Northern Advocate reporter Brodie Stone buckles up for her drive around Pohe Island with Zeal Jones. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northern Advocate reporter Brodie Stone buckles up for her drive around Pohe Island with Zeal Jones. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The International Rally of Whangārei had its shakedown on Friday and I was lucky enough to be given a front-seat ride around the track at Pohe Island.
Usually, I’m chasing stories on a Friday but instead I spent my afternoon flying around Pohe Island.
As I donned a race-suit two sizes too big for me I was struck by the familiar scent of petrol mixed with dirt. I’d grown up around speedway – my granddad Vic Wise has been racing for decades – and the sounds and smells surrounding me felt oddly comforting.
As car number 17 approached the gazebo I was told “You’re up” and I traipsed to the open door, where I was told to put my right foot forward and slide myself in.
After battling with my inner monologue for about five seconds about how hard I should try to not make a fool of myself, I managed to fold into the car without too much hassle and fitted snuggly in the seat.
I turned to him as he cheerfully introduced himself as Zeal Jones. This is his ninth or tenth rally in a year of competing.
We slowly made our way to the starting line and I asked Jones, who is 18, how long he’d been driving. He told me he’s been karting since the age of about 7 and got his licence at 16. He’s one of the youngest competitors at the rally.
I was amused at the irony. I’m 23 and only just got my restricted last year and sometimes forget to put the car into park, so I’m pretty sure I’m in safe hands.
Jones explained his love of racing stems from it being in his blood. His father is a driver too and they worked on his trusty 4WD Subaru Impreza together.
As the countdown showed on the reader, I had a second moment of irony when I realised the last time I was anywhere near a four-wheeled thing at Pohe Island was pushing my daughter in her pushchair around the loop.
As I saw the countdown was sitting at five, I began to subtract in my head and then, suddenly, we were off.
It was a jumpy start as for some reason I forgot we would be on gravel. That moment of realisation quickly wore off as we made our way around the track, slipping and sliding around the corners.
I don’t know how fast we were going but it was definitely faster than my little Nissan, which struggles driving uphill.
Northern Advocate reporter Brodie Stone rides in Zeal Jones' Subaru Impreza 4WD 2.0T rally car which he and his dad built. Photo / Michael Cunningham
We spent moments in the air that seemed to slow down time like you see in the movies before we were jolted back to the ground with a thump.
We practically flew over a fair few potholes and I laughed because I’m used to avoiding them and half expected Jones to do the same.
As we reached the end I checked the reader and saw it was sitting at 58 seconds. It felt much longer than that.
Getting out of the car was an entirely different experience at which point I really did make a fool of myself, emerging red-faced and sheepish, managing to finally yank myself out after hitting my helmet on the door.
I asked Jones what it is about racing that he enjoys so much.
“The adrenaline right after the finish is just none other, you know,” he said.
I do know, I thought to myself.
The International Rally of Whangārei, on what are widely regarded as some of the world’s best gravel rally roads, takes place today and on Sunday, after a ceremonial start in Cameron St Mall last night.
Northland roads will host the second round of the 2023 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, which will see the top three drivers from the rally of Whangārei and Otago qualify for a place in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship final later this year.
Competing are 48 teams, including household names Shane van Gisbergen and Hayden Paddon. Spectator maps can be found at this link.
