The iconic Ashley Forest Rallysprint title will again be up for grabs this weekend just north of Rangiora in Canterbury.
Fifty-seven competitors will contest the 1.7 km course in a sudden death elimination until only two remain to fight over the title.
Returning is current title holder Hayden Paddon. Paddon, New Zealand’s most successful rally driver, is the newly crowned European rally champion. He is also the current New Zealand champion and a former Hyundai works driver in the World Rally Championship.
Paddon again comes to the event entering both his locally based Hyundai i20N AP4 car, along with the electric Hyundai Kona rally car that he has built up in recent years.
The event that was first staged in 1979, has regularly attracted the country’s top -rated drivers. This number includes former national champions Paul Adams, winner in 1981, Neil Allport 1983, Tony Teesdale 1987, Rod Millen 1988 and 1990, Possum Bourne 1989 and 1991, and Paddon 2011, 2019 and 2022.
Forest work has prevented the event from being held on ten occasions. It does however remain as the country’s premier event of its kind.
Entries this year include Trevor Crowe, now aged 77 and winner in 1985 who was the first South Islander to win. 2017 winner Sloan Cox from Rotorua, driving his Mitsubishi Evo, Rangiora’s Ari Pettigrew, rally spec’d Holden Barina AP4.
Pettigrew has challenged the leaders in this year’s New Zealand Rally Championship. Hastings Gareth McLachlan with his aging but very quick Mitsubishi Galant and Neil Webb, Blenheim, driving a very quick Mitsubishi Mirage return as does the two-wheel drive title holder Chris Hey from Mosgiel piloting his purpose-built Toyota MR2.
Canterbury entries include Mike Tall, David Quantock and in the class battles defending 0-1300 champion Chris Herdman with his 1300cc Toyota Starlet.
The current course record 52.77 second set by Paddon in 2017 in his Hyundai i20 AP4. (Paddon’s winning time last year was 55.54).
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