2010 NZRC hits halfway

Media Release
 
 

Tuesday, 29 June 2010

2010 NZRC hits halfway

After a two-month hiatus, the Vantage Aluminium New Zealand Rally Championship heads north to the International Rally of Whangarei, where Dean Sumner’s series lead will be under serious pressure.

The Rotorua driver collected first and second place points at Rally Otago and Rally New Zealand respectively and holds a 19-point lead over Emma Gilmour going into the third of five rounds

“We’re leaving nothing to chance,” Sumner said. “We’ve put a lot of effort into the [Mitsubishi] Evo IX, checking and re-checking everything for this event.

“The plan is to keep compiling points. Whangarei is fast and flowing, which I love, but we need to err on the side of caution and make sure we complete both days.”

Both he and Gilmour (Subaru) are hungry for their first national Group N crown. Their odds are good with defending champion Hayden Paddon contesting only selected events and previous champion Richard Mason having a less than perfect start to the season.

The NZRC field will be joined by Asia Pacific Rally Championship teams, mixing up the seeding order. A wet forecast and already wet roads will likely benefit those at the front of the field.

Stephen Barker (Group N 2WD) and Matt Summerfield (Kiwi 2) both look comfortable in the race for their class trophies, leading by 52 and 40 points respectively. Open 4WD’s Geof Argyle has a 20-point buffer over Marcus Van Klink.

The International Rally of Whangarei takes place this weekend, 2-4 July, with ceremonial start in the city’s Cameron Street Mall from 3.30pm on Friday.

Top-three Gold Star Rally Driver (Group N NZRC) points: Dean Sumer 145, Emma Gilmour 126 and Chris West 113 after two rounds.

*NZRC points are accumulated over five competition rounds, which comprise 11 independent days. Points scored on each day are combined with bonus points - awarded for the overall class placing at each round - to make up the leader board.  

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