Pitstop: Shakedown gives title hopefuls first chance to test cars

World championship contenders in Rally New Zealand will get the first chance to test their cars when they complete the official shakedown near Paparoa this morning.

The drivers of the 12 works cars have been doing their reconnaissance for the Propecia-sponsored fourth round of the championship for the past three days in the Waikato and Kaipara areas.

For three hours from 8am they have the use of Wearmouth Rd, Paparoa, to make final adjustments to their cars, which have been flown here after the last round in Mexico.

Only the world championship contenders and four other privateers with similar cars will test at Paparoa. The rest of the field, including the world production car competitors and New Zealand national championship contenders, will use Komokoriki Hill Rd, Kaukapakapa, from 9am.

All competitors will return to Auckland City for the ceremonial start in Waitemata Plaza, by Viaduct Harbour, from 7.30pm. The rally proper begins at the Paparoa service park from 9.30am tomorrow.

The first stage at Parahi begins at 9.53am and there will be seven other stages tomorrow. On Saturday, there will be six more stages in the area before competitors return to Auckland for two passes of the Manukau Superspecial from 7.30pm.

Sunday features four more stages, starting at 9am.

Rescue effort

One competitor particularly keen to test his car will be national champion Chris West, whose Subaru Impreza was badly damaged in a road accident last week.

A huge effort by a team of volunteers at the weekend restored the car to working order after it was almost destroyed from the windscreen forward while the engine was being run in.

The force of the impact was so severe that external engine components were destroyed, so everything in the engine bay has been replaced, leaving nothing to chance.

"Possum Bourne Motorsport worked through the weekend to build another motor," said West, "even though they had the final preparation to do on their own two team cars [for Australian champion Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge].

"All the locals in Hamilton who have helped have been magnificent. The panelbeater and painters have done a great job."

Suzuki rev up

Suzuki has yet to commit itself to a full world rally championship campaign but the Japanese manufacturer is making all the right moves to prepare for a challenge.

Its two junior world championship drivers, Per Gunnar Andersson and Guy Wilks, will compete in Rally New Zealand in their Suzuki Ignis cars, although the rally is not part of the junior championship.

They will contest several other non-championship rounds to gain experience for when, hopefully, Suzuki steps up from the Super 1600 class.

Tough GT3 lineup

Former Carrera Cup and Transtasman Porsche GT3 cup series winner Jim Richards will provide some stiff competition for Matt Halliday and the other GT3 competitors at Pukekohe next week.

Richards will replace Craig Baird in the Paul Pedersen-owned GT3. Baird is competing in the V8 Supercar races.

With regular New Zealand visitor Charlie O'Brien, Richards is one of two Australian drivers confirmed for the final round of the series.

Leading Bridgestone Porsche Series drivers Mike Eady and David Mackrell will also step up to the GT3 races for the meeting.

Rotax Max

Defending champion Jared Carlyle is one of a number of high-profile karters who will line up at Palmerston North on Saturday for round one of the New Zealand Rotax Max series.

Set to challenge Caryle are newly crowned Rotax Max Light champion Paul Cameron from Auckland, young guns Caine Lobb and Charles Hoare from Whangarei, New Zealand V8 driver Paul Pedersen's son Anthony from Taupo and last season's surprise package, Auckland's Michael Wheaton.

Single-seaters

Timaru driver Brent Collins will come to Pukekohe for the last round of the new Toyota single-seater series with a handy points lead, but also a new car after a near-disaster at Manfeild in the previous round.

Collins' car was so badly damaged in a pileup soon after the start of the first race that he decided on the Saturday night to buy a new one.

"There just wasn't the time overnight to repair the car, so we had a family meeting and decided that we would bring forward the decision to buy the new car."

Toyota had a car available, but members of Collins' family-based team still had to work into the night to get it ready for Sunday's races.

Despite that effort, the 29-year-old - who until this round has had a dream season - struggled on tyres that were well past their best.

Meanwhile, his closest rival, 15-year-old Brendon Hartley, closed the points gap with consistent placings, and Andy Knight roared into third with two wins and a second.

Going into the last round, Collins has 833 points, Hartley 773, Knight 769, Daniel Gaunt 732 and Matthew Hamilton and Chris Pither 683.

Supertruck clash

Hamilton driver Andrew Porter won the national supertruck title at Manfeild but the Aussie team won the Transtasman challenge.