Taupō rally driver Mason Grimmer, 20, is sliding sideways to success

Rally driver Mason Grimmer and co-driver Daniel Merwyn in action at the first round of the Central Region Sprint Series in Hawke's Bay in February. Photo / Darren Brothwell db photography

He might spent most of his time in a sideways slide when he's on the rally course, but out on the open road Mason Grimmer says he has no time for that kind of thing.

"I don't see the point of driving stupidly on the road.

"If you want to have fun, do it on the race track or on a closed road. Putting others at risk is unnecessary."

For Mason, rallying is fun but it's also a serious sport. He may have only been rally driving two years and have 10 events under his belt, but he's already won his first race and is being tipped as an up and coming star.

Mason, 20, started off his 2021 rally campaign in the best possible way at the first round of the Central Region Sprint Series in February, finishing first overall ahead of an experienced group of competitors despite being one of the youngest there. That put him in first seed for the next round in the Manawatu where he finished three seconds behind the leader and in fourth place overall to give him a current placing of second in his class.

The 20-year-old, who is from Taupō but currently studying a bachelor of business degree at Waikato University, inherited his love of rallying from his father Peter, who used to be a competitive rally driver but gave it up when Mason was a preschooler.

Peter's rally car, a 1988 Mazda 323 BFMR, sat in the garage for years until Mason decided it was time to take the wheel.

"I've always been interested in motorsport but I never had the confidence to ask to have a go. In 2016 I asked my dad and he took me for a ride. I got the rally bug pretty much straight away and the rest is history."

The Mazda's 1800 turbo engine has had plenty of modifications, with the latest addition a six-speed sequential gearbox. Its top speed is 207km/h.

Rally cars have to be road legal but also have extra safety features including a roll cage and drivers must have an authority card to be able to compete.

Taupō student Mason Grimmer, 20, is an up and coming future New Zealand rally star. Photo / Sondra Grimmer

Within the sport there are different types of rallies. Typically, a stage rally will have a variety of different sections of road. A rally sprint is a short piece of road where drivers have multiple runs, with the quickest time the winner.

Rallying is always done on gravel which Mason says is loose, slippery and dusty, but that is part of the thrill.

"I like the buzz. It's very difficult to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it. There's nothing else like it for me just being able to drive as fast as I want, throw it around, feeling the road, feeling the car…it just feels good.

"Before you get in, you can be thinking about other things. But when you're in the helmet, you're strapped in ready to go, nothing else matters, you're in the zone.

"You're trying to push the limit and keep it there."

Which begs the question: has he gone past the limit? Yes.

"I've gone up a bank but kept going, had a few spins but nothing major yet, touch wood."

Mason made an early splash on the rallying scene. He has finished inside the top four in the last six events he started and he took third place overall in the 2020 Rally of Waitomo, after being seeded 28th of 70 entries, finishing ahead of some of New Zealand's best drivers.

In the current competition, the five-round Central Region Sprint Series which runs in the lower North Island, there are around 40 drivers competing in each round. The sprints are held on closed public roads and sprint stages are generally shorter than 10km.

Mason's co-driver is friend Daniel Merwyn who had his first official outing with Mason at the Hawke's Bay stage, calling out the pace notes as Mason navigated the course. Mason says Daniel did a great job and he hopes the pair will form a strong partnership.

"We both have a lot of learning to do but with hard work and dedication we can make it happen."

He says rally driving is completely different to normal driving.

"Most modern cars, the car is driving them. In a rally car, you're driving the car on the gravel and when you're getting sideways it might seem you're out of control but you're actually in control. The car is doing what I want it to do."

Mason's goals include competing at rallying's top level although he's also realistic about the changes of getting into it given that the competition cars are worth around $500,000.

A shorter-term goal though would be to drive a Ford Escort MkII rally car some day.

"They're a driver's car. they're not particularly fast but they're enjoyable to drive because the whole time you're sideways, you're never going straight."

Mason also would like to find a sponsor and says the best way will be to keep getting good results and being as professional as he can.

You can follow Mason on Facebook @MasonGrimmerMotorsport.