Mighty Millen rapt to see WRC cars back

Rod Millen has raced rally cars around the world but has never been happier to see them at home, with the World Rally Championship back on New Zealand soil next week after a

10-year hiatus.

Millen is one of New Zealand’s more storied gravel bashers, having won the national championship in

1975, 1976 and 1977 before heading to the United States, where he excelled in several disciplines, but mainly rallying.

“In the past, Rally New Zealand was always regarded as a popular stop during the season,” Millen told the Weekend Herald.

“The teams have always enjoyed the roads and coming to New Zealand. Because the roads are used by the public, they have a really hard base and don’t deteriorate after a few cars have gone over them.

“It makes for a more level playing field, which the drivers like, as 10 or

20 cars can go over them and it’s pretty much the same for everyone.”

Millen contested the New Zealand round of the WRC in 1977 (fifth) and returned in 1989, when he challenged the world’s best before finishing a close second behind Ingvar Carlsson.

Millen reckons the roads on which this year’s rally will be raced are some of the world’s best which will challenge all the drivers — and some might just be familiar to him from 33 years ago.

“The roads are fast and challenging, and more importantly, they are public roads as opposed to forestry roads. Public gravel roads are fun to drive, demanding and fast.

“It had been a 10-year gap in 1989 when I came back to race that year. It was great to come back and run those same roads and they were still fun and great to compete on.

“I was chatting to a couple of friends of mine recently who are going to watch the rally and they were saying some of the roads are the same ones I raced when I last did the rally.

“It’s not a bad thing that they are still using them, as they’re still a challenge and the drivers have always loved them.”

Millen has won many different events around the world, including a bundle of Pikes Peak titles, the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, TransSyberia Rally, North American Race and Rally, Baja 1000, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Race to the Sky, Championship Off-Road Racing Series, Mickey Thompson Stadium Off Road Series and an IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona. He’s still involved in motorsport, hosting the Leadfoot Festival before Covid intervened.

“I didn’t just want to be a rally driver, I wanted to do other things. I wanted to experience all sorts of adventurers in motorsport, and I feel very privileged to have raced so many different things and against great drivers.

“I don’t really have a favourite, as I loved them all for different reasons. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all, whether it’s racing during the middle of the night at the Daytona 24 Hour, the New Zealand Rally, Pikes Peak or the TransSyberia Rally, they are all unique and special and challenge you in different ways,” said Millen.

Rally New Zealand starts on Thursday with a special stage at Auckland Domain and ends next Sunday at Jacks Ridge at Whitford.