The points structure for next weekend's Hawke's Bay Rally doesn't seem right to me - but it's the same for everyone and it certainly means no one will be holding back.
The rally is the penultimate round in the national championship and co-driver Garry Cowan and I are starting the event three points in front of Richard Mason, with another 21 points back to Mark Tapper. The event looks like it's going to be a real sprint, with seven stages and less than 150km of competition.
But the winner will get 64 points for one day of rallying. Until now the points system has given winners of each one-day heat at the earlier rounds just 32 points. At Hawke's Bay and the final round at Nelson in September, second place is worth 54 points, while at earlier rounds it was only 27.
Somehow the points relativity between all events doesn't seem right - but that's what we've got. So finishing Hawke's Bay is absolutely critical for everybody's championship chances. I believe we've got to have a first and second place in the last two rounds to win the championship again.
Richard and Mark need to win both rallies and Mark probably needs Richard and I to have problems and finish down the order.
But anything is possible. A puncture at Rotorua cost us five places and a lot of points. We've had a good break since Rotorua last month and done a couple of days testing. We struggled there but after analysing how the car performed we know what we did wrong. We've made good progress on its set-up, so it should be a lot better.
Most of the Hawke's Bay event is based at Wairoa. Some of the stages - Cricklewood Rd and Old Mohaka Coach Rd - have been used on rallies for more than 30 years. The final stage - Three Bridges - is near Hastings and runs alongside the expressway and river and makes good spectating. With the points structure as it is, a short event and everybody desperate for a win, nobody will be pacing themselves.
It's going to be all on from the start of the very first stage.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
<EM>Chris West:</EM> Bay Rally points take on greater significance
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