday break in the Northern Hemisphere with little or no racing this weekend.
The shock announcement last week of Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo signing with the Renault F1 factory team for 2019 has meant that Kiwi Brendon Hartley’s seat at Toro Rosso may be more secure for another season.
Ricciardo was expected to re-sign with his current team, Red Bull Racing so his move to Renault has created an unexpected upheaval in the ‘driver-market’ for 2019.
Hartley’s team mate Pierre Gasly is in the frame for Ricciardo’s seat at Red Bull which may mean that Hartley may still be needed in the Toro Rosso team for a further season.