I’m fairly sure that in a previous column I have expressed an odd sort of ‘ambivalence’ to the gravel side of our sport
OK, ‘ambivalence’ (defined as ‘the state of having two opposing feelings about someone or something) is arguably way too strong a word to describe my current thoughts and feelings about rallies and rallying.
Later this very week, for instance, I will happily load up The Mighty Camry (TMC) with gumboots and jandals, Swandri & sunhat and trek literally hundreds of kms to catch the briefest of glimpses of the world’ s best WRC drivers as they battle it out for top honours in this year’s Repco Rally NZ round.
So, from that point of view, you’d have to classify me as ‘a bit of a fan boy!’
In saying that I’ve never, ever had any sort, type or even kind of inkling to follow in their footsteps (or rather I suppose, their wheel tracks) and in timeworn tradition given the gravel side of the ledger, the same sort of ‘red hot go’ I did when I first got into racing karts, then cars and more recently, drifting.
Which you’ll have to agree is odd, particularly given my background; you know, born and raised in (Eastern) Southland, one of the true ‘hotbeds’ of the sport, since -well – ages ago really. I can even remember languid weekends long past, when I’d saddle up my humble pushbike and pedal to iconic Eastern Southland Car Club events like Chittock’s Hill for an annual (gravel) Hillclimb, and to the locally notorious Terry’s Rd for an annual (and again, all gravel) Bent Sprint type event.
Again, all grist to my motorsport-mad mill, yet never at any stage of my own particular motorsport journey have I ever slapped the top of my right thigh, at a gravel rally event (as I distinctly remember doing ahead of my various moves, first into karts, then from karts to cars, then, most recently, from circuit racing to drifting) and shouted out to no one in particular something inane like; ‘Damn, I’m ‘a goin’ to have to get me more ‘o dis sh.t.”
Fortunately for the whanau who have stayed a little closer to the MacKay ‘home place’ at Otama (near Riversdale) I am obviously the exception that proves the rule!
Cousin Hadley is the latest MacKay to give gravel a go (in a trick little Citroen FWD Axo), while my various namesakes down south (Ross McKay, Ross Mackay, and Ross MacKay) have each contributed in some way to keeping the flag – as well as the gravel!!! – flying.
Of course, you don’t have to have any ‘skin in the game’ to really get into a major international event like Repco Rally NZ, one of the reasons being the sheer amount and number of resources required to meet the exacting standards of a pukka World Championship event.
Everything you – or I for that matter – could ever need, or even want, to know – is literally just a couple of clicks away, at www.rallynz.org.nz or www.rallynewzealand.com
There, for instance, you will find a .pdf of the final seeding order of the event, a list headed by young second generation Finnish phenom Kalle Rovanperä.
The 21-year-old Rovanperä, who drives a Yaris for the works Toyota Gazoo Racing squad, is the son of former WRC great Harri Rovanperä, and the current leader in the FIA World Rally Championship points standings, could potentially wrap up the title with co-driver Jonne Halttunen at the 11th round (of 13) in and around Auckland later this week and over the Oct 01-02 weekend.
Rovanperä heads an international list of drivers and co-drivers from 13 nations here to contest Repco Rally New Zealand, the 32nd time the championship has been staged in this country, and the first time in over a decade.
Joining Rovanperä as one of the favourites to win Repco Rally NZ this year, is one of his Toyota teammates, eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier
The powerful Toyota Gazoo Racing team also includes Welshman Elfyn Evans, who has five WRC wins and 23 podiums to his credit, and Japan’s former karting and Formula 3 standout, Takamoto Katsuta who came through the Toyota development programme under the watchful eye of Tommi Makinen, a four-time world champion.
The Hyundai challenge, meanwhile, is led by Ott Tänak, the 2019 world champion from Estonia, and the experienced Belgian driver Thierry Neuville, who has 15 WRC rally wins since his debut in 2009.
Their team is rounded out by 20-year-old Swede, Oliver Solberg, the 2020 FIA European Junior Champion son of 2003 world champion Petter Solbeereg.
Then there is the M-Sport Ford squad headed by Ireland’s Craig Breen, who has scored two podiums this year, and England’s Gus Greensmith, a promising youth footballer at Manchester City, and 2014 British Junior Rally Champion.
The Ford team also includes Adrien Fourmaux, a former junior French Rally Champion and Italy’s Lorenzo Bertelli.
Kiwi interest will be focused on the WRC2 category led by 2011 Production WRC Champion and five-time New Zealand Rally Champion; Hayden Paddon seeded 12th.
There will also be plenty of support for current Repco Supercars Championship leader, Shane van Gisbergen, who has put together a privateer campaign with backing from Supercheap Auto to realise a dream of competing in the rally.
He is seeded 15th, just one spot behind two-time New Zealand Gold Star (rally) champion Ben Hunt.
Other Kiwis keen to take on the world’s best WRC2 squads include renowned off-roader-turned-rally-man Raana Horan, and NZ Rally championship stalwarts Todd Bawden, Kingsly Jones, and Andy Martin.
Three-time European Champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz from Poland, and Australian Rally Champion Harry Bates have also entered.
Finally, fleshing out the field is a batch of our very own Kiwi-spec AP4 models, headed by the Ford Fiesta of second-generation Mainlander Robbie Stokes.
Of special interest (well it will be to me, anyway!!) will be how well the two new Toyota GR Yaris AP4s of young gun Jack Hawkeswood, and recent gravel convert Haydn Mackenzie go in direct competition with the Mitsubishi Mirage of Matt Summerfield, the Audi S1of Dylan Turner, and the Mazda 2 AP4 of gravel event returnee, Glen Inkster.
“Rally fans have long awaited the return of the World Rally Championship to New Zealand, and we are thrilled with the quality of drivers venturing to our shores,” said Repco Rally New Zealand CEO, Michael Goldstein.
“The best of the best are coming, both rising superstars like Kalle Rovanperä, and the incomparable Sebastien Ogier in the WRC1 class.
“The WRC2 challenge will be intense and obviously will get a lot of local attention with the kiwis in the field, led by Hayden Paddon and Shane van Gisbergen.
“We have some epic and iconic stages that the likes of Sebastien Ogier have said are the best in the world. And we have the world’s best drivers doing battle in these remarkable hi-tech hybrid cars.
“We are excited that New Zealand sporting fans will have the opportunity to see these drivers and cars in action, while 80 million people from 150 countries will tune in around the globe to watch it all unfold amid our wonderful and unique New Zealand landscape.”
Overall, there are 11 entrants in the WRC1 elite category, 12 in WRC2 including kiwi stars Hayden Paddon and Shane van Gisbergen, with six other kiwis also in the international field.
These crews are supported by 46 additional entries in the New Zealand Rally Championship field, so 75 cars will assemble at the Auckland Domain on the evening of Thursday Sept 29 for the official start of the event.
Of which all I can say is, I can’t wait!
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