A monumental week of racing awaits the 24 brave teams confirmed to take part in the iconic Silver Fern Rally which gets underway in Christchurch today following a four year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic..
Competitors face a true test of endurance in the coming days, facing nearly 1000 kilometers of racing over 46 Special Stages.
Seventeen runners will compete in the Historic Trophy section and seven in the Rally Challenge category for newer cars.
It’s only appropriate there’s such a large historic presence, the race having deep roots in the New Zealand rally scene since its first run in 1969.
The Silver Fern Rally disappeared from the scene for awhile before the historic-focussed, week-long revival event saw it return in 2006.
Auckland-based promoters Ultimate Rally Group took control of the series in 2015, the bi-annual rally first run under their management in 2016 in the South Island, the last time the series returned to the region before this week. The Historic Class of that Silver Fern Rally was won by the Welsh pair of Meirion Evans and co-driver Lestyn Williams.
The 2018 edition featured in the North Island, Matthew Robinson and co-driver Sam Collis the victors that time around.
Now, four years later, here we are, one of the most iconic rally events in the country finally able to get back underway.
A range of familiar faces will take part, including Brian Green and co-driver Fleur Pedersen, Jeff Judd and co-driver Stephane Prevot and Shane Murland and co-driver Kane Seymour. Neither Robinson or Evans return this year.
There’ll also be a wide range of cars running, the most popular being the Ford Escort with 14 entries.
An extended field will be present as racing gets underway, the Christchurch One Day Rally also being run over the opening day of the Silver Fern Rally today.
It’s an early morning for the field, Andrew Lowe and co-driver Thomas Good the first to run SS1 on Happy Valley Road at 7.30am.
The first day of the event begins and concludes in the Garden City covering 110km over seven Special Stages.
Following the One Day Rally the field will reduce and begin their journey towards Oamaru beginning with SS8 on Fletcher Road in Christchurch. The day covers six stages for 157.5km of racing.
A trip to Dunedin then follows on Tuesday, another 157.5km over six runs including the longest stage thus far, SS18 Paerau / Old Dunstan Rd.
They’ll then work their way to Invercargill on Wednesday with a slightly shorter day of rallying at 140km.
Day 5, on Thursday, is by far the most testing of the event covering a massive 189km of rally. This includes the likes of the absolutely mammoth SS18 on Stout Road that morning which will see the field tested over 71.5km with a target time of 1hr 20min.
It doesn’t get easier in the afternoon either with the 43km SS32 on Hunt Road as they make their way back towards Dunedin.
Things then begin to wind down on Friday as competitors begin the journey back towards Christchurch, 126.89km of stage time before a final overnight stop, this time in Timaru.
The field will then head back to Christchurch on Saturday to send the rally with a “breezy” 53.5km day.
Prize giving will take place at Riccarton Race Course come Saturday night, teams finally given an opportunity to relax an unwind after an incredible 940km of racing across the bottom half of the South Island.
Header Image: The winners of the Historic Trophy section at the 2016 NZ Silver Fern Rally in the South Island, Welsh pair Meirion Evans and Lestyn Williams (Mk 11 Ford Escort RS1800). Photo credits: Fast Company/ProShotz
