Ari Pettigrew has top-shelf ability behind the wheel of a rally car – we knew that from his early years in the New Zealand Rally Championship.
But we didn’t know that he would be quite so fast from the get-go in his 911 Porsche.
Pettigrew destroyed the 2WD field in the season-opening Otago Rally last month – surprising even himself with the pace.
“We definitely didn’t expect the Otago result straight off the bat,” Pettigrew explained.
“With a new car that we had only done 50kms with before the event, our main goal was to just make it to the end.
“To have that pace is definitely encouraging for the future – especially once I get more in tune with the car.”
The scary thing for his rivals is that Pettigrew feels there is plenty more in the tank – both for him and for the car.
“We eased into the rally slowly, building confidence stage by stage. It’s a very different sensation driving this car with the engine behind you,” he said.
“There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement with the car and my driving. The challenge of improving and developing the car, which isn’t designed for gravel, is also very enjoyable for me, challenging my engineering brain.”
With the Otago pace now clear for all to see, Pettigrew admits they are aiming high with their ambitions this season.
“Our main goal for the season is to win the overall 2WD and open 2WD classes. After seeing how competitive the car is, it would be pretty cool to be punching out some top-three stage times and maybe even a stage win on the right road.”
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
