Using eight stages south of Whangarei, clear sunny skies came as a welcome surprise as much as the international field struggled over the thickly gravelled roads that make up the third round in the 2008 championship season.
While Christchurch’s Chris West took first blood in the opening test, it was the deficit to the international front-runners that put them on the back-foot.
Then the field underwent a metamorphosis as off-road excursions re-shaped the championship ladder.
The significant 29 point lead enjoyed by pairing of Richard and Sara Mason evaporated one kilometre from the end of the second test when the BNT Subaru rolled heavily to put them out of contention for the event.
“We rode up a bank and it went over,” said Mason as he stood beside his stricken car. “Hey, these things happen,” he said philosophically.
Finishing second to West for the day, Geraldine’s Hayden Paddon was the benefactor to finish as the new championship leader. A mere 20 seconds behind after 159km of competition was a gap Paddon intends on reversing for the final seven tests on Sunday.
"We’ve been getting second too much lately so I think its about time to change that and try go one higher. Our main focus is still the New Zealand championship and with Richard (Mason) not finishing, it’s pretty vital to get as many points we can this weekend and get the lead,” said the 21-year old.
Paddon is also the leading driver for the Pirelli Star Driver programme, taking a massive 11 point lead while the second scholarship position is now wide open following the retirement of Mark Tapper.
Third for the championship standings from the day of competition was a third Mitsubishi of Masterton’s Brett Martin, finishing fourth overall behind top-billed Australian driver Cody Crocker (Subaru).
The Kiwi-2 category was similarly decimated, Aaron Cook (Honda Jazz) and Sean Gray (Mitsubishi Mirage) the only survivors to significantly boost their points advantage.
Australia's Brendan Reeves, on his first international rally, finished the day in 20th place. Driving a front-wheel drive Ford Fiesta, Reeves was the leading Fiesta by over a meeting, despite his unfamiliarity with the car.
Starting Sunday at 7:30am, the teams will contest a further 97km of gravel south of Whangarei before returning to the Quayside Town Basin for a ceremonial finish at 3pm.
Results – day one
NAC Insurance Hella International Rally of Whangarei – (top ten)
Pos. Driver/Navigator Vehicle Total
1 Chris West/Garry Cowan Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX 1hr37m57.4
2 Hayden Paddon/John Kennard Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +0:20.2
3 Cody Crocker/Ben Atkinson SubaruImpreza WRX STi +1m31.5
4 Brett Martin/Grant Marra Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +1m49.5
5 Dean Sumner/Paul Fallon Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +1m54.8
6 Katsuhiko Taguchi/Mark Stacey Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +3m07.9
7 Callum McInnes/David Calder Subaru Impreza WRX STi +3m30.1
8 Emma Gilmour/Jeff Judd Subaru Impreza WRX STi +3m46.1
9 Scott Pedder/Glen Weston Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +4m22.5
10 Dean Herridge/Chris Murphy Subaru Impreza WRX STi +4m43.0
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