The entry list for this year’s Otago Rally has been boosted with news that young-gun, Alex Kelsey, will contest the event in his home-built Peugeot 207 – aptly named “Mad Creation 2”.
Twenty-two year old Kelsey will contest all six rounds of this year’s Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, of which the Otago Rally is the second round.
After finishing construction of the Peugeot 207-bodied, space frame car powered by a World Series by Renault 3.5 litre V6 in May last year, Kelsey and his creation have starred in YouTube videos around the world, with the car developing its own following in Australia and the United Kingdom.
After initial teething problems that were largely related to the ignition system, Kelsey has completed four runs in the car with no issues, including demonstration runs at Hampton Downs Race Track and Sydney Motorsport Park in Australia, as well as filming in the Coromandel forest with American online channel ‘The Smoking Tire’.
“It seems that we have shaken all of the bugs out of the car now and it is certainly going better than ever,” Kelsey said.
“Now we are just giving it a full freshen up to give ourselves the best chance for the 2015 season.”
Kelsey will be co-driven by the experienced Mal Peden during his 2015 championship campaign.
“The car is so much fun to drive and it is seriously quick. At the moment Richard (5-time and defending champion Richard Mason) is the benchmark and I’d like to think that we should at least be able to give him a run for his money,” Kelsey adds.
“I’m really lucky to have a great team around me and a great group of sponsors, which means we can have a serious attack at this championship.”
Otago Rally's Roger Oakley said that he was thrilled that Kelsey was bringing the car to Dunedin.
"We are delighted that Alex and the MC2 will be at Otago. We have had a lot of interest in the car, and on the fast Otago roads it is going to be a memorable spectacle," Oakley said.
Kelsey’s entry spearheads what NZRC organisers are expecting to be one of the most competitive entry lists that the NZRC has seen in recent history.
“To have arguably the most exciting rally car in New Zealand running all six championship rounds is great news for rally fans,” commented Simon Bell, NZRC Co-ordinator.
“With the interest expressed from competitors so far, the 2015 series is shaping up to be an exciting season, not only for the overall title, but throughout the classes as well.”
The Otago Rally will be held on May 9 and 10, and will feature an all-daylight competitive distance of 280 kilometres.
As the second round of the New Zealand Rally Championship, and including the popular Drivesouth Rallyfest and the Stadium Cars/Ssangyong International Classic Otago Rally, the event is again expected to attract a high quality field of cars and drivers.
After a Friday night publicity start in Dunedin’s Octagon, the rally gets underway on the Saturday, May 9 with nine stages to the north of the South Island city.
For more information on the Otago Rally, visit www.otagorally.net
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