Motorsport: Chandler rallies to the Kiwi cause

Morrie Chandler. Photo / Richard Robinson

The president of world rally Morrie Chandler - a Kiwi to boot - is chuffed the WRC is back in New Zealand after a year's break.

Despite a fairly hefty chance the glamour boys of gravel racing may not be back on these shores, Chandler is confident not all is lost.

When the 2011 event calendar was announced recently, New Zealand was not included and it's been mooted the countries that made the cut would be the ones to have a round of the world championships from there on in.

But it doesn't mean the race won't definitely be back on the 2012 and future WRC calendars.

"I'm pretty pleased to see the rally back here and New Zealand deserves to be part of the world rally championships," said Chandler.

"It's consistently delivered a good quality event and new innovations - it deserves to be here."

The popularity of world rallying has increased and there are now a number of countries who are keen on hosting a round of the world championships, to showcase their country to a global television audience.

A straw poll of the WRC drivers always shows the NZ round to be their favourite.

They love the fast, flowing, open roads with big cambers and the lack of large rocks that can remove a car's suspension. But it doesn't cut any slack with the people who have to pay the bills.

Racing is an expensive business and the costs of getting all the cars, drivers and the rest of the team here would go a long way to bankrolling a small third world country for a week or two.

Chandler said: "We're fortunate we can deliver one of the longest rallies on the calendar with the best roads. But of course it's not drivers who make the logistic decisions. If their masters get asked, they've got a different perspective.

"They want to know how many cars they'll sell in the country."

That's a funny position to take, as the sport is televised globally.

"You could run the world rally championship in Timbuktu, where they sell no cars but the exposure for the manufacturer is through TV and the web," said Chandler.

The FIA recently elected a new world president, Jean Todt, who reappointed Chandler to head the rally commission.

Chandler says: "I make no secret that I have been critical of the structure we have had, that controls the organisers and the competitors. It takes away a lot of their rights and freedoms."