Whangarei Rally driver Kirsty Nelson battled illness and heat exhaustion to finish the Rally of Malaysia, gaining valuable experience in the tough Malaysian conditions.
Temperatures of 35-40C, reaching closer to 50C inside the cars, road conditions varying from dry and dusty to slippery mud in the palm-tree plantations, and hundreds of
junctions kept the drivers and co-drivers working hard.
Nelson was one of several drivers to struggle with the heat in the car and was forced to quit the race on the sixth stage on Saturday, putting an end to her chances of winning the Pirelli Star driver award.
Another driver, Rizal Sungkar, passed out during one of the service stages.
Nelson, 18, recovered enough to take the road on the second day of competition on Sunday and put in a vastly improved performance.
"It was much easier today, it didn't rain and we didn't have to shut the vent, which is what made me sick yesterday," she said.
Aucklander Mark Tapper won the Pirelli event, while Australian Cody Crockett won the rally overall to continue his perfect winning record in the 2006 Asia Pacific Rally Championship.
The 27-year-old Tapper was the fastest in three stages on Saturday and in four stages on Sunday, finishing in a total time of 3hr 2m 57sec.
His consistent performance throughout the rally won him the chance to drive in the World Rally Championship in 2009.
Not only did Tapper top the young drivers, but he also made the podium at the event, beating out more experienced APRC drivers to take third place overall.
"It hasn't sunk in yet, the phones been ringing off the hook with calls from around the world," he said.
After some tough times in the last few years, the 27-year-old has come out on top and will now move up to the world stage.
It wasn't an easy weekend for the New Zealand drivers, with the exception of Tapper, with the carnage particularly heavy on the eight stages on Saturday.
New Zealand Rally champion Hayden Paddon, of Geraldine, did some major damage to his car on the first stage after sliding into an oil palm, and then lost a lot of time in the second leg with an electrical problem.
Brad Ayling's chances were also shortlived with a crash on the first stage, while fellow Kiwi Patrick Malley, who went into the day aiming to keep the car on the road, became another victim and had the steering wheel break off in his hand.
