A little change means Rally Canterbury will look a lot different when the second round of the New Zealand Rally Championship takes place later this month.
The organising committee, including promoter Jack Smith, has brought about some quite significant changes.
Smith has given the event a bit of a shake-up, bringing it more in line with the needs of modern events while honouring the past.
The introduction of premier spectator fan zones, complete with food trucks, big screen and commentary, is just the start.
The ceremonial start, to be held at Lonestar Manchester Street in downtown Christchurch, has undergone a revamp this year, including the use of former television personality Clint Brown, who will MC the night. Brown was a recognisable voice of rallying through the 1990s and early 2000s and will be a popular addition to this year’s event.
“There will be a lot more promotion around the event, including what I grew up with as the voice of rallying, so we are looking to have a lot more public attending”, Smith said.
“We have a driver’s signing session inside the Lonestar restaurant from 5pm.”
The last stage will take place at Euromarque Motorsport Park, where the cars will compete on the track, but with a totally different layout this year.
“We are not using the full length of the track, which we know at the end of the rally day is hard on cars, especially the long front straight and back straight,” Smith said.
“It is a bit more of a rally special, using the inside of the track backwards, more laps in front of the spectators. A bit more technical and a bit tighter, but it should be great viewing.”
Another change this year concerns dedicated service parks.
“We have dedicated services in Amberley, Cheviot and Waikari, so the perfect locations for servicing where you are not worried about traffic coming past,” Smith explained.
“You can set up early, leave when you like and no rush to get your space.”
The event’s motto is simply, “Why?”
“I’m fortunate to work alongside and bounce ideas off some of the best rally organisers in the country. Bouncing ideas, meeting bi-weekly to discuss where the radio tower will be or which marshals go where.
“When you sit on an organising committee like this, you start to understand how much effort it takes to build the events. I just do the pretty bit, and hopefully we can bring a crowd to the national rally.”
Rally Canterbury starts with the ceremonial opening on Saturday, May 30, before a day of action north of the city on Sunday.
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
