Kaiapoi’s Marcus van Klink heads to the penultimate round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship driven by VINZ, the VINZ Goldrush Rally Coromandel, looking to wrap up a second NZRC historic championship.
2012 saw van Klink wrap up his first national title in the Chesters Plumbing Group B Mazda RX-7 but a horror run in 2013 saw him concede the title. But after a solid season to date, just making it to the finish line will mean that van Klink will take a second title.
With the necessity to finish, the Mazda has received plenty of work to ensure that reliability will not deny van Klink a second title.
Since becoming the first repeat winner of the Malcolm Stewart Classic Rally at the last NZRC round, Rally Wairarapa, van Klink has been keeping busy with an impressive run at the Taranaki Tarmac Rally in his new Citroen C2 S1600, then setting a string of top ten stage times at the Catlins Coast Rally.
The new event to the calendar offers up a new challenge to the competitors and van Klink, along with co-driver Dave Neill, is looking forward to getting onto some new roads.
“Basically the main aim for the weekend is to wrap up the championship, we won’t be chasing any four-wheel drives, just getting to the end,” says van Klink. “But it will be great to check out some new roads, it should be great fun.”
The VINZ Goldrush Rally Coromandel gets underway with a ceremonial start in Whitianga from 4.30pm on Friday. The following day sees the gravel action with teams leaving the Mercury Bay Multi-Sports Park at 7am to contest 135km of special stages punctuated by three services at the Sports Park. Crews will also contest the Whitianga Waterways Super Special Stage twice before the ceremonial finish at approximately 4pm.
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