Motorsport
Ace Masterton rally driver Richard Mason has been lucky with punctures.
Not often in a career which has seen him win the New Zealand Rally Championship on four occasions, including the last two years, has he been slowed by incidents of that kind so to get two on the first day of the Rally of Otago last weekend was clearly something out of the ordinary.
And while the two minutes lost making repairs didn't stop Mason and co-driver, wife Sara, from opening their latest NZRC campaign with a second placing, it did mean they had little chance of overhauling eventual winners Hayden Paddon from Geraldine and John Kennard of Blenheim, on the second day, providing they had no mechanical hassles themselves.
In the end Paddon and Kennard had a commanding 4min 25s to spare over the Masons at the conclusion of the 807.28km event but for Richard Mason it was still a pleasing result, considering not only the punctures but also the fact that Paddon's Mitsubishi Lancer was 150kg lighter than his own Subaru.