The Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally returns to the roads of the area on Saturday, 2 August.
The rally, which commemorates the achievements of the Mokereta farmer, a highly successful rally driver who finished runner-up in the 1983 New Zealand Rally Championship, was initiated by the Eastern Southland Car Club in 2023.
In addition to remembering Robinson, this year’s event will also mark 50 years since the club held its first special stage rally, a Gore-based event in March 1975.
There are slight changes to the route of this year’s event, with an extra Special Stage increasing the length of high-speed competition to 137.15 kilometres and many of the stages to be contested in a different sequence this year.
As usual, the rally is based around the township of Wyndham, 45 kilometres east of Invercargill and 25km south of Gore. It will start at the MLT Three Rivers Hotel in Redan Street, Wyndham, at 9.00 am on Saturday, 2 August, with the first Special Stage at Tuturau over 21.15km.
Wyndham Valley, over 17.49km, is the second stage before the 28.12km Waikawa Valley stage. Pine Bush, over 25.99km, is next with a new stage, the 13.95km Graham Road, before the final 30.45km Fortification stage.
Assistant Clerk of the Course, Roger Laird, says, “Having driven the route twice with Clerk of the Course Craig Jessop, as we did checks and alterations for the Rally Safe system, the new formation of stages drive really well, and I am sure competitors will enjoy it. Craig has done a huge amount of work in creating the new route.”
The first car is expected to cross the finish line back at the MLT Three Rivers Hotel in Wyndham just before 3.30 pm. During the day, there will be three service parks – the first in Wyndham after Stage 1 and two in Tokanui, approximately 44 km from Wyndham, the first after Stage 3 and then again after Stage 5.
The event will be Round 4 of the Mainland Rally Championship, Round 4 of the H6 Cup Rally Series and the opening round of the 2025/2026 Eastern Southland Car Club Rally Championship Cup.
Sponsors this year include Traffic Management Services and Yuasa Batteries, with support from the Southland District Council, Gore District Council and the landowners on the rally route.
The event prizegiving will take place in Gore at the MLT Croydon Lodge, with the winning crew awarded the Barry Robinson Memorial Trophy.
The leading Otago Sports Car Club driver in the event receives the Glen Shirlaw Memorial Trophy, while the best crew in class from the Central Otago Motorsport Club win the Barry Robinson Trophy, or if no crew finishes, it will go to the top driver from the club.
Header Image: Graeme Fraser
