Just two points separate Ben Harding and Dave Strong as the pair battle it out to be crowned 2WD champion of the New Zealand Rally Championship.
What started as a wide-open battle between at least half a dozen drivers at the start of the season has come down to two, with a head-to-head, winner-takes-all battle at this weekend’s Rally Bay of Plenty.
Harding (Mazda RX7) holds a narrow lead over Strong (Honda Jazz) going into the finale.
While both drivers need only finish to secure their individual class titles- Harding in the Classics class and Strong in the Open 2WD class- both will focus on doing the double.
“Yes, the 2WD title is in the crosshairs; we’ve gone this far, we might as well try and finish it off as best we can,” Harding said.
“We will do the best we can – if we lose it all, at least we had a go.
“If we do the double that exceeds what we set out to achieve but is a testament to the reliability of the Mazda and the great team behind us.”
While Harding is prepared to risk it all to win both titles, Strong will take a more circumspect approach.
“I need to finish to win my class so that’s more important,” Strong said.
“I think it would be possible to beat the RX7 with the progress we have made with my car and driving this year, but it would take some risk to do it. I don’t want to take risks with the Silver Fern Rally so close.
“It’s nice to know when the car is right, I can still be competitive.”
The Battery Town Rally Bay of Plenty begins with a ceremonial opening in Whakatane on Friday, followed by a full day of action on Saturday.
Header Photo: Geoff Ridder
