The Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship continues to go from strength to strength, with a massively competitive field set to take up the challenge in 2016.
With plenty of new cars to make their debut, the 2016 represents the dawn of a new era in New Zealand Rallying. Also encouraging to note is the manufacturer support re-entering the sport, with large distributor support from Hyundai, Subaru and Mazda, while Suzuki, Skoda, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi are all throwing their weight behind teams to some degree.
Matt Summerfield will be a contender for this year's New Zealand Rally Championship in his Subaru WRX. Photo: Jason ByrneLast year’s championship offered up plenty, with four round winners across six events, classic battles and untold drama, but in the end it was Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn who were to become the latest New Zealand Rally Champions.
Hunt returns to defend his title in 2016, armed with an all new Subaru Impreza NR4 as part of Subaru New Zealand’s return to rallying, leading to a busy summer for the diesel mechanic. With only a couple of test days prior to the opening round, Hunt may take an event or two to become completely comfortable with the new car, but has proven to be a quick learner in the past.
Taking a little bit of pressure off Hunt will be the entry at the first two rounds of WRC star Hayden Paddon. Paddon leads a team of three cars built by Force Motorsport under the new AP4 rules, although current New Zealand rules allow freedoms specifically around engine sizes, turbo restrictors and aerodynamics. Naturally, Paddon is expected to be the pace setter in his freshly built Hyundai i20, complete with 1800cc Hyundai engine, for the opening two rounds before his WRC commitments count out any further outings.
Also out of the Force Motorsport stable will be team owner Andrew Hawkeswood, who has a brand new Mazda 2, replacing his old-shape Mazda 2 from the last two seasons. Although both built under the AP4 concept (once again utilising freedoms allowed under NZRC rules), the cars are totally different, with the new car running an east-west engine configuration as opposed to the north-south layout in the previous ‘Maxi-based’ set up. After a handful of test days and rallysprints, Hawkeswood has declared himself confident with the handling of the car and the team will continue to develop the 1800cc Mazda engine as the season continues.
The third car, a Skoda Fabia, has been built for the return to the NZRC of Glenn Inkster. Since last contesting the NZRC in 2011, Inkster has combined circuit racing and Targa events with expert commentary duties for the NZRC, but will be on the other side of the microphone come 2016. Like it’s stable mates, the Skoda will use an 1800cc unrestricted engine, while externally the car wears a full set of R5 Skoda panels.
Phil Campbell competing in last year's Otago Rally in his Mitsubishi Lancer. Photo: Jason ByrneAlso based on the AP4 concept, although based more on the Maxi style car run in Argentina, is the Suzuki Swift of Emma Gilmour. Coming into the team’s fourth season with the car, Gilmour will be buoyed by last season, where the team appeared to be on top of niggling issues and the speed was coming, topped off by a podium finish at the final round in Wairarapa.
As well as the new cars, there will be plenty of the slightly older Group N based cars. Last year’s season finale saw a debut NZRC round win for Matt Summerfield, who came of age in the 2015 season in his ex-Richard Mason Subaru Impreza, netting third for the season. The man with the consistent speed across last season was Otago four-wheel drive winner Phil Campbell in his Mitsubishi Evo 9, who took last year’s runner up spot.
Dave Holder holder returns to the championship in his ex-Hayden Paddon Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. Photo: Jason ByrneAdd into the mix David Holder, who recorded two podium finishes in a season badly interrupted by his first round crash in the ex-Paddon Evo 8.
Returning to the championship for a serious assault is Sloan Cox. The Rotorua driver has shown plenty of speed in his outings over the past few years in his Mitsubishi Evo 10 and with the calming influence of international co-driver Malcolm Read, is likely to be right on the front running pace.
Junior champion Lance Williams returns in his R4 Subaru and after a season hanging on to the coat tails of the front runners that saw him claim third in the four-wheel drive class, and will be looking to move himself right into the front running bunch, as will his Te Aroha neighbour Graham Featherstone in his Mitsubishi Evo 7. Snapping at their heels will be Clint Cunningham in the Mitsubishi Proto WRC car and Richard Baddock’s Subaru.
Carl Davies makes his NZRC debut in 2016, driving the ex-Hunt championship winning Subaru that started out life as a Cody Crocker APRC championship winning car. Davies was a former front runner in regional rallying before taking a season off, and after some impressive speed in rallysprints over the summer, is being picked by many as a dark horse in the field.
Contesting the South Island rounds, Matt Jansen (Subaru) and Rhys Gardner (Mitsubishi) could both provide some surprises in what is a hugely competitive field already, likewise with Shannon Chambers in his VW Polo in the North Island.
Series sponsor Brian Green moves into the Ralliart built Mitsubishi Mirage that had an encouraging debut at the end of last season in the hands of Chris West, making way for former classic series runner Andy Martin to move into the Evo 10 run by Green over the past three seasons.
Defending Classic champions, Marcus van Klink and Dave Neill, will again be a pacesetter in his Mazda RX7. Photo: Geoff RidderJust as exciting will be the class battles. The Historic field becomes the best seen in years, with defending champion Marcus van Klink committing to at least the opening two rounds in his Mazda RX-7, although with a 20B powered RX-8 under build may switch to the open two-wheel drive class mid season.
He will have plenty of competition to keep him honest though, with Regan Ross stepping up with his injected Ford Escort RS1800, joined by the Silver Fern winning Escort of Jeff Judd and Tony Gosling in the BDA Escort Hayden Paddon drove to outright victory at Otago last year. After many years running group A cars and a long break from national level competition, John Silcock returns to the NZRC in a brand new Group B Mazda RX-7, just like van Klink’s car, while Carl Rabbidge will have a bit of work to do in his single cam RS2000 Escort to keep pace with the front runners.
Open two-wheel drive sees Dave Strong return to his Honda Civic after a challenging foray into the world of four-wheel drive and is likely to be the pace setter, although with the likes of Anthony Jones (Ford Escort) snapping at his heels, will not have things his own way. There will also be a great battle between young rookie drivers Dylan Thomson (Ford Fiesta ST) and Jack Williamson (Suzuki Swift), although their smaller cars may struggle to topple the likes of Strong and Jones.
Last year the rally challenge class was hotly contested, with three teams taking out the overall, two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive title. The challenge, also known as Category 5, is a gateway into the NZRC, with lower costs and teams only scoring their best three of the five rounds and has produced some amazing close racing.
While defending outright champion Darren Galbraith won’t return to defend the title he has won two years in a row, four-wheel drive and rookie champion Richard Bateman returns for Otago and will once again resume his battle with fellow Mitsubishi pilot Tyler Radovan, the title only decided between the pair by the last stage of the last event. One driver that could’ve been in that battle last season was Dan Walker in his Subaru, although without bad luck last season, it’s fair to say Walker wouldn’t have had any.
Two of the big improvers of the 2015 season were the Jono’s, Walker and Shapley, both in Mitsubishi Evo 4’s. While Walker sits out Otago, Shapley will face the challenge of Barry Varcoe in Matt Summerfield’s old Subaru.
Outside of Walker, a growing list of competitive drivers from the North Island will join the field at round two in Whangarei, with last year’s front runner Kingsley Jones, Lee Robson and Warwick Redfern amongst drivers committed.
While the two-wheel drive challenge will have a lone entry in Otago, that being the Vauxhall Chevette HS of former Bathurst winner Greg Murphy, the competition will get stronger with 2014 champion Jeff Torkington already confirming his entry, as has the Toyota Starlet of Dan Alexander, while 2015 champion Justin Glavish in his front-wheel drive Starlet is also expected to be on the start line at Whangarei.
Follow the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship at http://nzrallychamps.co.nz/ or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/newzealandrallychampionship/
- Blair Bartels
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
