Organisers of the North Island Rally Series are delighted to announce the proposed 2026 calendar.
Six rallies are on the program, including five regional and one NZ Rally Championship (NZRC) round, which will include a fantastic variety of public gravel roads, tarmac, and forestry special stages.
“First of all, we are delighted to announce the return of naming partner Hawkeswood Mining for next season as well as RallyDrive NZ’s continued support of our incredible volunteers and new competitors,” commented Series Coordinator Marty Roestenburg.
“Also, a tremendous thank you to all of the car clubs and hard-working rally committee members behind the scenes. The Series is continuing to grow, and we are really looking forward to next season as 2026 will be a genuine rally series without needing to include rallysprints.
We welcome the return to the calendar of the North Waikato, Taumarunui and Maramarua rallies, which will nicely complement Taranaki, Waitomo and Rally Bay of Plenty.”
The Series gets underway early in 2026 with the North Waikato Rally on Saturday, 21 March.
“This event will see 140km of Special Stages using ex 2022 World Rally Championship legendary stages around Te Akau and Naike in the North Waikato District. It will be a National permitted event on notes or blind and includes a Clubman’s 80km option.
“There’s a bit of a break before we head to Taranaki and Round 2, the SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac Rally (27 June 2026). We have 130km of Special Stages with some tight, twisty and fast bumpy tarmac roads around both the Taranaki and South Taranaki districts. The event will be based in New Plymouth and again, includes a National Permit, an unrestricted Class for Targa competitors and a Clubman Rally.”
The Taumarunui Rally (Round 3) on 1 August 2026 offers drivers 130kms of Special Stages blasting around classic King Country public gravel roads last used in 1999 as an NZ Rally Championship round.
“That was the first NZ Rally to use Jemba safety notes,” recalls Roestenburg “This true classic rally returns to the calendar and includes the famous Hikimutu stage and the Kururau hillclimb test!”
The recently run Newstead Lodge Rally of Waitomo will again be on the calendar as the fourth round (20 September). This blind Clubmans event offers 80 km of superb gravel road Special Stages, a great, safe, fun and family-friendly environment run by the Hamilton Car Club.
For 2026, the penultimate round, the Rally Bay of Plenty on 17 October, will also double as a round of the NZRC.
“This event is a National/Clubmans Rally featuring 150km of gravel and forestry roads in the Western Bay of Plenty area and based in Tauranga. It’s a wonderful opportunity to lift the bar and compete alongside the best in the country.
“For the finale, drivers will face 120 km of fast, smooth forest stages in the holy grail of NZ Rallying and the home of RallyDrive NZ.
The RallyDriveNZ Maramarua Forest Day/Night Rally will take place on 25 October and will be based in Te Kauwhata with three 40km loops; the final loop will be in the dark, so eat some carrots and dust off those spotlights! It will also feature 80km Clubmans in the daytime as an option.”
The best results from five out of the six Rounds will determine the 2026 Driver and Co-Drivers champions.
The 2026 North Island Rally Series acknowledges and thanks the following for their support: Hawkeswood Mining, Semog, Pure Quality Construction, Rallydrive NZ, Paddon Racing Group, ISignit and Online Contractors.
2026 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series
- Round 1: North Waikato Rally – 21 March 2026
- Round 2: Taranaki Tarmac Rally – 27 June 2026
- Round 3: Taumarunui Rally – 1 August 2026
- Round 4: Rally of Waitomo – 20 September 2026 – Hamilton Car Club
- Round 5: Rally Bay of Plenty – 17 October 2026 – Motorsport Bay of Plenty
- Round 6: Maramarua Forest Day/Night Rally – 25 October 2026
Header Image: Hubert van der Linde
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