Rally nz

But this year, and more specifically this week, it returns with the familiar sounds of revving engines rally fans have been waiting 10 long years for. With the ...

“For us, it's not just around the corner from a European perspective - but everybody thinks it's worth to go here.” But this year, and more specifically this week, it returns with the familiar sounds of revving engines rally fans have been waiting 10 long years for. For over 30 years Rally New Zealand was a fixture on the world championship calendar until it was dropped a decade ago.

Rally great Sebstien Ogier has won almost everything there is to win in the sport during his glittering tenure as an eight-time world champion.

"It was the beauty of the roads here and the country itself," he explained. "Of course, we can also talk of unfinished business, where it would be nice to fight for the win again," he said. "I was just missing three or four corners, but I remember a fight right up until the end.

Ten years after the World Rally Championship was last in New Zealand some of the sport's big names are back and history is on the line.

"The camber is probably not as prominent as what it used to be when the rally went further north and now it's more about generally the really fast, flowing, smooth nature of the stages. I'm still competitive, when I take part in a rally it's to try and win it but through the years I have become a bit more relaxed." "Back then I was fighting for my first victory ... "I think we're lucky to get it back. Ten years after the World Rally Championship was last in New Zealand some of the sport's big names are back and history is on the line. Drivers and co-drivers from 13 nations will contest Rally New Zealand but local motorsport fans will be paying particular attention to the Rally2 category where six New Zealanders will be behind the wheel sliding in the gravel.

On the eve of the Repco Rally New Zealand's return to the FIA World Rally Championship, organisers are keen to press claims for the event to have a regular ...

Before then teams are undertaking reconnaissance on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, with shakedown on Thursday ahead of the official opening and Super Special Stage in Auckland Domain from 5.30pm which is free to the public. “We believe that the future is strong for this event in New Zealand. “Here we are two years later and the excitement remains. He said that his organisation believes that this would not be practicable annually, but every two to three years. Chris Simpson, Head of Major Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited says: “The World Rally Championship is one of the pinnacle events on the global motorsport calendar and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is proud to host the New Zealand leg of the event this year. We believe visitation will be around 34,000 bed nights and potential economic benefit of many millions for Auckland,” said Johnston.

The FIA World Rally Championship goes down under this week as Repco Rally New Zealand (29 September - 2 October) returns to the series for the first time in ...

"Hopefully we can get 100 per cent from the car and achieve a strong result." Hopefully we can have good speed, enjoy the event and finish with a good result.” A birthday isn’t the only thing Rovanperä might be celebrating this weekend, either.

Rally New Zealand won't be part of the 2023 World Rally Championship calendar, although organisers are targeting a return to rallying's top flight in 2024.

“We believe that the future is strong for this event in New Zealand. During a period between 2009 and 2012, Rally New Zealand and Rally Australia operated on an alternate basis. Organisers stated that an “extremely competitive” environment among nations wishing to hold WRC events was behind the call, and that hosting an event “every two to three years” would be more practical.

Rally New Zealand won't be part of the 2023 World Rally Championship calendar, although organisers are targeting a return to rallying's top flight in 2024.

Hyundai is one of the World Rally Championship's big three, and has a brand-new travelling facility befitting of that status. Kalle Rovanpera and Toyota went into Rally Finland as overwhelming favourites but came away as runners-up to a resurgent Ott Tanak and Hyundai. Toyota locked out the top four places in the World Rally Championship's recent Safari Rally Kenya in a clear indication of its GR Yaris Rally1 hybrid's pace and durability.

Solberg was destined to make a living from behind the steering wheel of a car...

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The 21-year-old Rovanperä, current leader in the FIA World Rally Championship, could potentially wrap up the title with co-driver Jonne Halttunen. In doing so ...

Make sure you check the 'First Car Time' as this will tell you when you will see the cars in action on that stage. Special Stage 7 - Te Akau North 1 Special Stage 4 - Te Akau North 1 Special Stage 2 - Whaanga Coast 1 There will be considerable kiwi interest in the WRC2 category, led by 2011 Production WRC Champion and five-time New Zealand Rally Champion, Hayden Paddon. He came through the Toyota development programme under the watchful eye of Tommi Makinen, a four-time world champion.

The 21-year-old Rovanperä, current leader in the FIA World Rally Championship, could potentially wrap up the title with co-driver Jonne Halttunen. In doing so ...

Make sure you check the 'First Car Time' as this will tell you when you will see the cars in action on that stage. Special Stage 7 - Te Akau North 1 Special Stage 4 - Te Akau North 1 Special Stage 2 - Whaanga Coast 1 There will be considerable kiwi interest in the WRC2 category, led by 2011 Production WRC Champion and five-time New Zealand Rally Champion, Hayden Paddon. He came through the Toyota development programme under the watchful eye of Tommi Makinen, a four-time world champion.

Shane van Gisbergen has been successful in whatever he drives, but he says he faces a steep learning curve taking part in Rally New Zealand this week.

“I’m looking forward to being back in the car tomorrow and mellow out. “I’ve got all my notes written, I come up to the corner and still back off when I should have been flat out.“With my second run through I’m five seconds quicker. I know it’s going to take time, I have to be patient and not force.” You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. “With Whaanga Coast, I’ve never done that before and I was just taking it in, in the first part of the recce. There will be more expectation on how well Paddon goes this weekend. I don’t know what I need to process yet. “There’s still a lot to learn. That’s where I learn. “It’s pretty cool to be here and have the car on show with all the team,” Van Gisbergen said.

Kiwi ace the quickest in WRC2 as Estonian star wins opening stage of WRC Rally New Zealand at Pukekawa Auckland Domain.

If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. *

The rain came earlier expected on the first loop of Friday's three stages, which helped the former WRC champion get a small lead over his rivals.

If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. “There was a bump with some water and the rear spun around. “Just a spin, just before the end. *

Craig Breen was sitting second in the competition after the first four stages but one bad read has ruined his chances.

The Irishman's crash came after Belgium's Thierry Neuville almost suffered a similar fate earlier in the day, going within inches of going over the edge on stage three after spinning out in the still-wet conditions that challenged drivers yesterday. Breen eventually made his way out of the hole he was in and finished the stage but was now dead last in the competition 11 minutes and 34 seconds back from new leader Sebastian Ogier. After a 10-year absence from the World Rally Championship, rally drivers are being reminded of how challenging Rally New Zealand can be early in the four-day event, with one driver going off the track in just the fifth stage of the 17-stage event.

Emerging from the Whaanga Coast stage, Craig Breen eased his Ford Focus RS recce car to a stop, rolled down the window and grinned.

And it is fantastic to be back. “That stage [Whaanga Coast] is just fantastic – the onboards and all the footage just don’t do it justice. “I’ve waited a long time to come down here and do this rally and this isn’t going to disappoint.

M-Sport Ford team principal Richard Millener was “surprised” to see Craig Breen make his fourth mistake in the last five World Rally Championship rallies given ...

DirtFish later caught up with Paul Nagle though who explained that “we just braked a fraction late” and slipped off the road. When it was put to him that it’s clear that Breen can perform, it’s just that things aren’t clicking, Millener said: “Yeah he proved that for the first three stages, in the lead this morning and there we had the opportunity with the stage drying to have another bit of an impact and I think you’re going to see now, as it dries, the gaps increasing a little bit and that would’ve given us a bit of comfort. It shows how quickly that can disappear.”

Craig Breen going down a ditch. Ott Tänak held a minuscule lead over Elfyn Evans at the end of Friday's stages at Rally New Zealand, where the drivers not only ...

A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. “There was a bump with some water and the rear spun around. “Just a spin, just before the end. If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. “That was epic,” Van Gisbergen said at the end of that stage. However, the veteran Frenchman lost his rear spoiler on the penultimate stage of the day, clipping a tree. Then unsurprisingly, he dropped an F-bomb on a TV interview when he reached the end of the stage. “We’ve got a bad tyre on the right rear and a bad tyre on the left front, so I’m really managing it,” Paddon said at the end of the day. The Irishman encouraged a group of spectators to grab hold of a rope to pull the stricken Ford Puma back onto the road. Four corners before the finish,” the Belgian said at the end of the stage. Towards the end of the second stage of the day, Thierry Neuville hit a bank, but was fortunate not to damage his Hyundai.

Paddon leads the WRC2 division after the opening super special stage of the four-day event while Estonia's Ott Tanak leads the standings after a blistering ...

Rally NZ now enters the tougher stages this morning with classic stages in the Whaanga Coast and on Waikato region roads near Te Akau. "It's just awesome to see so many people here. In the WRC's return to Aotearoa after a 10-year hiatus, Paddon and the field opened with a 1.40km super special stage at Auckland Domain.

Kiwi Hayden Paddon has overcome overcast and slippery conditions to lead the WRC2 division, after the opening super special stage of Rally NZ.

"There are a lot of them in these stages this weekend and that's probably the most challenging thing, after three months out. "The rain before the start tonight made the first stage a bit more difficult and it probably dried a bit for the guys behind us," he said. "Shakedown was not especially representative of the rally, but it was extremely fast and it was important for me to get the confidence in the high-speed sections.

An early wake-up and rain didn't put fans off, keen to catch a glimpse of the famous Whaanga Coast. The world's best rally drivers were the main attraction, as ...

The best of the Kiwis is Hayden Paddon, who holds a strong lead in WRC 2 at the end of the day. And he pushed to set a stunning time in the second running of Whaanga Coast and storm to the lead, while early leader Breen ended his rally when he crashed on stage five, his Ford Puma beached by the Whaanga Coast. "Thanks to the rain, the fight and the competition is quite fair," Tanak said.