Bendon Men Reveal All on Nelson Podium

MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release: Tuesday September 26th 2006

Bendon Men Reveal All on Nelson Podium

Aucklander’s James Holder and Richard Ellis have ‘revealed all’ after nabbing 2nd place at the final round of the 2006 Parker ENZED New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) in Nelson last weekend.

Following a leg win on Saturday and finishing 2nd behind fellow Kiwi 2 competitor Kayne Barrie on Sunday, Holder and Ellis were forced to go through with an earlier promise to get up on the podium sporting only the latest Bendon Man underwear.

With some trepidation and faced with cool afternoon weather conditions the pair briefly modeled their sponsors products on the finish ramp, before donning their race suits and accepting their prize, much to the amusement of the onlookers!

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Creating a spectacle both on and off the road, Holder and Ellis went into the last rally of the season keen consolidate their championship position. Starting out in 3rd place, 4 points behind Glen Inkster, and with series leader Aaron Cook sowing up the Kiwi 2 title on Saturday, the race was on for the remaining podium positions.

Applying the pressure from the outset, the boys trailed Barrie by just 3 seconds going into the final stage on day 1. Picking up the pace, they won the final test, finishing 8 seconds ahead and claiming maximum points for the leg.

“We knew Saturday’s tight, twisty roads would be better suited to our car and that this was the day to get the jump on the others,” said Holder. “It was a great battle amongst the Kiwi 2 field and it was pretty good to come out on top.”

Heading into leg 2 the fast, flowing roads were in stark contrast to the previous day, and coupled with dry, dusty conditions proved challenging. With Barrie and Cook out front, the boys managed a win on stage 8, and sneaked into 2nd place, finishing 13th outright for the rally.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better end to the season. We did what we set out to do and that was to make it into the top 3 at the end of the championship...now we can get on with the job of making our dream to compete internationally a reality.”

Wrapping up their 2006 NZRC campaign the team’s major focus will shift to securing the necessary backing to compete in the 2007 Ford Fiesta World Championship in Europe.

For the latest on the teams Fiesta WRC plans check out www.teamnzrallysport.com

The team would like acknowledge the valued support of Monit Rally Computers, Ellis Law, Attentive Design, Bendon Man, Amberley Kitchens, CST Nexia, Alexander Group, Toyotaz Galore, CPS, Jamex, MSC, Strait Shipping, Go Fast and Maffey.com.

ENDS

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