Ben Hunt and co-driver Tony Rawstorn are hoping to defend their Far North rally title. Photo / Greg Henderson
Ben Hunt and co-driver Tony Rawstorn are hoping to defend their Far North rally title. Photo / Greg Henderson
One of Northland's most anticipated motorsports events returns tomorrow after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Adding to the excitement around the return of the Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally is the participation of Kiwi racing legend Shane van Gisbergen.
The 33-year-old Aucklander is better known as a Supercars competitor — he won at Bathurst in 2020 and earlier this month finished fifth in class at the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in France — but he's not completely new to gravel.
He competed in the 2020 City of Auckland Rally in his dad's Ford Escort and finished second overall in Australia's National Capital Rally earlier this month, in the same Race Torque Škoda Fabia R5 he'll be driving in the Far North event.
Also competing on Saturday will be defending Far North Rally champ Ben Hunt, who claimed the top prize in 2019. He'll be back with co-driver Tony Rawstorn in his Škoda Fabia WRC R5.
Organising committee member Marty Roestenburg said by the time tyres hit the gravel on Saturday morning, it will be 1016 days since the last Far North Rally.
Roestenburg (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Kahungunu), a three-time event winner who once claimed the title of World's Fastest Māori, said that from a rally perspective, the Far North's gravel roads were "possibly the best in New Zealand".
The combination of twisty, tight, heavily cambered country roads and fast, open, flowing stages were a microcosm of everything New Zealand's roads were famous for.
The participation of Kiwi racing legend Shane van Gisbergen is expected to boost interest in Saturday's Far North rally. Photo / supplied
More than 40 teams in six classes would compete in eight special stages totalling 150 kilometres, with staggered road closure times, connected by 190km of touring stages.
The stages ranged from just under 10km to the monster 38km Duncan Loop northeast of Kaitaia.
The cars were to leave the Williams Rd car park in central Paihia at 7am with the first due back at the Copthorne Hotel in Waitangi just before 4pm.
Locals could also see the cars and crews up close during service stops at Kāeo, Taipa and Mangamuka, plus a 60-minute lunch break from 11.30am at Te Ahu in Kaitaia.
Roestenburg said three Škoda Fabia WRC R5s were likely to be at the pointy end of the field, with Raana Horan and Kingsley Jones taking on Ben Hunt.
Hoping to challenge the Czech-built Škodas are a field of NZRC-spec AP4 cars driven by the likes of Jack Hawkeswood (in a Toyota Yaris), 2011 Far North Rally winner Dylan Turner (Audi S1) and regular Targa winner Glenn Inkster (Mazda2).
Local supporters are expected to rally behind Far North drivers Jay Sharp and Hazely Windelborn, both in Subaru WRXs.
Defending Far North Rally champ Ben Hunt competes in last year's International Rally of Whangarei. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Roestenburg said events such as the Far North Rally were even more important in globally troubled times because they relieved stress, brought fun and excitement, and delivered financial benefits to local communities.
If anything this week's rain — as long as it was dry on the day — would help the event by keeping dust down and "holding everything together and giving a bit more grip", he said.
Rally chairman Bob Mitchell said having a competitor of van Gisbergen's mana was "a real coup".
"We're expecting the rally to be really positive for the Far North. The interest generated locally and internationally with the addition of Shane to the entry list will bolster this."
The event generated 1200 bed nights and injected about $270,000 into the Far North economy, Mitchell said.
