Coming off the back of a successful 2025 season, the six-round 2026 North Island Rally Series (NIRS) gets underway next weekend with the Possum Bourne Memorial Rally. The opening round has attracted a quality field including the defending champion and several of last year’s Class winners.
Organised by the Auckland, Pukekohe and South Auckland Car Clubs JV Rally Committee, the one-day event on Saturday is based at the Te Akau Waingaro Community Centre in Te Akau and features three ex-World Rally Championship stages, which will be repeated, totalling 140 kms of magnificent public gravel roads. This Rally includes an 80km Clubman permit and foreign participation.
Out in front of the field as part of the pre-event safety team, sees the Zero car duties carried out by four-time and current NZ Rally Championship title holders, Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn, driving the iconic ex-Possum Bourne Vantage Subaru Hillclimb car.
The second Zero car is Bourne’s ex-gpA Impreza with Christchurch’s Stu Webber in the driver’s seat, with Spencer Bourne (Possum’s youngest son) co-driving alongside.
First seed on the road is 2025 NIRS champion Quentin Palmer and co-driver Noel Moloney, who returns to the co-driver role after rehabilitating from a serious work accident (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), now with a full season’s experience competing in their Rally2 car. Behind them are Jack Hawkeswood and Jason Farmer (GR Toyota Yaris Rally2) with 2025 NIRS runner-up Ben Huband (Subaru Impreza) seeded third.
Sam Broadbent/Matthew Broadbent (Toyota Corolla) return to defend their Class B (2WD 1301-1600cc) title while Class D (2WD 2000cc and over) winner Brent Taylor teams up with Dave Neill in a Mk2 Ford Escort to compete in Class E (Classic 2WD) which has attracted a number of entries including Mark Parsons and Mal Clark (TR7 V8 Triumph ) along with Kyle Percival and Maddy Buhr (Ford Escort Mk2).
Chris Ramsay / Bayden Thompson (2.5l Millington powered AP2 Toyota Corolla) finished runner up in Class D and may have his hands full with Tony Differ / Jason Striniger behind the wheel of the ex-Herbert 500hp EX Lancer Turbo and Dave Strong / Rob Scott in a V6 Supercharged RWD Honda Jazz.
Palmer will also be defending his Class F (4WD 1601cc – 999CC) title and with the late addition of ex- NZ Rally champion and NIRS naming partner Andrew Hawkeswood and Jeff Cress (Force Motorsport Mazda2 AP4) entered in the event, along with son Jack Hawkeswood plus the return of Mason Grimmer in his special Mazda 323 4WD, Class F will certainly be competitive.
The 2025 rivalry in Class G (4WD 2001 and over) will continue with Huband defending his title against Carlin Leong (Subaru Impreza), and a genuine Kia ora and welcome to the NIRS drivers’ championship is the rapid Julien Lenglet (Subaru Impreza)
Also of interest will be the Class C 1601-2000cc 2WD Ford Fiesta of Khalid Mason, son of multi NZRC title holder Richard, who will have his wife, Sara Mason, in the co-driver’s seat to guide Khalid safely through the high-speed challenge in their first big Rally event.
Two international drivers are welcome to the event as a shakedown for the upcoming Rally Otago. Australian Glenn Brinkman/Kaylie Newell (Nissan Bluebird) will join Class E, while Vanuatu driver Julien Lenglet/Fleur Pedersen (Subaru Impreza) will compete in Class G and is likely to be very competitive.
The first Te Akau South 1 Special Stage 1 gets underway at 09:15am, which will be repeated at 10:40am after service at the Te Akau Complex (from 09:55am). A second service takes place from 11:15, before the Woodleigh 1 Special Stage 3 starts at 12:40pm followed by the Te Karaka SS4 at 13:20. These two stages are repeated before the Ceremonial Finish at the Te Akau Waingaro Community Complex from 4:15pm.
Spectators are welcomed with maps and QR codes for spectator points, available on FB and the www.nirs.co.nz website.
For the 2026 season, the Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series will be run over six events, with the best results from five out of the six rounds determining the 2026 Driver and Co-driver champions. Most Rounds include an 80km Clubmans offering for a cheaper competitor option and for novice and rookie competitors.
The 2026 North Island Rally Series acknowledges and thanks these partners for their support: Hawkeswood Mining, Semog, Pure Quality Construction, Paddon Racing Group, iSignit, Ngatea Panelbeaters and Online Contractors.
Header Image: Chelsea Karl
