Aucklanders Steven Kirk-Burnnand and co-driver Mike Hay finished the Targa Hawke's Bay Rally todayin dramatic fashion, bouncing back from third to take top spot as Hawke's Bay's challenging rural roads threw up a day of surprises.
The pair, in Kirk-Burnnand's BMW 318ti, started the day in third place overall, two seconds behind the leader Nick De Waal and co-driver Shane Reynolds (Subaru Impreza WX STi).
However, the Subaru had to retire from the race after suffering mechanical issues, leaving the Aucklanders a free run to leapfrog Martin Dippie and his co-driver, Jona Grant, in Dippie's late model Porsche GT3 RS.
Read more: Motorsport: Targa rally hits Hawke's Bay
Fine weather keeps Targa competitors happy
Just 24 hours earlier it looked to be a two-horse race between the Subaru and the Porsche, with Dippie just 17.5 seconds off De Waal's pace after a six-stage stretch comprising just over 157kms.