Force Motorsport have recorded a dominant result at the fourth round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, the Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel, with Australian driver Brendan Reeves leading home Andrew Hawkeswood for a 1-2 finish.
Heading into the event, Reeves was looking to take the challenge to WRC star Hayden Paddon while Hawkeswood was looking for a solid haul of points to improve on his third place in the championship standings. Both made solid starts, with Reeves setting the pace and Hawkeswood fifth fastest, quickest of the championship contenders.
Reeves lead was short lived when he spun the Mazda 2 AP4 car in special stage two, which saw him drop to fourth place, while a second fastest time saw Hawkeswood move the Mazda 2 AP4+ into second place. Reeves fought back in stage three to move into second, then took the rally lead in stage four with Hawkeswood returning to second place, positions they would hold to the end of the event.
While Reeves’ appearance is set to be a one off, Hawkeswood’s second runner up finish of the season sees him move into the lead of the national championship, seven points ahead of the chasing pack, while in the manufacturers points Mazda are a solid second, only five points adrift of the series lead.
“It’s a bit of a dream result really, it could’ve only been better if the roles were reversed,” joked Hawkeswood after the event. “It was fantastic, not only did our car run trouble free but our new car ran faultlessly as well.”
“It certainly puts us in a great position in the championship, now we have to make sure that we continue to score and score well at the final two rounds.”
The Force Motorsport team now turn their attention to round five of the NZRC, Rally Waitomo, on October 14.
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