"I've had something come up business-wise that needs my attention for a while, so I have had to put the rallying to one side for the moment," Hawkeswood told RallySport Magazine.His absence from the first round of the NZRC had seemingly opened the door for Australian driver, Brendan Reeves, to drive the Mazda2 AP4 in the Otago Rally, but that now seems unlikely.

"The team have been working on perfecting the 1600 SKYACTIV engine for the AP4 Mazdas, and have had a new inlet manifold cast. "I'm gutted with the decision, but have to do some hard yards in the business."I'll be back later in the year, and Brendo will do something too," Hawkeswood said. Despite his absence from the Otago Rally, a field of well over 120 entries is expected for the Dunedin based event, to run on April 14 and 15.

Brendan Reeves (left) is likely to contest some NZ Championship rounds in 2018. Photo: Geoff Ridder
Related news:
https://rallysportmag.com/nz-rally-champ-to-expand-program-into-the-usa/- Full access
- Exclusive news
- Store & Tour discounts