The first entry for the 2024 MLT Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally was that of vastly experienced rallyman David Clearwater.
Now living in Christchurch, Clearwater still regards himself as a Southlander, having spent the first thirty years of his life in the south and as such is a huge supporter of southern rallies.
Clearwater recalls his early steps in motorsport around 1989 and 1990. “I was Southland Sports Car Club Rookie Of The Year in my first year of competing,” he said.
Clearwater was also the club’s Sprint Champion in 1993, 94 and 95, sharing it with Keith Pirie in 1994 and was the Club Championship runner-up three times in 1992, 1993 and 1995.
Rallying has become his passion, however, initially competing in a Mazda RX3, “a fairly basic homemade car”, and an ex-Group N Toyota Celica GT4, “the best car and most reliable car I ever owned. It just kept going!”
Next was a Subaru WRX in which he says he was “uncatchable” in the Pre 96 class. After that, it was the EVO 4 that he still drives nearly a decade later.
“I always wanted to drive an EVO, so I bought a very basic one. It has been really developed, with a lot spent on suspension, to the extent that it is now a very, very, good car.”
It was good enough to take fifth place in last year’s Wyndham Rally and a host of other class wins and podiums all over the South Island, in fact.
“We have always done well in Class E with the car, including many times at Catlins. We have finished second in Canterbury and had a third and a fourth at Hanmer. It’s been a good, reliable car. You can drive it at 95-99% and get away with it all the time!”
There have been plenty of other successes, too, including in the Wyndham Rallies from days gone by, with prizes in the RX3 and the Celica GT4, including a fourth overall in the GT4.
Looking back at his fifth place last year, Clearwater says, “I’m a bit older now. I pick up speed towards the middle of the rally and then consolidate. I couldn’t chase down the front guys. They are all a bit younger than me.”
Coming into this year’s rally, Clearwater had scored four podiums in a row, only for the sequence to end at the recent Rally Of Southland in June.
“We were out early. We thought we had done a gearbox, but it turned out to be a $2 spacer on the gear selector, so it would have been a quick fix. I was gutted, I was pretty psyched for the Forest Hill Stage the following day. It went past the farm I was brought up on, so it was local territory for me.”
Because of his southern roots, Clearwater loves to come home and rally. “I am still a member of the Eastern Southland Car Club and enjoy coming back and catching up with friends.”
When asked about his aspirations for this year, David says, “Top three. I would be happy with that and, in the process, hopefully show some of the young guys we can still do it.
“It was Allister (Gibson), my co-driver, that got the entry in for the rally ahead of anyone else. Allister and I have known each other since school. I knew he was real keen on motorsport, and we caught up about ten years ago, and he is now my co-driver when I do events down here in the south. It is good. We have a lot of laughs we are good mates and it is a bit of fun.”
David has an interest in another co-driver in the event also. Wife Yolande will co-drive with Southlander Nigel King. “I introduced her to motorsport and now she is a full-time co-driver with Nigel. To be honest I am probably more interested in how she is going than myself these days. She is a very good co-driver.”
The rally has the support of the Mataura Licensing Trust, Traffic Management Services, Yuasa Battery plus that of Rayonier Matariki Forests, the Southland District Council, Gore District Council, Prime Range Fresh Shop Lorneville, Matt McRae and the landowners on the rally route.
This year’s rally will again be centred on the township of Wyndham, 45 kilometres east of Invercargill and 25km south of Gore. It will start at the MLT Three Rivers Hotel in Redan Street, Wyndham, at 9.00 am on Saturday, 10 August, from where competitors will tackle five Special Stages with only minimal changes to a couple of last year’s routes.
The rally then ends back at the MLT Three Rivers Hotel in Wyndham, with the first car due at 3:32 p.m. after 128km of Special Stage competition linked by 126km of touring stage mileage.
