Challenges at Rally Wairarapa

Press Release - 11 August 2010

As the final round of the Vantage Aluminium New Zealand Rally Championship this year, the Trusthouse Racetech Rally Wairarapa takes to the magnificent roads of the Wairarapa on a new date. Running later than usual, the 11-12 September will hopefully see the worst of the wet and cold weather over and done with to provide a thrilling and highly entertaining finale to the championship. However the later date has meant some changes to the route for the competitors to traverse. With lambing season in full swing, this will be the first time for a while that we do not visit the thriving metropolis of Pongaroa. This has spurred the organisers to introduce some new stages east of Carterton and Masterton to start the Saturday competition, with the event returning to the more familiar roads around Eketahuna for Saturday afternoon. The Sunday stages all remain the same as last year.

Championship Leader - Dean Sumner at Rally NZ 2010 Photo Courtesy: Jody Seabright

The second day of competition will p“This will certainly provide the drivers with some new challenges”, says Clerk of the Course Dave Davies. “Those that thought they knew this event will be in for some surprises on the first day.” rovide a wonderful venue for the last 117 km of the championship. The scene of some of the best fights between drivers (and sometimes the scenery) in the past, these stages will no doubt deliver again. Especially when you consider that there are only 2 points separating Dean Sumner and Enmma Gilmour for the championship lead at the moment, the fight will likely go down to the wire, assuming everyone comes through Rally Nelson as anticipated. Added to this mix is Richard Mason, who will be looking to provide a show at his home event. Plagued by niggling issues with his new Subaru Imprezza, he is looking to have these sorted by this event, and is motivated to show how good he still is, on home soil. The other major initiative has been the launch of the Malcolm Stewart Classic Rally. With a major new trophy inaugurated – the Malcolm Stewart Trophy being donated by Malcolm’s wife Sue – and a running order behind the national championship competitors, the classic cars (and competitors) will be given a prominence that embodies the values of this classic rally. “Preserving our history for the future”. The classic rally component will be the second round of the Classic Challenge Trophy, being run in conjunction with the Otago Classic Rally. This now gives a significant impetus to the classic rally scene in New Zealand, and hopefully to those further-a-field too. With the combination of the best the country has to offer in modern machinery and in classic machinery, the Trusthouse Racetech Rally Wairarapa is shaping up to be a fantastic event, with something for everyone. Fast Facts • Round 5 of Vantage Aluminium NZ Rally Championship • Round 3 of Geartech Central Region Rally Series, (points scoring based on Saturdays results only) • Round 2 of the Classic Challenge Trophy • 14 Special Stages, 6 on Saturday 11 September, and 8 on Sunday 12 September • 230km of competitive Special Stages, 113km on Saturday, 117km on Sunday • Malcolm Stewart's Group B Audi Quattro on display For more information, contact Rally Wairarapa Media Liaison Jody Seabright jody@seabrightmotorsport.co.nz Mobile 021 717676