Veteran Kiwi rally driver Andrew Hawkeswood moved to the top of the standings and is daring to dream of a break-through New Zealand Rally Championship in the twilight of his career.
The Aucklander finished a comfortable second at the Goldrush Rally Coromandel at the weekend while his title rivals raninto problems, bumping the Mazda driver to the top of the standings with two rounds remaining.
Hawkeswood, who has played an instrumental role in bring the AP4 cars into the category, has run close before but knows that his time in the sport is nearing an end and this could be his final chance of capturing a title.
"I need to. I am 49 years old now - I have to win something," Hawkeswood told The Herald.
"I have come close a few times. I have never really taken the championship seriously - over all the years I have been rallying I have only done the full championship a few times - I think this is my sixth time.
"I have got a son. I will still be rallying but I have so many other things I want to achieve."
The championship has been an up and down one in 2017 with defending champ David Holder grabbing the early initiative before Matt Summerfield scored back to back wins in Whangarei and Canterbury. But Summerfield crashed out in Coromandel to allow the likes of Hawkeswood and 2015 champion Ben Hunt back in the mix.
