No dilly dally from Malley ensures win in the rally

Kaitaia sport enthusiast Sam Toumine (in the foreground) watches Patrick Malley blasting along Church Road towards the halfway point of the Rally of the North on Saturday morning.

At the halfway point of the 2015 Tanoa Paihia Hotel Rally of the North on Saturday, the field of 43 had already been cut down to 32.

By the end of the day, only 24 were eventually able to cross the official finish line at the Williams Street carpark in Paihia.

Spokesman Blair Bartels admitted this was an unnaturally high attrition rate, indication of a "tough rally" and suggesting the Far North roads had taken their toll, although he noted the majority of the DNFs were through mechanical breakdowns.

"A few of the guys fell off the road, but no one was hurt," said Bartels, adding only two of the top 10 seeds finished. "No real [serious] accidents, just a lot of them. No one will walk away with a destroyed car but a few guys have gone home with their tail between their legs," he laughed.

Many were sad to learn the sole Far North entrant, Barry Gibbs, was one of those to record a DNF. Last week the 30-year-old marine technician from Opua told the Age his main goal was to just complete his ROTN debut in his revamped Ford Escort entered in Class C (1800cc and over, two wheel drive). However, the plan came unstuck in relatively spectacular fashion during stage 3 when Gibbs failed to take a corner and ended up in his pride and joy some distance down a bank.

Gibbs was one of six drivers representing the hosting Northland Car Club in this year's rally. The overall winner, another NCC member, was Whangarei's Patrick Malley who took full advantage as the various other frontrunners fell by the wayside to claim his second Rally of the North victory, with mum Linzi making her debut in the event as his co-driver. The Malleys had the fastest time, completing all eight stages in 1:57:39.1 to take out main Class D (for top of the range 4WD cars).

Other winners were - Class C: Craig and Sarah Stevens in a Ford Escort Mk 2, Class B: Scott Ogle and Dennis Pullman in a Toyota Starlet, and Class E: Kian Scherer and Murray Manion in a Subaru Legacy.

For many spectators, the highlight from The 2015 Tanoa Paihia Hotel Rally was seeing the sheer range of cars spanning every decade since the '60s - including a couple of BMWs and an MG, alongside state-of-the art Mitsubishi Evo 10s - line up to take on eight unsealed, back country roads throughout the district. The event began in Paihia early on Saturday morning, and raced through various stages under crisp, mostly clear early Spring conditions at Waipapa, Kaeo, Mangonui, Kaitaia and Hokianga.

Bartels said he expected next year's event would attract more than 60 entrants as it will be part of the New Zealand Rally Championship.