An all new rally series will be hitting North Island stages near you next year as the Winmax Brake Pads North Island Rally Series (NIRS) has now officially been launched.
The five-round series planned for 2023 is aimed at club and regional level rally crews and will fill a gap in the competition ladder that has existed for several years.
Series coordinator Marty Roestenburg says the series is aimed at the lower and middle levels of cost and time commitments for both rally competitors and organisers.
“The northern and central region rallysprint series continue to be very successful as an entry level to rallying and there are well established NZ Rally Championship (NZRC) events in the North Island,” says Roestenburg.
“What has been missing in recent years has been the regional level of competition that had been provided by the former Top Half Rally Series and the Central Region Rally Series.
“The support shown for the Mainland Rally Championship in the South Island has encouraged us to create something similar for North Island crews.
“We’ve got keen and talented rally competitors who want to progress from what the rallysprint events are offering. However, the step up in the cost and time demands of an NZRC campaign is beyond the resources for many of these competitors.
“The Winmax Brake Pads NIRS will provide exciting competition on a variety of road surfaces. And we will look to recognise the best young and rookie competitors, the best of our master’s competitors and the leading co-drivers.
“We’ve already had commitments for help with sponsorship, administration and generating media coverage. There is an experienced team behind this initiative, and I am confident the series will be successful.”
Roestenburg believes a successful North Island rally series is critical for the sport.
“We are not only looking to encourage the next generation of drivers and co-drivers. It’s about creating the platform that will bring the next generation of rally organisers, administrators and marshals into the sport.”
The series has a three-year plan to restore clubmans and regional rally competition to the North Island.
“Our objective for the first year is to have five rounds which are successful for the competitors, and also the clubs which partner with the series to organise those events,” Roestenburg says.
“We will listen to the feedback from clubs and competitors and then move the NIRS in the direction which has the strongest support for years two and three.”
The 2023 Winmax Brake Pads NIRS will start with one of the most popular rallysprint events on the calendar – the Pukekohe Car Club’s Bothwell Loop event near Te Akau on March 19.
Round two is the Rally of the Far North based at Paihia on May 27 followed by the long awaited return of the Taranaki Tarmac Rally on June 24.
Another venue returning to the rally scene will be the Maramarua Forest Rally set for September 23 with the series finale being the Hamilton Car Club Waitomo Rally on October 29.
“Our calendar gives competitors a taste of everything – classic gravel public roads, the best tarmac stages in New Zealand and some fast forest roads,” Roestenburg says.
Further variety in the competition will be provided by a mixture of events contested with, and without safety notes.
Support for the series has also come from one of New Zealand’s most successful rally drivers, Hayden Paddon, alongside series naming rights holder Winmax Brake Pads, distributed by Paddon Rallysport.
“We are proud to support the maiden North Island Rally Series,” says Paddon.
“Marty and his team have done a fantastic job organising a new initiative that can only support rallying’s growth in New Zealand. It will be great to see competitors from across the regions competing for the inaugural title.
“Winmax Brake Pads have been a great partner to our programmes, including our time in the WRC and as a supporter of New Zealand motorsport. “From the Otago Rally to the Ashley Forest Rallysprint, the brand has invested into many events, while also offering the Winmax Junior Driver Scholarship to young drivers,”
Main image: Geoff Ridder | Words: Supplied
