Shane van Gisbergen confirms entry to Manawatū Daybreaker Rally 2023

Shane van Gisbergen in the Audi S1 he will use at the Brian Green Properties Daybreaker Rally in September. Photo / Geoff Ridder

V8 Supercar champion Shane van Gisbergen has entered the Brian Green Properties Daybreaker Rally - a 150km competition across Manawatū and Rangitīkei roads.

The fourth and penultimate round of the New Zealand Rally Championship, the September 22-23 race will be another new challenge for the 34-year-old. He will again drive the same Audi S1 AP4 car used at the International Rally of Whangārei in May.

Van Gisbergen is looking forward to the next round of the championship.

“We had a tough time at Whangārei with some issues but a lot of work has been done to make sure we are ready to go for the Daybreaker. We did a test event a couple of weeks ago and the car was feeling great.”

About 100 teams in a variety of cars from international specification Rally 2 to classic era - a capacity field - will have a ceremonial start in Feilding on September 22.

Saturday’s competition is broken into nine stages that tour the teams north to Taihape before returning in the afternoon. The final test will be held at the Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon – a 10.77km configuration that uses the circuit extension. Teams will then celebrate at the ceremonial finish from 4pm.

The field will be headed by those contesting the championship – a series currently led by six-time champion Hayden Paddon.

Brian Green has entered the 2023 Daybreaker Rally - an event he contested 40 years ago. Photo / Lance Hastie

The Daybreaker Rally started 40 years ago and the first entry to this year’s rally, Palmerston North-based Brian Green, was also a competitor in 1983.

“It was very, very popular back in the day, with huge fields of more than 90 cars,” says Green, a previous winner.

“In the early days it started at 10pm in Taihape and went all the way through to finish at Manfeild around 1pm – I wouldn’t last that long these days, that’s for sure.”