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Christchurch Mazda RX7 driver Andrew Grundy’s lead has however been reduced by Brian Stokes Escort MKII, to 1 minute 58 seconds. Continuing his good drive in the Peugeot 205 GTi is Aucklander Craig Marshall in third, 3 minutes 36 behind Stokes.
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Englishman Grant Shand in his Escort RS1800 is slowly dropping back in fourth with Hamilton’s Charlie Evans in his Mazda RX7 making up around 3 minutes on him today to now be just 58 seconds behind in fifth.
Australians Keith and Mary-Anne Callinan remain in sixth place in their Ford Escort RS1800, two places ahead of David Hills and David Callaghan in a Mk1 BDA Escort.
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The competing cars and their teams left a sunny Dunedin at 7.45am and headed for the Oamaru before a lunchtime service break in the Kurow township. The afternoon saw crews tackle stages at Waimate and Backline Rd before crews ended the day in Timaru.
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Wednesday is the seventh day of the eight day event, will see competitors travel north thru Methven and Oxford before finishing the day at the Palms Mall Shopping Centre in Christchurch at around 4.30pm.
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The days competition stages will take place on roads in the Kakahu Forest (8.50am),  Four Peaks (9.25am) then travelling north to Lake Lyndon (11.20am) and Whitecliffs (12.15pm), before a service / lunch break in the Glentunnel township at around 12.30pm. In the afternoon the teams will tackle a short stage at Malvern Hills (1.20pm) before the Lees Valley (2.10pm) and Okuku Pass (3.25pm) ending the day in Christchurch.
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The final day of the event travels north before ending up at the new Marlborough Convention Centre in Blenheim on Thursday October 23rd at 3.30pm.
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The 2008 NZ Silver Fern International Marathon Rally, currently being held over 8 day’s in New Zealand’s South Island, is the longest duration motor-sport event being held in NZ, and takes its roots from the Silver Fern and Heatway Rallies of the late 1960’s & early 1970’s.
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