Robbie Stokes and his Stokes Motorsport team are racing the clock to have their Skoda Fabia Rally 2 car ready for next weekend’s opening round of the New Zealand Rally Championship after a significant crash on the weekend.
Stokes damaged the car at the Popotunoa Rallysprint over the weekend and now faces a rebuild ahead of Otago.
“Not a good weekend to start the season,” Stokes explained. “We came into a long right-hand corner that tightened more than I anticipated, which resulted in a fairly big shunt.
“Sorry to the team, who put a lot of work in during the off-season to get the car ready. Anyway, we’ll put our heads down and try get it fixed for Otago in a couple weeks.
“We’re working on but hopefully I will [be at Otago in the car].
Stokes does have the ability to run the team’s older Ford Fiesta AP4 car should the Skoda not be fixed in time.
“Worst scenario is the AP4 car,” he confirmed.
Stokes came within a whisker of winning a breakthrough championship in 2025, and he is clearly chasing the main prize this year.
If he were to be crowned champion in October, Stokes would become the first second-generation driver to achieve the feat, following in the footsteps of his father Brian, who won two titles in the 1980s.
Robbie went agonisingly close to becoming the first second-generation driver to win an NZRC round when he finished runner-up to Jack Hawkeswood at Otago in 2024. Hawkeswood claimed that honour himself.
But after pushing four-time national champion Ben Hunt throughout 2025 and winning the final round at Whangarei in convincing fashion, Robbie will start the season as the favourite.
“Feeling really good heading into this season,” Stokes said.
“We definitely found another gear toward the end of last season, so looking forward to building on that this year.
“Yes, that [a championship victory] is the goal and a very achievable one.”
One of his main rivals will be his younger brother Jack Stokes, who is now in the same machinery as the older Stokes sibling.
That contest will be a fascinating watch for rally fans – both are very fast and close, as most siblings are.
But when you’re potentially fighting each other for the title, that relationship could be tested, but Robbie is confident they will work things out.
“Jack and I have had battles throughout the tail end of last year, and it was very healthy competition, so looking forward to that continuing,” Stokes said.
One of the biggest changes for Stokes in 2026 is a new co-driver, with Australian Andy Sarandis replacing Shane Reynolds as his navigator.
“Andy brings a wealth of experience with him, having competed in WRC rounds in the past, so I am very grateful to have him alongside me,” Stokes explained.
“I will look to learn from his knowledge.”
The season begins with the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally from April 10-12 – the first event of a six-round championship.
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
