The inaugural event of the North Island Rally Series takes place this Sunday using a section of gravel road well known to World Rally Championship competitors.
The opening event of five in the new series is the Pukekohe Car Club’s Rallysprint at Bothwell Loop Rd near Glen Murray.
The 7.5km stretch of gravel will challenge the competitors registered for the new series as well as those competing in the CPS Northern Rallysprint series being held simultaneously.
The North Island Series now has 78 registered drivers and codrivers with several more expected before the action gets underway on Sunday morning.
A field of 54 drivers will compete in Sunday’s event which is being held in an elimination format to determine the Rallysprint Series result while those crews competing in the rally series will also add together cumulative times to determine their result.
“Having a fantastic piece of road and a well-established event is the perfect way to get the Winmax Brake Pads North Island Rally Series off to an early start,” says series coordinator Marty Roestenburg.
“Sunday will be a short and sharp introduction to the competitive series ahead with winter and spring time rallies later in the season.”
“We are especially grateful to the Pukekohe Car Club who are not only organising the first round of the series, but will also be putting together the Maramarua Forest Rally later in the season.”
Sunday’s varied 54-strong field includes modern AP4 four-wheel-drive, earlier Group A and N style cars and a host of modern and classic two-wheel-drive cars to ensure close battles for class as well as outright honours.
Bothwell Loop Rd is located just southwest of Glen Murray. The event starts with drivers briefing at 9.30am followed immediately by a familiarisation run and the beginning of competition.
Round two of the North Island Series is the Taranaki Tarmac Rally on June 25 ahead of the Maramarua Forest event which will be round three on September 16.
The Whakatane-based Rally Bay of Plenty is the penultimate round on October 14 and the final round will be the Waitomo Clubmans Rally organised by the Hamilton Car Club on October 29.
Words & Image: Supplied
