Motorsport: Rally NZ goes back to basics

A handbrake fault in his Peugeot 307 cost Finn Marcus Gronholm victory in last year's NZ Rally. Picture / Dean Purcell

Rally New Zealand will have a sting in the tail for the world championship contenders, who will compete on some of their favourite roads in two weeks' time.

Last year the Propecia-sponsored event plunged from top of the pops with overseas drivers to a cause of constant complaint. The problem - a bizarre reconnaissance system, which forced the competitors into long days and frustrated spectators with strange schedules.

This time the fourth round of the world championship reverts to the old separation of reconnaissance and competition days and the organisers have gone out of their way to keep the overseas teams happy.

But the rally retains the testing third day, including two runs through the famed Whaanga Coast stage near Raglan, where last year Petter Solberg and Marcus Gronholm diced with danger before Solberg won the rally by just 5.9s in his Subaru.

Reconnaissance begins Tuesday week in the Raglan and Kaipara areas. Teams will complete their reconnaissance in Kaipara the next day and also have a shakedown of their rally cars on the Thursday near Paparoa, the service base for the rally for the first two days of competition.

After a ceremonial start in Waitemata Plaza by the Viaduct Basin from 7.30pm that Thursday, the competition will begin on the 25km Parahi stage at 9.53am on Friday.

There will be eight stages in the north on Friday, six more on the Saturday with two passes of the Manukau Superspecial that evening.

Four stages, including the two at Whaanga Coast, will be run on Sunday morning before the finish at Waitemata Plaza around 3.30 pm.

Top drivers regularly praise New Zealand's rally roads as the best in the championship. After a month of fine weather, they are dry and dusty but rain can quickly change their character and tyre choice will be critical on the long stages.

After more than 1000km last year, a handbrake fault in his Peugeot at the start of the Whaanga stage cost Gronholm victory.