Christchurch’s Dylan Thomson has recorded a dream result at the fourth round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, the Kennedy Park Resort Rally Hawke’s Bay, leading home not only the FIA two-wheel drive class, but all two-wheel drive cars.
Thomson came to the event excited to get back to the Hawkes Bay, an event he had never contested before but in the region for the head office of title sponsor Total Lubricants.
A top result was important for Thomson, who’s chief rival in the NZRC two-wheel drive championship was absent, while a finish would secure him a third FIA two-wheel drive championship. There were challenges to overcome, with new co-driver Ben Trevelyan joining the team and Thomson also suffering a sprained wrist in the build up to the event.
Neither issue slowed him however as he led all of the two-wheel drive cars through the morning two stages, opening up a gap of 13 seconds over some of the more powerful rivals on the twisting roads north of Hawkes Bay. Through the six stages across the day, Thomson would be fastest in four and almost 30 seconds ahead of the chasing two-wheel drive pack, more than 3 minutes ahead of the nearest FIA two-wheel drive car.
“This really is a dream result for us. There were a few things to overcome, but Ben and I clicked straight away and the result was fantastic,” said Thomson.
“It was even more special to pull the result in the Hawkes Bay in front of a lot of our supporters from Total Lubricants who have been with us from the start.”
The result not only secured Thomson the FIA two-wheel drive title, but moved him into the lead of the overall two-wheel drive championship heading to the final round, the Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally Coromandel, on September 4.
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