The 2025 Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally on Saturday 2 August marks 50 years of rallying for the Eastern Southland Car Club.
Their first rally was the 1975 Gore Rally, the first Special Stage rally ever held south of Christchurch.
The winner of that event was Rob Gerard. Gerard had really become interested in motorsport after he was posted to Gore when he worked for the Department of Agriculture in the early 1970s.
“I was in Gore from 1970 to 1973,” says Rob.
“I had a very slim interest in motorsport at that point, but John Metherell and I had gone to Lincoln together, and he had dragged me along to a car trial.
“He ended up in Gore, too, and we went to the car club together, and I got involved. He was preparing a car for the 1970 Silver Fern Rally, the first rally in the South Island. I was fascinated, both with the car preparation but more so with the idea of being allowed to legally skid round on public roads.”
Rob did go rallying, however, and not in a small way.
“I did the 1972 Golden Shell Rally in a 977cc Anglia built by Jack McIntyre with the help of Peter McKay and Squeaker Mills. Stewart Quertier allowed us the use of his workshop, and we were in business.
“That event was in the North Island, covering 3000km, 2000km of that in Special Stages. The Anglia burst an oil hose, which earned us a massive penalty, but we got second in class.
“I did the 73 Heatway Rally, which covered both islands. Ian Begg co-drove for me, and that is where he got into rallying. Then Ian bought a Mazda RX2 and took me for a drive.
“I went home and got an RX3. That is the car I won that first Gore Rally in. It was my first rally win. The next event was the West Coast, and I won that too. I finished fourth overall in the Pall Mall National Championship 1975, and that resulted in Mazda Dealer Team sponsorship in 1976.
“When I joined the Eastern Southland Car Club, people would run whatever they had in events. I ran in as many events as possible. I remember buying a Fiat 125 one week and running it in an Autocross on the Saturday and racing it at Teretonga on the Sunday.
“I learnt a lot. I remember club stalwart Bob Dunstan, who drove a VW Special, saying to me Enter every event you can, it was great advice.”
Rob did four Gore Rally’s in total. I won that first one and then beat Barry (Robinson) by one second in another. I came back in 2006 for the anniversary rally. It was fun, but it is surprising how quickly you forget roads.
“I did a Wyndham Rally in the mid-80s, too. It was in an RX7, a car I just never got on top of. I finished second to Barry in that one. I had to do a speech at the prizegiving for some reason, and someone said if I had driven as well as I spoke, I would have won!”
Rob remembers the 1973 International Rally.
“Barry and his brother Darryl were part of the service crew. The rally ran in both islands, and they were caught up in the enthusiasm, and after only planning to do the South Island, they crossed the strait and did the North as well.
“When Barry got ill before his passing, I came down and visited him.”
Looking back, Rob is full of praise for the Eastern Southland Car Club.
“I would have been nowhere without them. The club spirit and the friendliness of Southlanders, and the huge amount of help and support in building cars and servicing them in the actual events. I owe a huge amount to that club and to so many of its members.”
Header Image: Supplied
