Drivers, cars revving up for big rally weekend

IT'S anybody's guess who will win this weekend's Trust House/Racetech Rally of Wairarapa. Locals will be cheering for Richard and Sara Mason, but Dean Sumner and Emma Gilmour, seeded one and two, will be setting a cracking pace at the head of the field.
But one thing's for sure: Masterton garage proprietor Kevin George will be the first man home. That's because of the number 00 on the side of his car. Rally rules dictate two vehicles should complete each stage after the safety car has gone through.
The zero cars have strobe lights and sirens to warn of the following competitors. The 00 car is a two-wheel-drive, fully-kitted rally car, in this case Kevin's 1984 Toyota Levin 1600. It will start each stage five minutes ahead of the 0 car, in this case Wellington man Clint Anderson's Mitsubishi Evo four-wheel-drive turbo rally car, which will be travelling at close to rally pace.
Both cars must comply with Schedule A of the motorsport regulations, with the crews in helmets and overalls and protected by a roll cage. After those two have passed, the big boys are not far behind.
Kevin's first mission is staying ahead of the 0 car. Five minutes sounds a lot, but on the longer stages the gap can be narrow, especially if he has any sort of problem. The crews are in radio contact with headquarters and both cars carry a GPS tracking device, so the organisers know exactly where they are at all times.
And 00 has another reason for cracking on. Kevin points out that while it might be tempting to run at, say, 80 per cent of maximum, in fact you're more likely to have an accident when you're holding back. "I'll be driving flat out," he said.
Without wanting to put the mockers on him, we can point out that Kevin, now 63 and who did his first gravel event in a Mini Cooper S (on road tyres) in 1969, has never had a rallying accident in the 20 to 30 events he has done. He has also never taken a break from motorsport
On the other side of the coin, he hasn't done a full rally since Hawke's Bay in the late-90s and, no doubt, his body will be telling him all about it come Sunday night.
Being the first competition car on the road, with lots of undisturbed gravel, means lots of sideway driving - just the way Kevin likes it.
Rally Wairarapa is a bit of a reunion for Kevin. He'll have Mike Galvin, a top peddler, navigating. "He's the only other guy I'll let drive my car," he said. "We've been swapping drives in each other's cars since the 70s." The service crew of Graham Coomer and Clive Elliott are also former regulars.
Special stage 1, Te Parae Rd, starts at 8.25am tomorrow.
 
FAST FACTS
This is round five of the Vantage Aluminium rally championship, round three of the Geartech Central Region rally series and round two of the Malcolm Stewart Classic Challenge Trophy. Seventy-five cars minimum.
Ceremonial start at Copthorne Solway today at 6pm.  First stage, Te Parae, starts at  8.25am  tomorrow.
North Rd 1, starting at 2pm, is the final stage of day 1.
Daggs Rd, starting at 8.35am. Sunday, is the start of Day 2.  Final stage is North Rd 2, starting at 2.25pm Sunday.
Favourite viewing spots are Ihuraua School, where two stages come through (Barton's Line 1, starting at 1.30pm tomorrow, and Barton's Line 2, starting at 9.10am Sunday). And SS10, Quarry Rd, at Eketahuna, starting at 11.25am
Sunday. SS6 (2pm  tomorrow) and SS14 (2.25pm Sunday),  use North Rd, near Mauriceville.
Rally maps are available from www.rallywairarapa.co.nz  as are the regulations, stage descriptions, route and speed schedule. 
Obey marshals' instructions. No dogs, stand on the inside of corners, beware of  cars approaching at high speeds if walking on the road.