Tauranga (New Zealand)’s Phil Campbell will take part in this weekend’s Maramarua Rally as he continues to gain mileage in his new R2 specification Ford Fiesta.
Campbell and co-driver Venita Fabbro made the best start to their New Zealand Rally Championship campaign at Rally Otago, heading home the two-wheel drive field, but are looking to gain more time behind the wheel and continue to learn the new Letts Construction-backed R2 Fiesta, which is far more modified than the N3 Fiesta the team has used across the last three seasons.
While not a championship event, the Maramarua event sees a total of 120km of competitive action across nine special stages all centred in the Maramarua Forest, widely regarded as the spiritual home of New Zealand Rallying. As well as providing extra seat time, it gives Campbell a look at some roads that will be used later in the season at the penultimate round of the NZRC, the Possum Bourne Memorial Rally.
The event also utilises a unique seeding system whereby the two-wheel drive cars run before the four-wheel drive cars, potentially giving Campbell and his fellow two-wheel drive competitors better road conditions than most events.
“Maramarua should be a good event for us and a great opportunity to get some time in the new Letts Construction R2 Fiesta before the second round of the NZRC, Rally Whangarei,” says Campbell.
The Maramarua Rally starts from Maramarua Forest headquarters at 9am on Saturday with nine special stages all based in the forest before touring back to the finish at the Hamilton Car Club just before 5pm.
Press Release by BB Media
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