Pitstop: Millen back in a Mazda for Hawkes Bay rally

Rod Millen

New Zealand rally hero Rod Millen is returning to his Mazda rotary roots at the Hugh Baird Memorial 2WD and classic rally in Hawkes Bay tomorrow.

A three-time New Zealand rally champion before emigrating to the United States, Auckland-born Millen will drive a replica of one of his original Mazda RX7s, built for classic rallies by long-time rally associate Richard Kelsey.

Millen will share the car with local co-driver Michelle Brunt.

Top seed for the rally is Christchurch's Jeff Judd with co-driver Greg Honnor, in a Ford Escort BDA1800, with Millen and Brunt starting second.

Endurance race to be settled in hearing

There was controversy at the second round of the North Island endurance series at Taupo last Saturday when winners Mack Storey and Ray Williams were disqualified for a full course yellow flag infringement.

The two Auckland drivers immediately appealed but the decision was upheld.

Undeterred the pair then took the option of appealing to Motorsport NZ's National Court of Appeal so the results of the race remain provisional.

Second across the line, and in the box seat if the Court of Appeal rejects the case, was the Nissan Skyline Turbo of Auckland pair Harry Dodson and Jody Vincent, their strong finish helping make up for the disappointment of an early retirement for the car at the first round of the Endurance Series at Manfeild last month.

Endurance race enthusiats are preparing for the annual Six-Hour day/night race at Pukekohe on June 17.

Two-day Targa event for Rotorua

Rotorua is preparing for the two-day Targa Seria Campione (championship series) next weekend.

The tarmac-only event is the second in the new Seria Campione series, the first being the Targa Bambina, held in the Counties-Manukau and Franklin Counties in March.

The event has attracted more than 100 entries and consists of eight special stages totalling 142.6km on Saturday and 10 totalling 134km on Sunday.

Top drifters heading for taupo circuit

The country's top Drifters will be strutting their stuff in front of the judges at the Taupo Motorsport Circuit on June 10. Whangarei's Fanga Dan Woolhouse is the favourite after an impressive win over fellow DriftCorp member Gaz Whiter and Taranaki's Dayna Fury Jury at the first round of the 2006 D1NZ National Drifting Championship at Christchurch in March.

Karter hangs on after bad luck
Mitch Cunningham battled back from the brink at last weekend's World Cup karting event at Suzuka in Japan, breaking a chain in the first heat, then being sent spinning off the track in the second heat and the pre-final.

Despite that the 19-year-old Aucklander worked his way from 26th to 16th in the final, earning praise from his CRG team bosses for his never-say-die attitude. Frenchman Arnaud Kozlinski won the race and the cup.