Canterbury’s Deane Buist will start his defence of the Mainland Rally Championship (MRC) title on Saturday as the first six rounds in Otago get underway.
The first day of the two-day Otago Rally comprises eight Special Stages totalling 142km and 222.7km of touring west of Dunedin, with service taking place in the town of Middlemarch.
Buist won the 2024 title with consistent results making the top three in four of the six rounds including winning the North Canterbury Rally in November. This weekend he lines up with regular co-driver Karl Celeste in a Ford Escort RS1800.
Many of the seven separate MRC class winners from 2024 are making the return this season.
Mike Matheson (Toyota Vitz) returns to defend their Class A (0-1300cc) title. Class B (1301-1600cc) 2024 winner Jack Stokes moves up to Class D (4WD) driving a Ford Fiesta AP4 previously campaigned by his brother Robbie, who will compete in a new Skoda Fabia Rally2.
Deane Buist will also defend his Class C (1601cc and over), while 2024 Class D winner James Worker (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) returns to the very competitive class. Josh Marston (Holden Barina AP4) is also on the entry list.
Shane McKenzie (Mitsubishi Galant) will again compete in Class E (Pre 2000 4WD), while Stephen Gill (Ford Escort Mk2) will defend his title in Class F (Classic 2WD).
Amy Keighley (Subaru) will have her hands full defending the increasingly popular Class H6 title in Otago, where another strong contingent of drivers is competing.
The South Canterbury Rally hosts the second round on 10 May, with the Canterbury Rally in its usual time on Sunday of King’s Birthday weekend (1 June 2025).
The series returns to Southland with the Wyndham Rally (2 August) before a new addition to the calendar, the Timaru Tarmac Rally (30 August). The final round sees the return of the Hanmer Rally at the end of September (27th).
Header Image: Ross Hyde
