Rotorua’s Sloan Cox returns to the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship this weekend at the second round, Rally Whangarei, keen to record a top result.
Changes to the regulations for 2013 have allowed plenty of modifications to the Taslo Engineering Mitsubishi Evo 10. Following the team's first event of the season at Rally Maramarua, the Cox Motorsport team have made further modifications.
The team have also undertaken a test session, where faults were found and have been remedied to ensure the car is in optimum condition to tackle stages that 21-year old Cox regards as some of the best in New Zealand.
If prior form is anything to go by, Cox should be on the pace at the event, which also doubles as a round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, having recorded a string of top three stage times last year before an engine failure and subsequent fire ended his event.
After a successful first rally together at Maramarua, this weekend’s event marks the first time that Cox and new co-driver Sarah Coatsworth complete reconnaissance together, allowing them to make changes to their pace notes prior to the event starting.
“I’m looking forward to Whangarei as it is my favourite event of the year and is on what would have to be some of the best roads in New Zealand,” says Cox. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how we match up with some of the other top-seeded drivers with their new cars.”
Rally Whangarei gets underway with a ceremonial start in the Cameron Street Mall from 3.30pm on Friday before the action gets underway the following day. After two days of competition, competitors will have covered 288km of competitive special stages on some of the best gravel roads in the world before a ceremonial finish in the Whangarei town basin starting at 3.15pm on Sunday.
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