Rotorua’s Dean Sumner has taken overall victory at this weekend's TOMOANA Warehousing Ltd Rally Hawkes Bay 2007.
Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9, Sumner took several stage victories in the fourth round of the Vantage Aluminium Joinery New Zealand Rally Championship. Second place went to Palmerston North’s Sam Murray in a Subaru Impreza – 10.8s behind after seven gravel stages held in the northern Hawke’s Bay.
Starting prior to first light this morning, the 27 cars in the championship started in mild conditions, but the temperature soon dropped, with sporadic rain showers following them to the champagne finish ceremony at Napier’s West Quay.
Third for the championship was Brett Martin – also in a Lancer EVO 9.
Finishing fourth was youngster Hayden Paddon (Lancer EVO 8), who now takes the overall lead in the championship to be 11 points ahead of Sam Murray in second.
First two-wheel drive car for the rally was the Ford Fiesta of Mark Tapper – who led the Group N 2WD class. Second was the Mazda RX7 of Bert Murray – to lead the classic field. Following in third was the Kiwi-2 car of Dave Strong in the Honda Civic – with a substantial points lead for the class.
The fifth and penultimate round of the New Zealand Rally Championship takes place in four weeks as part of Rally New
Results (provisional)
1. Dean Sumner (Lancer EVO 9)
2. Sam Murray (Subaru Impreza) +10.8
3. Brett Martin (Lancer EVO 9) +46.0
4. Hayden Paddon (Lancer EVO 9) +52.2
5. Stewart Taylor (Lancer EVO 9) +1m19.3
6. Dylan Turner (Lancer EVO 9) +1m38.3
7. Callum McInnes (Subaru Impreza) +3m27.2
8. Nathan Thomas (Lancer EVO 7) +3m43.0
9. Emma Gilmour (Subaru Impreza) + 4m46.8
10 Patrick Malley (Lancer EVO 8) +5m33.4
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