Former Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia driver, Scott Pedder, is confident of a good showing in next week’s Rally New Zealand, and hopes that he can push for a Group N victory at the end of the three-day WRC round.
Pedder will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 that he has leased for the event, and while he hasn’t driven the car yet, he believes that the car will be up to the job, and capable of setting competitive stage times.
His entry in Rally New Zealand will be the first time he has competed outside Australia, and Pedder knows that despite the event’s billiard table-smooth roads, it’s not going to be easy. The Victorian admits that his plan of attack is changing from day to day.
“Day one is a huge day with two runs over 18km and 43km stages, so you sort of have to be on it from the word go, otherwise you might find yourself two minutes behind the pace going into day two and out of contention,” he said.
“I’m hoping that all those years in the ARC with the sprint format will negate the 10-month lay-off, and I can find a good strong rhythm from the start and be in the mix after day one.
“I have had a look at the times for the last few years, and also had an in-depth conversation with Dean Herridge, and you soon realise the key is to be consistently quick over the three days and to keep away from errors,” he added.
“Good tyre choice is another key ingredient. It is difficult to decide on a game plan before I have even driven the new car and seen the stages, but my gut feeling is that I need to stay within touch on day one and keep it clean and neat, and then play it by ear for day two. If we are in touch, then a big attack on day three will be a possibility,” he said.
Pedder’s attack on Rally New Zealand is being supported by the Trading Post.SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
