The ETCO Rally Team are looking to put the disappointment of the Nelson Rally’s clutch failure behind them and round off the year with a positive result at the final round of the Fram North Island Rally Series, the Daybreaker Rally.
The team have a fantastic record at the Palmerston North based event, having their first run in the now iconic ‘ETCO Evo’ 6.5. After a day long battle with 2007 New Zealand Rally Champion Sam Murray, driver Glenn Inkster and co-driver Glenn Goldring took their maiden rally victory in 2006. This year the ultimate goal for the team is to make it two Daybreaker victories from two attempts.
The team enjoy the event, especially the unique feature of having two tarmac stages in the middle of the day, including the Manfield race track. They have a fantastic record on sealed surfaces, having won the last two Taranaki Tarmac Rallies. However their speed on gravel is just as good with standout peformances at the Wairarapa and Waitomo rallies, as well as the infamous Ashley Forest Rallysprint, over the course of the year. The flowing country roads are the type the team has always excelled on and only a fool would bet against a continuation of that form.
In the two round NZ Truth Xtreme Series finals, the team can now only look to climb back up the leaderboard after a disasterous mechanical failure, the team's first in 18 months. However the North Island Rally Series is a different kettle of fish and, despite missing two of the rounds, the team are still in contention for the outright series title.
As well as fighting against some of the South Island’s finest, plus North Island Xtreme Series rivals Glenn Smith and Neil Marshall, the team will also have a battle on their hands from Subaru driver Callum McInnes, Andrew Hawkeswood’s spectacular Audi Quattro S1 replica and former national champion Geoff Argyle, who is making a return to the sport.
The Daybreaker rally will kick off on Friday October 10 with a display and ceremonial start in the Palmerston North Square. Locals will have a chance to ride in cars including the ‘ETCO Evo’ around the streets of Palmerston North for just $10 between 4.30 and 6.15 pm. The next day crews will leave the square at 5.55am and tackle 139 kilometres of glorious gravel roads and 27 kilometres of twisting tarmac before returning to the square to finish at a little after quarter past four that afternoon.
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