New Zealand Rally Championship leader Jack Stokes is vowing to take the fight to title rival Jack Hawkeswood at the International Rally of Whangarei in a fortnight.
Stokes saw his championship advantage close to just one point after Hawkeswood produced a dominant display at Hawke’s Bay in round four of the six-round championship.
After a near-perfect run in the 2026 campaign, this was the first time Stokes has really found himself having to play catch-up. Despite that, he still managed a solid podium.
“You are never happy when you are not winning,” Stokes said.
“We will take what we got [third place at Hawke’s Bay], I think. Credit to Jack, he was bloody fast out of the blocks and continued that, so we will just have to work harder and come back stronger at Whangarei.”
Hawkeswood, on the other hand, has created momentum and will relish the fact he threw the gauntlet down to the Cantabrian in the opening stage at Hawke’s Bay, and that dominant stage proved the difference.
“It was pretty much all we wanted to do. It is just awesome,” Hawkeswood said.
“I am rapt.
“We started really well – we weren’t really expecting to come out of the box that fast. It was a day of modulating, hanging onto the lead, and making sure we got those power stage points, which we did.
“We pretty much set out and achieved everything we wanted to do.”
The pair will resume their season-long battle at the two-day International Rally of Whangarei, which runs September 26-27.
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
