Motorsport: Rally drivers chase important individual points

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New Zealand roads will again host top international rally drivers for round three of the Asia Pacific Rally Championships (APRC) being held on the gravel around Whangarei this weekend.

All 67 entrants will not be aiming for APRC points, as there are a number of other championships being contested over the two days. Drivers will be vying to gain points in the Vantage Aluminium New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), the Asia Cup, the Pacific Cup and the Stilo Top Half Rally Series.

International competitors like Japanese top seed and APRC points leader Katsu Taguchi will be looking to consolidate their place on the table. Former World Rally Championship (WRC) driver Alister McRae will be aiming to kick-start his campaign after the first two rounds in Malaysia and Japan were blighted by mechanical gremlins.

McRae has been to our shore five times in his former guise as a WRC pilot and a further two times for other races and so knows the roads well.

"New Zealand roads are probably the best in the world for rallying. You know what to expect when you come here. They're going to be fast, flowing and good," said McRae.

The weather may play a part in this weekend's rally. If it's dry and dusty drivers generally want to start further down the field, letting the front runners sweep the roads clean. However, in the wet drivers want to start as early as possible to avoid churned up and slippery surfaces.

Another top contender in the Asia Pacific field is former WRC driver Chris Atkinson. The Australian is driving for the same Proton R3 rally team as McRae.

Local drivers will be more concerned about their domestic championships. There are a number of former NZRC champions taking part, including Pirelli Star Driver (PSD) Hayden Paddon who's back from contesting the Production World Rally Championship as part of his PSD campaign. He's keen to wrap up his third outright win in the event and getting the extra seat time to keep him up to speed before heading back overseas.

Another former NZRC champion, Richard Mason, is a little pensive about heading north. The roads around Whangarei have not been a happy hunting ground for Mason over the years.

"We've got a strange feeling in our team at the moment," said Mason. "Every time we come to Whangarei we have issues of some form. We've got a real monkey on our back here and everyone's just keen to finish the event."

' NZRC points leader Dean Sumner just wants to keep accumulating points and is well aware fellow competitor Emma Gilmour is breathing down his neck, keen to win her first New Zealand championship and have a trouble-free run. Both of them will be wary of third-placed man Chris West. He's a former NZRC champion and outright winner in Whangarei and regards this rally as one of his favourites.

APRC POINTS
* Katsuhiko Taguchi 74
* Gaurav Gill 49
* Hiroshi Yanagisawa 26
* Rifat Sungkar 20

NZRC POINTS
* Dean Sumer 145
* Emma Gilmour 126
* Chris West 113
* Hayden Paddon 94