RallySport Magazine, Issue #1, May 2016

Dedicated coverage of rallying in Australia and New Zealand

Issue #1 - May 2016

FIRST DIGITAL ISSUE

0 2 i Z N S ’ N O D PAorD est Rally

ARC: F arei g n a h W , o g a t NZRC: O a WRC: Argentin ylor a T y l l o Greg Murphy M ’s u r Suba

talks rallying

rallysportmag.com.au

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 1

6 1 0 2 L A I C I OFF R U O T R O T A SPECT BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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CONTENTS - #1 MAY 2016 12 FEATURES

12 EVENT REPORTS

12 GREG MURPHY

22 QUIT FOREST RALLY

THE FORMER V8 STAR TALKS RALLYING

16 AP4-SOME FOLLOW US ON:

THERE’S A NEW BREED OF RALLY CAR TEARING UP THE STAGES

32 A SPECTATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

TOM SMITH GETS DUSTY AT NZ’S OTAGO RALLY

38 AN UNLIKELY CHALLENGER

AN R5 TOYOTA FROM PARAGUAY

42 MOLLY TAYLOR

12 REGULARS

EVANS, BATES TAKE FIRST BLOOD

28 OTAGO CLASSIC RALLY

07 RALLY ROUND-UP

34 OTAGO RALLY - NZRC

40 CLASSIC RALLYING

IT WAS A HAYDEN PADDON WHITEWASH IN NZRC ROUND 1

SURGING ON PAST GLORIES

44 TARGA TASMANIA

FORMER ARC CHAMP ED ORDYNSKI

54 RALLY OF ARGENTINA

THE KIWI TALKS ABOUT HIS RALLY ARGENTINA VICTORY

MATT CLOSE TAKES HIS FIRST TITLE

60 RALLY OF WHANGAREI

THE RE-BIRTH OF AN ESCORT

NEWS FROM AROUND THE SPORT

47 WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

AMID THE CARNAGE, DAVID HOLDER WINS HIS FIRST NZRC ROUND

66 GRANDFATHER’S AXE

RALLYING IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND APPEARS ON THE RISE

ESTONIA’S MARKKO MARTIN IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN IN DUNEDIN

PADDON PROVES KIWIS CAN FLY

FACTORY DRIVER MAKING HER MARK ON THE ARC

06 EDITORIAL

58 HAYDEN PADDON COLUMN

SEE THIS?

73 30 YEARS ON

Click the link and watch the video

REMEMBERING HENRI TOIVONEN

Ben Hunt, Rally of Whangarei.

Photo: Geoff Ridder

MANAGING EDITOR PETER WHITTEN

CONTRIBUTORS

SENIOR WRITER

TOM SMITH

Luke Whitten, Blair Bartels, Jeff Whitten, Dallas Dogger, Martin Holmes, Liz Swanton, Chris Nixon, John Lemm, Barry Oliver.

ADVERTISING

Dominic Corkeron, 0499 981 188, dominic@rallysportmag.com.au

PUBLISHED BY:

Peter Whitten RallySport Magazine peter@rallysportmag.com.au www.rallysportmag.com.au

COPYRIGHT:

No material, artwork or photos may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. RallySport Magazine takes care in compiling specifications, prices and details but cannot accept responsibility for any errors. The opinions expressed by columnists and contributors to this magazine are not necessarily those of RallySport Magazine.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 3

RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE

WELCOME ... BACK! I

n many ways, the return of RallySport Magazine has been the best part of 10 years in the making. It was with extremely heavy hearts that the publication’s 17-year run, starting in September 1989, came to an end in October 2006.

Rising printing costs and an increasingly difficult advertising market forced us to close the doors on the printed magazine, roughly 12 months after Subaru called an end to their reign as Australian Rally Championship supremos.

There was still a need for the publication, but we thought that was the end of the story. Hopefully, we’re about to prove ourselves wrong.

Subaru’s return to the Australian Rally Championship and an increasingly popular, and successful, New Zealand Rally Championship seems to have reinvigorated rallying ‘down under’, to the point where we are seeing levels of interest not experienced for some years.

While websites and social media give those within the sport updates and results at the click of a mouse or the swipe of a smartphone, we believe there’s still a need for a monthly publication with more in-depth reporting on events, feature stories and editorial opinion. We hope you agree.

4 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

‘Free to readers’ was the number one item on our RallySport Magazine 2016 checklist, allowing each month’s issue to go truly international and to be able to be read and enjoyed by anyone, in any country, at any time.

Yet the production of the magazine each month won’t come cheaply, and we know from the outset that we’ll need to work hard and produce the content that readers want in order to maintain your interest, and perhaps more importantly, your trust.

As an advertiser in the magazine, or, if you so desire, as a supporter or patron, you can help us ensure that RallySport Magazine has a long and bright future ahead of it.

For sure, this is a call for help in some ways, but in others, it’s one way of ensuring that we are only at the beginning of a long-term project that will get better and better with each month, and with each issue.

In 2006 our magazine’s motto was “a passion for rallying”. Ten years on that hasn’t diminished, and we hope it’s a passion that you find just as addictive over the forthcoming issues.

Welcome to the first issue of RallySport Magazine Version 2.0. Enjoy the ride.

- Peter Whitten, Managing Editor

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EDITORIAL

Onwards and upwards

By PETER WHITTEN

R

allying in 2016 has kicked off with more fanfare and excitement than in any season in recent memory, both in Australia and New Zealand.

After a few years of uncertainty and waning interest, the opening rounds of both national championships have generated the kind of enthusiasm that will have competitors, sponsors and spectators hopeful of what the future holds.

In Australia, the return of Subaru after an 11 year absence with a new WRX STI for Molly Taylor is something that rally fans have been yearning for, while four-time champion Simon Evans’ return in his older model Impreza has also got the fans up and about again.

Having a brand new Subaru competing against one that’s 16 or 17 years old may not be everyone’s idea of a fair fight, but if the renewed interest in the Australian Rally Championship is anything to go by, then the rule changes for 2016 have been a step in the right direction.

New Zealand’s championship is now two rounds old, and with increased field sizes and the appearance of Hayden Paddon at the first two rounds, interest has skyrocketed.

Paddon won the first round by a record margin, but young gun David Holder took the victory in round two, setting up a tight championship battle that is likely to go down to the wire.

The appearance of three new AP4 cars (modified to NZ rules) has added even more interest to the New Zealand Rally Championship, and with more of these cars expected to appear in the future, local rallying looks like getting more and more popular.

Of course the success of national championships usually flows off the back of a successful platform of club and state rallying, and both countries are currently well on track for longterm success.

It’s definitely a time to be looking at the glass as being half full.

T

he jury is back. The people of have spoken. Sebastien Ogier is a sook and needs to harden up.

While that might seem harsh and a cheap shot at the three-time World Champion, Ogier’s comments regarding road position in the past 6 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

“The jury is back. The people have spoken. Sebastien Ogier is a sook.” few weeks have not so much divided the rally world, as turned them against him.

The debate regarding who should be the first car on the road in gravel rallies has been going on for years, and it seems we’re no closer to a solution that suits everyone.

Ogier and Hayden Paddon had a heated discussion (pictured above) about the running order after day two in Argentina, with the Kiwi sick and tired of the Frenchman continually complaining about his poor road position, which sees the championship leader lead the rally on the first two days.

But as many have said since, he keeps winning, so it can’t be affecting him too badly.

In a report in the British publication Autosport, Ogier said: “Rallying is quite boring for me at the moment. We get good points [for second], but where is the sport?

“Yes, we can be champion again, but I know we deserve more than this.

“It’s completely unfair and not how the championship should be for me to run first on the road 80 per cent of the time. For me, year after year, this championship is getting more and more a joke.”

Not surprisingly, social media went into meltdown over those comments,

and Ogier’s popularity – at last in this part of the world – took a major hit.

Rallying has always been about mastering the conditions put in front of you, and if you’re good enough, you’ll win. If that means you start first on the road for a few events, then so be it. But if you then don’t win, your championship position will drop and it will be someone else’s turn to run at the front.

Nobody is doubting that Sebastien Ogier is the best driver in the championship at the present time, but it can be argued that he also has the best team with the most money.

If the championship is dominated by the one driver or the one team for long periods, then ultimately the sport is the loser. Perhaps that, more than the running order, is the biggest challenge facing the WRC after 12 years with only two different champions.

T

his issue of RallySport Magazine would not have been possible without the help of many people, especially Tom Smith, whose help, knowledge and guidance has been invaluable.

To the journalists and photographers who have provided content for the readers, my heartfelt thanks. May this be just the start.

- Peter Whitten

NEWS@RALLYSPORTMAG.COM.AU

RALLY ROUND-UP Lightforce Rally SA

Pedder returns to WRC2

Australia’s leading manufacturer of professional lighting systems, has secured naming rights for this year’s South Australian round of the Australian Rally Championship.

The sixteenth anniversary event will be known as Lightforce Rally SA, to be held from September 9 to 11.

“Lightforce is proud to be naming rights sponsor of the 2016 Lightforce Rally SA. We have called South Australia home since our inception and pride ourselves in supporting local events and initiatives,” Lightforce’s Ben Meddows said.

“With the launch of our LED light bar range, we feel that we now have a selection of products which correlate perfectly with the needs of

Having burst onto the WRC2 scene last year, former Australian Rally Champion Scott Pedder has confirmed his plans to return to the World Rally Championship in 2016.

Pedder, partnered with experienced co-driver Dale Moscatt, will drive a Skoda Fabia R5 for the upcoming season.

“We are excited to be linking up with last year’s WRC2 Champions AutoTek Motorsport in the Skoda R5,” Pedder said. “Our plan is to undertake two solid days of testing before our first event together. I really learnt last year the value of time in these cars, they are incredibly tunable and it’s important to get the right feel before the first stage starts.”

this market.”

Rally director, Ivar Stanelis, said he was delighted that Lightforce had agreed to team up with the Rally SA. “This is a truly significant partnership. Rallying focusses on action and durability, which underlines the Lightforce brand’s unparalleled strength and toughness. This association is great for the sport generally and great for us locally.”

The event will run on the roads in and around Mount Crawford Forest and the Barossa Valley.

Pedder and Moscatt will once again tackle a core program of three European events, including Portugal, Poland and Finland, before looking to tackle the debut sealed surface round in China, then rounding the year with their home round in Coffs Harbour.

Pedder will still face a fierce challenge with Skoda fielding a pair of factory backed Fabiats for Esapekka Lappi and Pontus Tidemand, former M-Sport WRC driver Elfyn Evans in a Fiesta R5.

Pedder’s WRC2 Calendar

Portugal (19th-22nd May) Poland (1st-3rd July) Finland (28th-31st July) China-Beijing (8th-11th September) Rally Australia (17th-20th November)

Reeves announces Canberra ARC comeback Brendan Reeves, runnerup in the 2014 Australian Rally Championship, will return to the national title race in Canberra, driving a Subaru Impreza WRX. Reeves will be reunited with his sister, Rhianon Gelsomino, who will call the pacenotes the first time the pair will have competed together since the Spanish round of the WRC last October.

Reeves last drove his Subaru in anger at the 2014 Akademos Rally in Victoria.

“The changes in regulations this year has made it a lot easier for cars like my Subaru to be competitive, and I’m really looking forward to getting back to the ARC and one of my favourite events,” Reeves

said. “I won the National Capital Rally in 2014, so I’ve got a good record there, and with a good road position, I’ll be aiming for a podium place.”

Reeves’ Subaru will appear with a freshly rebuilt engine, a refurbished gearbox and suspension, as well as new hubs, balljoints and other components.

“With the short, sprint format of ARC events you really need to be able to push hard from the outset, so having fresh parts in the car will be important especially in Canberra which can tend to be rough in places,” he added.

“The event looks like seeing a very competitive entry list, so it’s going to be great fun.”

While he has not competed regularly in the past 12 months, Reeves has been doing a lot of rally driver training on his Victorian property, so has

had his backside in the seat on a regular basis.

Reeves and Gelsomino are also hoping to do Kennards Hire Rally Australia in November.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 7

NEWS@RALLYSPORTMAG.COM.AU

COUNCIL BACKFLIP

R

ally Australia is looking forward to a successful event next November after receiving a strong vote of support from the Coffs Coast community.

Community support is essential for events of the scale of the FIA World Rally Championship round – especially those in competition with other countries for hosting rights - and the resident and business community of Coffs expressed theirs in full voice when the Coffs Harbour City Council’s own will appeared to falter.

A regular council meeting, attended by only six of nine regular councilors,

rejected a motion to fund the 2016 and 2017 events and received an immediate and angry response.

Chamber of Commerce President, George Cecato, called for the councillors’ resignations. NSW MP for Coffs Harbour, Andrew Fraser, said they “obviously have no idea of the huge economic benefit this international world class event brings to the Coffs Coast region”.

Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker joined in. The Coffs Coast Advocate newspaper attracted 8000 respondents to an on-line poll, more than 70 percent of whom called for the council

YARIS WRC TESTING IN FULL SWING Photos from Toyota’s test of its new Yaris WRC appeared recently, after the team tested the car in Finland.

Team boss, and four-time World Champion, Tommi Makinen, said the team was really happy with the car, which has already clocked up over 1600km of testing.

The team has still not announced who will drive the new Yaris in next year’s WRC. Photo: Miika Wuorela 8 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

to support the rally.

The reaction led quickly to the introduction of a recision motion, a device that allowed the original vote to be reviewed and subsequently reversed. The council’s support for 2016/17, part of a package of commercial and government backing for the event, was confirmed.

What started out as a highly concerning development for the rally ended with an unprecedented expression of community support, which no doubt will continue to show in the months leading up to Rally Australia on November 17-20.

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MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 9

PREVIEW: NATIONAL CAPITAL RALLY

!

N O E GAM Round 2 of the ARC promises to be a cracker in the forests around Canberra.

O

ne of the most competitive fields for some years will line up for the National Capital Rally, from May 27 to 29, in round two of the Kumho Tyre Australian Rally Championship.

Four-time champion and round one winner, Simon Evans, leads the field in his 1998 Subaru Impreza WRX, but the popular Victorian will be challenged by at least six drivers all more than capable of taking the top step of the podium.

On home soil, young gun Harry Bates may well be Evans’ biggest challenger in the light and nimble Super 2000 Toyota Corolla. Bates was the real surprise packet in Western Australia, and on roads that Bates knows and has tested on, Evans will need to be right on his game to take back-to-back wins.

2014 ARC runner-up, Brendan Reeves, returns to the series in his rebuilt Subaru and should be on the pace, as will 2011 champion, Justin Dowel, who started to get into the groove in WA in his Hyundai i20.

In her second event in a four-wheel drive car, and with an event under Neal Bates will be hard to beat on home soil, while Simon Evans (above) is hoping for back-to-back victories.

Photos: John Doutch

her belt, Molly Taylor should be more of a force to be reckoned with in the factory Subaru, while the older model Imprezas of WA pair Tom Wilde and Brad Markovic should also be well in contention.

After his car caught fire and was destroyed in round one, Markovic will drive a 2010 model Subaru.

Mark Pedder has shown that his Peugeot 208 Maxi has the speed to take top three results, while local driver, Adrian Coppin, should make the most of his local knowledge in the Bates-built Corolla S2000.

Coffs Harbour’s Nathan Quinn makes a welcome return to the ARC in his wellused Lancer Evo 9. After taking a top 10 finish at Rally Australia in a Mini Cooper World Rally Car in 2013, expect Quinn to impress.

The classic competition will also be

one to watch, headed, as always, by Neal Bates in his Celica RA40. On home soil, his rivals probably won’t see which way Bates went.

Yet there are a number of cars that will have spectators flocking to the forests to see the action.

Thomas Dermody’s Ford Escort RS1800 will be a crowd favourite, as will the Audi Quattro S1 E2 replica of Mal Keough – a car with enough horsepower to pull the fillings out of your teeth!

Add into the mix the Celica of last year’s ARC Classic champ, Clay Badenoch, and the Datsuns of Brett Stephens, Jeff Davies and Fro Horobin, and you have a field full of sideways action.

The National Capital Rally begins with a tarmac stage on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin on the Friday night, with a further seven stages on Saturday, and another six on Sunday.

Further information, including a spectator guide, can be found at the official event website by clicking HERE. - Peter Whitten

SUPER SWEDEN L

10 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

NEWS@RALLYSPORTMAG.COM.AU

RALLY ROUND-UP Learn from Brock

L platers get the green light

Phil ‘Split Pin’ Brock, youngest brother of the late touring car legend, has joined forces with Mountain Motorsports, organisers of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship, to train would-be rally drivers in the skills of the sport.

Brock and business partner Steve Whyte will be ‘on duty’ at the next

L Plate drivers are now allowed to enter CAMS sanctioned rallies in Victoria, after months of ongoing discussions between CAMS, Vic Roads and the Victorian Rally Panel.

“Contrary to the opinion of some, this has not been allowed previously, and indeed the measured and cautious position the VRP has taken in regards to this issue has been vindicated, as VicRoads see our ongoing responsible management and oversight of the sport as a critical factor in granting

round of the series, the Lake Mountain Sprint (May 28-29), with their team of driving instructors, to work one-on-one with drivers entering the touring category of the rally.

Director Peter Washington hopes the program will bring more people into the sport and introduce them to competing.

Vale: Norm Fritter Australian rallying has lost one of its greatest characters, with the passing of Norm Fritter, the father of Coral Taylor and grandfather of Molly Taylor.

Norm was a popular figure in rallying, competing at all levels of the sport, including a long stint in the Australian Rally Championship in the 1990s.

A larger than life man, with a driving style to match, Norm was always spectacular to watch and seemed to derive plenty of pleasure from driving ‘on the edge’.

Spectators and photographers were well advised to take a step back when Norm was approaching, and he loved telling you about his exploits at stage ends or service breaks.

Coral Taylor said that

her father would be “remembered as one of life’s true larrikins.

“Years ago, Peter Glennie said to me (in a very serious tone) ‘Coral, some people have delinquent children, but there are others who have delinquent parents.’

“I hope he was met at the Pearly Gates with a scotch.

Go party Norman.”

RallySport Magazine sends its sincere condolences to Coral and the family. We remember Norm with tremendous affection, and he will be sadly missed.

LEADS AUDI 1-2 IN GERMANY Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom took an epic victory in Germany at round two of the World Rallycross Championship. Finland’s Topi Heikkinen finished runner-up, making it an EKS RX one-two in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro.

America’s Ken Block took the third podium spot in his Hoonigan Racing Division run Ford Focus RS RX Supercar.

this approval,” Rally Panel Chairman, Troy Bennett, said.

“There were a great number of issues to be considered and resolved to the satisfaction of Vic Roads, and there are a number of restrictions that will apply to L plate drivers, such as only being allowed to drive on competitive sections, and the requirement to use only the nominated (and approved) co-driver at all times, amongst others.

The process still requires approval from ARCom.

Proudly announcing the

Southern Cross Gold Anniversary Rally November 8 to 19, 2016

Re-trace the 1966 route through Victoria and then via Canberra to Sydney to enjoy the classic roads of the later Southern Cross Rallies around Port Macquarie.

The rally finishes in Coffs Harbour where you’ll join the field of WRC cars competing in the final round of the 2016 World Rally Championship and compete on some of the WRC route..

Another Classic HRA re-run www.hra.org.au

Daily competitive sections including: • • •

Closed road stages Hillclimbs

Timed track sections

Each day finishes in time to enjoy a meal and lots of socialising!

Head to the website for more information

www.southerncrossanniversaryrally.com.au Albury Mansfield Sale Jindabyne Canberra Parramatta Taree Port Macquarie Coffs Harbour MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 11

INTERVIEW: GREG MURPHY

GREG MURPHY TALKS RAL W

hen it was announced in 2015 that former Bathurst winner and V8 Supercar star, Greg Murphy, was contesting some New Zealand rallies at the wheel of a Mk 1 Ford Escort, many questioned the reasons behind the decision.

Driving a car that wasn’t expected to be competitive in the outright stakes, Murphy’s performances were at best, mid-pack, but despite a couple of off-road excursions, he’s continued to get back on the horse and try again.

You could forgive ‘Murph’ for quickly deciding that rallying was too hard and the ladder to the top too difficult,

12 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

yet that has been the furthest thing from his mind as he’s entered more events and got more experience.

In a public chat at a dinner before the Otago Rally in April 2016, Murphy spoke candidly of his love for rallying, how his involvement came about, and why he’s more than happy to run in the middle of the field and compete with some of the ‘fantastic people who are involved in the sport’.

It’s a side to Greg Murphy that many had never heard, nor knew existed, and it quickly endeared him to all those listening.

LLYING “It’s just a whole new challenge, it’s a whole new world that I’m absolutely learning from scratch, and I think that’s what I love about it more than anything.”

Photos: PETER WHITTEN

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 13

INTERVIEW: GREG MURPHY that I’ve learnt, to understand how to do this, and every time I get behind the wheel it’s just an absolute joy.

Over the years as a professional race driver I’ve been paid to race, and as soon as you do that, it takes the fun away because you become a professional and there’s goals to achieve and there’s pressures to perform, so the fun starts to diminish unless you’re actually winning all the time. Winning is obviously fantastic, but you do lose the fun factor because you have so many other pressures on you to perform and do your job.

So when that all finished, to come back and love motor racing again in a totally different branch of the sport has just been awesome, and I can’t get enough of it.

As someone who came through single seater racing, won the New Zealand Grand Prix and had a great career in V8 Supercars, what’s the appeal in rallying, and to what extent is Bathurst any preparation to famous Otago Rally stages Kuri Bush, Dansey’s Pass or any of those classic stages?

Greg Murphy: No, there’s nothing

I’ve learnt in the past from all those years of professional motorsport that prepared me for anything to do with rallying, starting last year in the Escort or this year in the Chevette. I’ve always been an admirer and a follower and have watched from the lounge chair at home, and for many years when we had a round of the World Championship I’d get out and follow the rally over a few days and just enjoyed watching the best drivers in the world in that formula go at it on some of the best roads in the world.

It’s a sport that I’ve always just loved to watch, and I’ve had massive admiration for the guys that do it so well. So I always wanted to have a go, and the first time I actually got the chance was at the “Race To The Sky” in 2005 in a V8 Holden ute. It was incredibly entertaining and something that I knew I had to do again at some stage because I fell in love with it.

Moving on and retiring from full-time professional motorsport, I had the chance to try a few different things, and thanks to Tony (Gosling) and to Nigel Barclay and a bunch of other people, I got the chance to have a crack. I knew I was going to love it, but I didn’t know I was going to have a smile on my face every time I got behind the wheel of a rally car. It’s just a whole new challenge, it’s a whole new world that I’m absolutely learning from scratch, and I think that’s what I love about it more than anything. The skill set is different, and I’m having to change everything that I do, everything

This year you’ve moved from driving a Ford Escort to a Vauxhall Chevette.

What’s the Chevette like, and what are the differences to the Escort?

GM: After 20 something years of

being very loyal to Holden, and Holden being very loyal to me, it was a little difficult last year being behind the wheel of the opposition brand, so we came up with a dastardly plan of finding a GM product, a Vauxhall Chevette. Maybe it’s a little ugly, but it gets the job done and I’ve fallen in love with it.

To be honest, everyone was telling

“To come back and love a totally different branch of the sport has just been awesome, and I can’t get enough of it.”

14 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

“You don’t have to worry about getting off the line and firing into turn one with Shane van Gisbergen turning in on you.”

me ‘It’s no Escort, you’re going to get a bit of a fright’, so I started sh!#$ing myself going to the first event, and thought ‘what have I got myself in to’? But I got in it, and this is how inexperienced I am, I couldn’t tell the bloody difference. Maybe that’s a good thing (he laughs). It goes sideways, it’s rear-wheel drive …. it’s fantastic!

Do you have a feeling that it’s more difficult to switch from circuit racing to rallying, rather than being a rally driver and going the other way?

GM: Gee, I don’t know, and I’m not

going to judge a rally driver who might go the other way, but if you look at what Sebastien Loeb’s done, and I’ll use him as an example, he is absolutely brilliant and he’s proven that he can drive anything at a very high level.

The discipline of rallying is such a vast one in that the conditions change at such a fast rate, and there seems to always be surprises and you’ve got to be able to manage that. You need to be able to push so incredibly hard and to such a high performance, teetering on the edge of disaster all the time – well that’s what it looks like and that’s what it feels like to me.

I’ve never hung on to the seat with my butt cheeks as much as I do in a rally car, whereas in a racing car you can build up and you just keep refining and adjusting and changing and tuning

for the same thing, over and over again. I don’t see how rallying can’t be harder than that!

If you drive a racing car on the edge on a race track you’re pushing to the absolute maximum, and I don’t think you can do that so much in a rally car – and I could be wrong – because the edge and the limit in a race car is so much more defined than surely what it can be in a rally car, unless you’re doing the same piece of road over and over again, but even then the conditions are changing from one run to the next.

So I’d have to say that there’s no question in my mind that doing what these guys do (referring to Hayden Paddon), that skill set is just phenomenal.

How hard was it from going from someone at the top of their game for over 20 years, to going into a completely new sport and starting again from the bottom?

GM: Well, you obviously weren’t

watching for my entire career, because I certainly wasn’t at the top for 20 years, but I love challenges and the different disciplines of motorsport.

I love Moto GP, love watching Superbikes. Who can watch Marc Marquez or Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo riding their bikes at 340km/h into turn one at Phillip Island and say that’s not incredible to watch?

Watch Greg Murphy’s incar video HERE

So I’m a lover of motorsport, a lover of cars and four wheels is my domain, and rallying is just something that I’ve had a desire to have a crack at for a very long period of time.

I don’t mind starting from scratch, and I love that I’ve got the chance to drive a classic car and enjoy the absolute pure fun of it. And it’s so different. Yes, you’re competing against everybody else and against the clock, but when you leave the start line you’re not thinking about the guy that’s gone ahead of you, or the guy that’s behind you, it’s about getting from there to there as fast as you can and as safe as you can.

It’s about challenging yourself. You don’t have to worry about getting off the line and firing into turn one with Shane van Gisbergen turning in on you, you just have to worry about what you’re doing, and for me that’s a really, really enjoyable thing to do.

Rallying is such a thrill, the people are just fantastic and it’s great to be a part of that community and just enjoy their company. It is very different to circuit racing, but I’m loving every minute of it.

RallySport Magazine wishes Greg all the best for his new motorsport career, and looks forward to seeing him out and about on more events. Perhaps an entry into Rally Australia could be next?

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 15

FEATURE: HYUNDAI I20 AP4 Story: LUKE WHITTEN Photos: PETER WHITTEN, GEOFF RIDDER

16 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

AP4-SOME A close look at Hyundai NZ’s i20 rocketship

A

fter coming straight out of the box for the Otago Rally in early April, many doubted the potential of Hyundai’s new i20 AP4 rally car.

Sure, it had the looks, and the world-class driver, but did the car have the pace and the reliability to match a very strong New Zealand Rally Championship field?

Fast-forward after two scintillating days at the event, and all doubts surrounding the car were well and truly put to bed.

As an onlooker, you can be quick to credit the man behind the wheel, but in rallying, it is ultimately the combination that gives you speed, and the reliability to put in a performance that Hayden Paddon, John Kennard and the Hyundai i20 AP4 put on at Otago.

Luke Whitten takes a closer look at the brand new Hyundai i20 to see what will make it such a competitive car.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 17

FEATURE: HYUNDAI I20 AP4

The build quality of Hyundai NZ’s new i20 AP4 is impressive, and has been completed by Force Motorsport.

MUST WATCH ➜ Kuri Bush stage record ➜ Hayden explains the AP4 18 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

F

rom the outside, it looks spectacular. Just like a World Rally Car to be exact. Due to the body kit, you could be confused into thinking that Paddon had just shipped over his 2015 Hyundai WRC car, but no, this is the Hyundai New Zealand AP4 variant – and what a car it is!

While it’s by no means a cheap car, or an entry level rally car, Hyundai New Zealand and Force Motorsport, who built the car, must be applauded with the quality of the end product.

Not only does it provide a great spectacle for fans, but it is a well-built car with a lot of winning potential.

It is a huge addition to New Zealand rallying; Hyundai New Zealand and Force Motorsport have created a reliable car from the outset.

“The team at Force Motorsport did an amazing job building such a good car in only three months’ time,” Paddon said after the rally.

With only one 60km test and five days after the test to iron out any gremlins, it was always going to be a tall order.

After a few initial teething issues, these problems were quickly washed away prior to the dominant display at Otago. Paddon described his nine and a half minute win as “a hugely enjoyable weekend at one of my favourite rallies in the world”.

Under the bonnet lies a nearstandard 1.8 litre Hyundai Sonata turbocharged engine, producing approximately 330 horsepower. With a Motec engine management system providing the engine’s brain power, maximum power sits at 6000rpm, and the Hyundai engine produces an impressive 350 Newton metres of torque.

Despite all of this engine talk, Paddon believes the engine is the least important part of the car, and it will eventually be replaced by a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine to fully comply with the AP4 regulations.

The Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox, AP4 Force Motorsport chassis and WRC body kit are just some of the things that make up a car that Paddon describes as “the closest sensation you will get to driving a WRC car”.

The car relies on mechanical front and rear differentials, making it exciting to watch on the gravel, while Xtreme Racing Shox and MacPherson struts front and rear keep the wheels

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 19

FEATURE: HYUNDAI I20 AP4 on the road and guiding the car through the corners.

With a wheelbase of 2550mm and a weight of just 1230kg, it provides a package that is already, clearly, setting the benchmark for AP4 cars in New Zealand.

While Paddon isn’t penciled in to

drive the car in any further rounds of the 2016 NZRC, there is a chance a couple of young men (or women) may take the wheel of the i20 later in the season. It’s a huge incentive for drivers and a great initiative for the future of the sport.

The Hyundai is the early leader this

season in the AP4 battle – and with premier backing from Hyundai NZ and rally fans enjoying it and embracing it, don’t be surprised to see more and more AP4 cars appearing as the season progresses.

Hyundai New Zealand’s i20 AP4 is no doubt a winner in more ways than one.

Quality fabrication, a few World Rally Car bits and attention to detail make the i20 ‘the’ car to have in NZ.

SPECIFICATIONS 1795cc Hyundai engine (near standard), Garett turbo charger

Power

Approx 330bhp, 350nm (max power at 6,000rpm)

Driveline

6 speed Sadev sequential, 4WD, mechanical front/read diff

Chassis Weight Wheelbase Suspension

Full AP4 spec by Force Motorsport

1230kg 2550mm Xtreme Racing Shox, Macpherson front and rear

Electronics

Motec engine management, PDM and dash

Other

80L bag fuel tank, Sabelt seat/belts, WRC body kit*, Alcon brakes

20 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

*Not currently AP4 compliant

Engine*

“It’s the closest sensation you will get to driving a World Rally Car.”

Paddon’s Hyundai i20 is joined by Andrew Hawkeswood’s Mazda 2 (left) and the Skoda Fabia of Glenn Inkster.

WHY A 1.8 LITRE ENGINE?

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Paddon’s office has already proved a successful testing ground for WRC success.

ayden Paddon has explained why Hyundai New Zealand have initially built their i20 AP4 with a 1.8 ltitre engine, rather than the 1.6 litre motor the FIA regulations dictate.

The Hyundai WRC star told RallySport Magazine that it is a starting point to develop the car, and that the 1.6 litre engine will be developed as the year progresses.

“We have embarked on this project to help expand and promote this new concept.

The name of a car is almost irrelevant, we are being open about what the car is or isn’t,” Paddon said.

“It’s absolutely no different to how WRC cars used in national championships around the world are modified (don’t comply with FIA regs) but are still referred to as a WRC car, or how M-Sport sell many variations of the R5 car, but they all carry the same R5 badge.

“To start something completely new like this, you have to educate the fans and potential sponsors what it is about, and this is a good starting point. Without this car and project, Hyundai NZ would not be involved - so if these rules and the way we are doing it are helping new manufacturers to be involved at national level then that’s already a big step forward.

“To add the expenses of developing an expensive 1600 engine to this project now, the project probably would not have got over the line. This is a starting point,” he said.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 21

QUIT FOREST RALLY - ARC 1

R P P A S ’ R E

T S A M E TH Young

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A W n st i o o r e e th

E C I T N E R The 2016 Kumho Tyre Australian Rally Championship opened with a flourish on a cool Anzac Day long weekend in Western Australia with the Quit Forest Rally based in Busselton, and using typical WA marbley roads in the Nannup area.

Story: TOM SMITH Photos: JOHN DOUTCH

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 23

QUIT FOREST RALLY - ARC 1

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he event attracted a healthy ARC field, quality classics and good local numbers in the WARC, with a boost in starting numbers thanks to the inclusion of a local Clubman field, which contested Heat 1 of the event.

With revised rules for the 2016 rally year pushing the 2WD category out of outright contention, the biggest news was the return of a factory-backed Subaru team with Molly Taylor at the wheel.

While the punters predicted a battle royal between the ‘old dog’ – Simon Evans in his freshly built GC8 Subaru WRX – and the ‘young pup’ – Molly Taylor in her new ‘Subaru Do Motorsport’ Impreza STi - no-one really anticipated the immediate challenge from Harry Bates in his Super 2000 Toyota Corolla.

A heat win apiece to the Evans Subaru and the Bates Corolla ensured that the overall classification was judged on a count-back, with Evans and Ben Searcy taking the overall victory from Bates / John McCarthy and Justin Dowel and Toni Feaver in their Hyundai G4P class car.

The weekend was not without carnage however, with the most notable being the unfortunate destruction by fire of the Brad Markovic Subaru.

Markovic and co-driver Glenn Macneall escaped injury, but the car was a write-off.

Sean Keating and Caleb Ash also comprehensively destroyed their car and posted quite a valuable YouTube review of the accident, thankful for the safe construction of their car.

Testing in the days before the event was well publicised on social media with images of Evans’ black ETS Fuels Subaru looking ominously fast!

With 19 stages on offer over the two days of competition, spectators were well catered for with Super Specials at both Busselton and Nannup.

Friday night’s rally start included two runs of the Busselton Super Stage at nearly three kilometres in

Heartbreak for WA driver Brad Markovic with an exhaust-related fire totally destroying his Subaru WRX STI.

Molly Taylor couldn’t have asked for a much better debut in the new Subaru WRX STI, taking fourth place.

24 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Harry Bates’ heat one victory came as a surprise to many, but is likely to be his first of many similar wins.

length, and Evans, Bates, Pedder and Markovic showed early speed, although Neal Bates and Coral Taylor took quickest overall on each run in their classic 2WD, normally-aspirated Toyota Celica.

Eight forest stages later, the crews showed their mettle on two Nannup Oval short stages where Mark Pedder backed up his day’s great efforts in the Pedders Suspension Peugeot 208 Maxi to cement third spot.

Molly Taylor and Bill Hayes brought the ‘Subaru Do Motorsport’ entry home in an unmarked fourth, with Dowel/ Feaver rounding out the top five in the G4P Hyundai i20.

With the announcement of the final results, however, Harry Bates and John McCarthy took a brilliant, and welldeserved, Heat 1 victory. The young Canberran was stoked with his result.

“The car felt amazing all day and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stages,” Bates said.

“John had to turn into a roadside electrician after a wiring issue with the fuel pump late in the day, so it is thanks only to him that we even made it to the finish.”

Evans was admittedly caught off-guard by the speed of young Bates.

“We pushed really hard, and did everything we could do. We were looking for that grip … it just wasn’t quite enough,” he said, after playing roadsweeper on the slippery stages all day.

After the overnight rest, heat two presented nine more forest stages over 112km, and Evans re-booted everything to come out of the blocks hard. While the top five fought a tight battle all day, the stage wins were shared between Evans and Bates.

The day’s results gave the win to Evans/Searcy, from Bates/McCarthy, with Justin Dowel/Toni Feaver clinching the third podium spot after Mark Pedder and Dale Moscatt broke a steering arm within sight of the finish.

Reflecting on the weekend’s intense competition, Evans and Searcy were more than satisfied with their effort, but paid respect to their young opponents’ efforts.

“It’s absolutely fantastic! We had a great race with Harry,” Evans said.

“It’s a long trip over here so you always want to make sure you get some points, but I love this, I just love being out here.

“We pushed readly hard, and did everything we could .... it just wasn’t quite enough.”

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 25

QUIT FOREST RALLY - ARC 1

2011 Australian Champion Justin Dowel was back in form, taking third place in his Hyundai i20.

“The young fellas (Bates/McCarthy) just caught us unawares,” Evans said.

“We were pretty happy with our pace, sweeping the roads out the front, and I thought everything was pretty sweet and then someone said ‘Harry’s kicking your butt’ and I was like; damn it,” he joked on the podium.

Bates and McCarthy repaid the faith given by Neal Bates in the decision to hand over control of the S2000 Corolla for the 2016 season.

“We were very excited with second (overall). It bodes well for our season,” the younger Bates said.

“Simon and I will leave here on a similar amount of points, which for me is obviously still beyond what I expected coming into the weekend, so I think although I’m disappointed, we still need to be happy with the weekend.”

Reviewing the performance of the new Group N Production class Subaru, Molly Taylor and Bill Hayes did not disappoint, despite not making the podium. Theirs was a mature, calculated effort in the brand-new Walkden-prepared car to eventually grab fourth place.

“Les Walkden Rallying have also done an amazing job preparing the car.

We’re really looking forward to the next rally. It’s been great to get quality time in the car,” Taylor said.

Tom Wilde and Nick Clements were the best of the local WA teams in their 26 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

P5 Subaru WRX, while the inimitable 70-year old Ross Dunkerton, with wife Lisa calling the notes, showed the other old dog still had some tricks up his sleeve to take equal seventh overall on points.

Neal Bates and Coral Taylor took the Classic category, from John Ludlam/

Justin Willis in the Datsun 1600 Dazda, and Trevor Stilling/Doug Fernie rounding out the top three in their Stanza.

The Kumho Tyre Australian Rally Championship continues with the National Capital Rally in Canberra from May 27-29.

Second generation: Bill Hayes, Molly Taylor, Harry Bates and John McCarthy after a successful Forest Rally.

Sean Keating, Subaru WRX John Ludlam, Datsun 1600 Mark Pedder was third until the final day when his steering failed.

2016 Quit Forest Rally - Heat 1

Rally great Ross Dunkerton

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Harry Bates / John McCarthy Simon Evans / Ben Searcy Mark Pedder / Dale Moscatt Molly Taylor / Bill Hayes Justin Dowel / Toni Feaver

2016 Quit Forest Rally - Heat 2 1.

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Simon Evans / Ben Searcy Harry Bates / John McCarthy Justin Dowel / Toni Feaver Molly Taylor / Bill Hayes Tom Wilde / Nick Clements

Watch the highlights HERE

Toyota Corolla S2000 Subaru Impreza WRX Peugeot 208 Maxi Subaru WRX STI Hyundai i20

1h03m27.7s +1.1s +1m38.6s +1.53.7 +1.57.2

Watch the highlights HERE Subaru Impreza WRX Toyota Corolla S2000 Hyundai i20 Subaru WRX STI Subaru WRX STI

1h06m44.8s +41.8s +2.01.1 +2.34.4 +2.36.9

Series points after Round 1: Evans 75, Bates 74, Dowel 52, Taylor 52, Pedder 48, Wilde 40, Coppin 36, Higgs 36.

Neal Bates was in a class of his own in the Classic competition at the Forest Rally.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 27

OTAGO CLASSIC RALLY

Markko makes his mark Story & Photos PETER WHITTEN

Markko Martin was the class act in the Otago Classic Rally, driving the black Rossendal Wines Escort RS1800.

28 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Given his pedigree as a five-times World Rally Championship event winner, a factory driver for Subaru, Ford and Peugeot, and a winner of the fastest event in the WRC – Rally Finland – it was perhaps no surprise that Markko Martin took victory in this year’s Stadium Cars Otago Classic Rally.

H

owever, not many would have forecast the dominant fashion in which the 40-year old Estonian and his Belgian co-driver, Stephane Prevot, would have done it. They led from start to finish, won 13 of the 17 stages and never looked like losing.

Yet, when you consider that this was Markko’s first ever gravel rally in a rearwheel drive car, and only his second ever competitive drive in an Escort, his performance becomes even more remarkable.

It can be argued that an ex-WRC international driver should always win the event, but Martin had a field of top-notch Kiwis and a number of leading Aussies to contend with, not to mention the fact that he has hardly rallied competitively for 10 years.

“It was very enjoyable to come here and to do one of the best classic rallies,”

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 29

OTAGO CLASSIC RALLY Martin said. “The scenery has been stunning and Dunedin is such a nice place to be.

“It has been great to come here and do a good job in a great car, and to have fun while doing it.”

Right from the outset, Martin and Prevot were in a league of their own, leaving the battle for the minor placings to New Zealanders Regan Ross (Escort RS1800) and Marcus van Klink (Mazda RX7).

The fight appeared to be going in Ross’ favour until a small error near the end of stage 10 (the second stage of day two) damaged his Escort, cost him over three minutes and relegated him to an eventual fourth place. van Klink, the reigning NZ Classic Champion, is a former Otago Classic Rally winner and made the most of his experience, taking second and finishing just over two and a half minutes behind Martin’s flying black Escort.

In many eyes, the drive of the rally came from third placed man, Tony Gosling, in the Escort RS1800 that Hayden Paddon drove to victory in 2015.

The owner of Stadium Cars, the sponsor of the event, Gosling wasn’t really expected to feature in the top five, but drove brilliantly throughout and thoroughly deserved his third place.

There was major disappointment for Australian Ben Barker, making his first attempt at the event. Driving a potent

Electrical problems cost three-time winner Derek Ayson any chance of a good result in his Nissan-powered Escort.

If not for a mix-up on the tarmac stage, Ben Barker would have been third in his BMW.

Gary Cliff contested the first Otago Rally in 1976, and was back again in 2016 in his pretty Datsun Stanza.

30 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Jeff Judd was in line for a top five finish until an off on the final stage damaged his Escort and relegated him to seventh.

Former winners Marcus van Klink and Dave Neill put in another solid Otago drive to come home second in their Mazda RX7.

BMW 320is, Barker was well on the pace and had been in fifth outright nearing the end of the opening day. However, he and co-driver Damien Long misjudged the number of laps they had completed on the final tarmac super special stage in Dunedin, and copped a five-minute penalty.

After dropping to 12th, they stormed through the field on the final day to finish fifth, but a podium place had gone begging.

Ford Escort RS1800s filled the next four places, with Queenslander Stewart Reid heading home Kiwis Jeff Judd and Graham Ferguson, and Melbourne’s Grant Walker. The top 10 was rounded out by the consistent Deb Kibble in her ex-Ross Dunkerton Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo.

There had also been some high profile retirements along the way. Former winner Derek Ayson finished, but missed three stages after electrical problems in his Nissan FJ20-powered Escort, and Brian Stokes, who drove in the very first Otago Rally back in 1976, rolled out of the event

Melbourne’s Grant Walker and Tracey Dewhurst took ninth place in their rented Escort RS1800.

for the second year in a row after a promising drive that had him well inside the top 10.

Clutch problems sidelined the powerful Porsche 911 of Australian Jeff David early on the second day, and countryman Darryn Snooks withdrew after electrical dramas dogged his hired Rotary-powered Toyota Corolla.

The 40th anniversary running of the Otago Rally was yet again one for the highlights reel, with this year’s stages some of the fastest in recent memory.

With a positive attitude and a “we’re here to help” approach to their customers (the competitors), the hard working team from the Otago Sports Car Club continue to produce one of the year’s most popular rallies.

Its incredible success – both in competitor and spectator numbers – is no fluke.

➜ Tony Gosling in-car

Tony Gosling and Blair Read put in a superb effort to finish third in their Escort RS1800.

2016 Stadium Cars Otago International Classic Rally - May 9-10 1. Markko Martin / Stephane Prevot Ford Escort RS1800 2. Marcus van Klink / Dave Neill Mazda RX7 3. Tony Gosling / Blair Read Ford Escort RS1800 4. Regan Ross / Nigel Ross (right) Ford Escort RS1800 5. Ben Barker / Damien Long BMW 320is 6. Stewart Reid / Mark Stacey Ford Escort RS1800 7. Jeff Judd / Grant Marra Ford Escort RS1800 8. Graham Ferguson / Ross Moody Ford Escort RS1800 9. Grant Walker / Tracey Dewhurst Ford Escort RS1800 10. Deborah Kibble / Heather Johnstone Mitsubishi Lancer EX

2h36m49.5s +2m32.7s +4m21.7s +5m16.6s +8m11.2s +8m18.2s +9m45.5s +10m27.3s +10m37.1s +11m45.1s MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 31

OTAGO CLASSIC RALLY

Photos: Kerry Rasmussen, Tom Smith

Story: TOM SMITH

A SPECTATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

I

n a sense, it’s like waiting for the Powerball to drop.

In about February each year we anticipate an announcement from the Otago Sports Car Club about which ‘guest driver’ will attend from Europe.

The big reveal usually locks in the decision about a long weekend in Dunedin in April.

In 2016 the announcement of Mikko

32 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Hirvonen as the star attraction was confirmation enough to head off to make bookings.

The rally’s ‘Intentions to Enter’ list is just dangling bait, and as the list grows longer the Otago Rally weekend becomes a focus.

Great classic rally cars, the best rally roads in the world and the welcome of Dunedin is a no-fail spectating trip for any hardened enthusiast.

This year, the brilliant

array of AP4 rally cars was fantastic and the late inclusion of Hayden Paddon in his Hyundai i20 AP4 car was the icing on the cake.

While the late news about Mikko’s clash of obligations was disappointing, former WRC star Markko Martin’s nomination was a nice surprise.

Whether he could jump in a Kiwi Escort and prove his mettle was unclear, but in the end he did what most

“The big reveal usually locks in the decision about a long weekend in Dunedin.”

are safe and well located, and provide great viewing for both the enthusiast and the beginner.

Day 1, to the north of Dunedin, and it’s easy to enjoy a couple of reasonable viewing locations with a fairly comfortable lunch stop thrown in.

The must-see on Saturday afternoon is the tarmac stage around the Dunedin industrial area, where a few laps of a street circuit has never looked better, again, in front of several thousand spectators.

We headed south-west early on Sunday morning to the Moonlight stage near the township of Middlemarch, set amongst prehistoric boulders on top of a wide open plateau.

Brilliant viewing with prolonged visibility of the cars makes this spot another ‘must-do’ for the Otago.

With careful planning and best use of the available time, the spectating crowd saw the whole field through before heading off to a great hillside point on the ‘Black Rock’ stage, then continuing the journey over to Kuri Bush.

This is one of ‘the’ stages of the rally for both crews and spectators. It is fast,

clean and this year the stage record was demolished

by Paddon/Kennard in the unstoppable AP4 Hyundai i20.

With a casual run back to Dunedin there is time to see the formal finish at the heritage Dunedin Railway Station.

For others, the weekend of rallysport is over, unless you have a ticket to the Rally Presentation dinner, usually a sell-out.

It was a chance to hear Markko Martin ask who he needed to bribe to get an invitation back next year, and co-driver Stephane Prevot indicated he would treasure his winners’ trophies as perhaps the best Classic Rally he’s ever contested.

Kudos, however, to

Hayden Paddon, John Kennard and Hyundai for their commitment to this event and NZ rallying.

The whole team exuded professionalism and the car performed (almost) like a full-house WRC weapon.

For many Aussies, the flight out of Dunedin early the next morning was the end of the weekend. For some, a few more days of R&R and spending in the South Island city meant more economic return to the Otago district.

Brilliant local support, a fantastic field, spectators from near and far and a community that embraces this magnificent event – how could it go wrong?

Bring on 2017….. and 2018 ….. and 2019 ……

MARKKO KEEN FOR MORE In brief .....

thought unlikely, winning the category decisively.

For many Australians, travelling to the South Island is just a commute with a range of alternatives for entry into New Zealand, but all roads lead to Dunedin.

Arriving a day or two before the event is a worthwhile extension to the weekend, as there is much to do around Dunedin for the rally tourist.

From the Cadbury Chocolate factory, to the Speights Brewery, to the penguins at the mouth of the Otago Peninsula, it’s easy to occupy a day and finish back in the Octagon at one of a dozen spots for a top meal and a cold ale.

It’s essential to be at the rally start on Friday night, wandering amongst 100 rally cars and crews and rubbing shoulders with rally stars who are totally approachable.

Go straight up to Haydon Paddon or Markko Martin and ask for an autograph …. and they are happy to oblige.

Get the excitement of the official start out of the way and a relaxing evening precedes an early kick-off on Saturday morning for great spectating opportunities.

Official spectator points

The Otago Rally organisers could have a fortunate dilemma on their hands in 2017, after Markko Martin flagged his interest in returning to the event – several times.

So impressed was the Estonian that he twice spoke at the presentation dinner about finding someone to bribe so that he could return again in 2017.

However, he may already be in the queue behind Mikko Hirvonen.

The Finnish star was locked in to

contest this year’s rally until his MINI cross country team added another event to their program, ruling Hirvonen out.

But he publically stated his disappointment at missing out on the rally and stressed that he’s keen to get to New Zealand in the not too distant future.

Whether that is next year remains to be seen, but for rally organisers, it’s a nice problem to have.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 33

OTAGO RALLY - NZRC 1

RECORD BREAKER

Story: BLAIR BARTELS Photos: PETER WHITTEN

T

he opening round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship saw crews head to Dunedin in the South Island, with the strongest field seen in recent memory lining up to take on the event.

Leading the field away was WRC star Hayden Paddon, driving one of three new generation AP4-based cars to come out of the Force Motorsport stable.

The only thing leaving his rivals with any hope was the reliability of the brand new Hyundai i20, which looked externally just like last season’s WRC

April 8 – 10, 2016

34 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

car (as you would expect with WRC panels bolted to it), but to sum up the story, only small teething problems hampered the then-28-year old and he would take victory on each of the 16 gravel stages, re-setting every stage record on the way to the largest winning margin in NZRC history, at 9 minutes 22 seconds.

Behind Paddon, the talking point in the opening stage was dust, with the combination of a dry build up, early morning running time and a forestry stage leaving some competitors struggling to see past the end of their bonnet.

With the classic field running around an hour behind their modern counterparts and the breeze picking up, Regan Ross’ Escort and Marcus van Klink were the best placed behind Paddon, while in four-wheel drive terms Ben Hunt was closest to Paddon in his new Subaru WRX STI. The big surprise of the stage was Richard Baddock in his older GC8 Subaru, third quickest of the four-wheel drive cars.

As the rally moved onto country roads, dust was not such an issue and the true pace became evident amongst dramas. David Holder would move himself into second place midway through the day and hold the position

Photo: Geoff Ridder

for the remainder of the first leg, slowly edging away from Hunt.

The battle for fourth and fifth was equally intense between Phil Campbell and Lance Williams, eventually going in Williams’ favour by just six seconds.

Baddock claimed sixth in his older car, ahead of the top two-wheel drive car and Historic, Regan Ross.

Behind them, there were plenty of tales of drama. Paddon’s stable-mate, Andrew Hawkeswood, set several fast stage times, but was constantly fighting back after a driveshaft popped out on the opening stage and the resulting time penalties after fixing the car on the road section.

Local driver, Emma Gilmour, also was lamenting ‘what if’ after a puncture on

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 35

OTAGO RALLY - NZRC 1 stage two, although she was the only driver to take a stage win from Paddon, on the Tarmac Super Stage that ended the first day.

The Gull Rally Challenge class, running only over the first day, saw Richard Bateman take out the fourwheel drive class in his Evo 9, while the two-wheel drive competition went the way of former V8 Supercar star, Greg Murphy, in a Vauxhall Chevette.

While Paddon once again dominated, increasing confidence in a new car saw Hunt come out and put pressure on Holder in the battle for second. In the end, Holder would crack with a spin on stage 12, a decisive moment that would cost him second place.

Gilmour set several strong stage times and was looking good for strong leg points until a turbo failed four stages from home, but there was some success for the AP4 cars, with Hawkeswood completing a largely trouble free day outside of a puncture.

The event Power Stage finally saw a ray of sunshine for Matt Summerfield after brake, turbo and cooling problems when he was second fastest behind Paddon’s new stage record.

There were also dramas for Sloan Cox, who had an intercooler pipe blow off after a strong afternoon.

The Historic battle went the way of Marcus van Klink’s Mazda after Regan Ross’ foot slipped off the brake pedal in

2016 Otago Rally - May 9-10 1.

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9.

10.

Hayden Paddon / John Kennard Ben Hunt / Tony Rawstron David Holder /Jason Farmer Phil Campbell / Venita Fabbro Andrew Hawkeswood / Jeff Cress Richard Baddock / Jason Anderson Sloan Cox / Malcolm Read Marcus van Klink / Dave Neill G. Featherstone / D. Devonport Matt Jansen / David Calder

36 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Hyundai i20 AP4 Subaru WRX STI Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Mazda 2 AP4 Subaru Impreza WRX Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Mazda RX7 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 Subaru Impreza WRX

2h23m05.4s +9m22.1s +9:40.5 +12:59.2 +13:14.6 +14.06.1 +14.20.7 +16.16.8 +16.30.3 +17.52.0

the day’s second stage, leaving him to finish third behind Tony Gosling, while Open two-wheel drive went the way of Anthony Jones, ahead of Dave Strong and debutant Dylan Thomson.

But there was no denying the class of Paddon, who led home Hunt and Holder. Campbell, who suffered the biggest accident of his career only five days before the event, was quite happy to secure fourth ahead of Hawkeswood.

The top 10 was rounded out by Baddock, Cox, van Klink, the ever consistent Graham Featherstone, and Matt Jansen’s NZRC return netted him a top ten finish.

Lance Williams, Subaru WRX.

Andrew Hawkeswood, 5th in his Mazda 2.

David Holder slid his way to third place in his Mitsubishi.

CLICK HERE to watch the 2016 Otago Rally highlights

Glenn Inkster debuted his Skoda Fabia AP4 and set some impressive stage times, despite a few teething problems.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 37

TOYOTA ETIOS R5

AN UNLIKELY R5 CONTENDER

Story: MARTIN HOLMES

T

he latest type of R5 rally car design to break cover comes from an unusual place, Paraguay. This land locked country is a very surprising outpost in rallying, with competitive rallying being a long tradition.

The Toyota Etios follows the tradition of rallying surprises and Alejandro Galanti, a member of a famous rallying family in the country, is in charge of the project on behalf of Toyotoshi, the country’s Toyota importers.

He explains: “The Etios is not, as people assume, another name for the Yaris, though it has a very similar platform. It is a car model sold by Toyota for developing regions like India (where a version is already being rallied), South Africa, China and also South America.

“Our car has a 1.6 turbo engine, as is mandatory by R5 regulations. We use a Toyota engine used in the Run X and Celica models, not a very new engine, a 1.8-litre engine as standard form reduced to 1.6-litres. A Garrett turbocharger is added, the transmission is by Sadev.

“The car is the work of Olivier Maroselli, an engineer who worked in the WRC with Ralliart and now works with Marcos Ligato’s Tango Rally Team in Argentina. He has been living there since five or six years ago and we have been working with him as a consultant

38 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

closely. He designed the car and had the car built up by a small company in France.”

For the last eight years Alejandro’s rallying has mainly been at the wheel of an Australian-built Corolla Super 2000.

“The Etios is a big improvement everywhere. The Corolla we bought was a car developed by Neal Bates in Australia. We bought parts from him, but basically there were a lot of carry over parts from the WRC Corolla, many parts from the old Toyota Team Europe days. That car was reliable, but this is something different.

“The Etios is specifically designed, everything fits perfectly and you can see that. Compared with the Corolla, the Etios suspension travel is longer, good especially for gravel rallies. The Corolla was a big car, this is a much smaller car, and smaller than the Yaris.

“The Etios’ bodyshell is a bit smaller, so the car is lighter and feels very good.

Also, the difference between the 2-litre and the 1.6 turbo engine is quite big, the Etios has a lot more torque and driveability.

“The Corolla weighed maybe 1250 or 1270kg, the R5 weight limit is 1230kg and with the Etios we can be on the edge of the regulations.”

The Etios made its competition debut on the Trans Itapua Rally at the beginning of April, a national and Codasur championship rally in Paraguay.

“We are starting only with the national championship in Paraguay. We might do Codasur events, but our car is not yet an FIA homologated car, it is homologated only by our national ASN. “We have applied now for FIA Regional homologation, which is a procedure we have to do through our ASN, like I think what happened before with Toyota South Africa and also Toyota Australia. If that happens I think we will continue with Codasur.

“We don’t have any other plans. It would be nice to be able to run the car at the Brazilian round of the Codasur Rally at Erechim.

“On the first proper stage at Trans Itapua we slid off the road. I missed a braking point and got stuck on the side of the road. There was no damage to the car, but we lost nine or 10 minutes. It was completely my mistake.

“After that we had no problems. The car has been really reliable since our test in France before shipping the car, then we also had some tests here in Paraguay. We are maybe close to 500km of running the car without any major issues.”

Galanti’s times at Trans Itapua show he was competitive with the reigning Codasur Champion, Diego Dominguez (Fiesta R5) and Didier Aries (Fabia R5), producing some fastest times.

Next round of the Paraguayan championship is at the end of May.

7 1 0 2 n i e r e h t Be

7

1 0 2 y a M l i r p Dunedin, A

Get updates at www.otagorally.com Email Clerk of Course Norman Oakley, or follow us on Facebook

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 39

CLASSIC RALLYING - AUSTRALIA

SURGING ON PAST GLORIES

Story: DALLAS DOGGER

I

was only a kid really. Colin Bond was a Bathurst hero and there he was standing at my counter, asking could he hire a 16mm projector. It was for the presentation night for the 1977 Southern Cross Rally.

I offered to help out. I didn’t know at the time, but after seeing Rauno Aaltonen do a 360 degree spin in the Datsun 710 down the main straight at Oran Park, prior to the ‘76 event, I was hooked. I had seen the ‘76 start of the Southern Cross at Amaroo Park the year before, and it was exciting.

It was the golden age of rallying. 710 Datsuns, exotic Escort BDAs, older cars like Renaults and lots of others.

It was the age where we had moved from classic trials like the Ampol Trial to modern special stage rallying, timed to the second. The Don Capasco Rally, the first timed to the second special stage event, had been held in Canberra.

We went through the controversy of helmets, which many thought would kill rallying, and we saw events grow in status, with legends like Vatanen, Waldegaard, Cowan, Aaltonen, Clark, Mikkola, Singh and many more competing against the locals.

Fresh-faced drivers like George Fury, Greg Carr and Ross Dunkerton all had a crack at beating the experts sent by factories to win on home soil. By and large they acquitted themselves well. We all know the ’40 Split Seconds story” and we know that our own living rally treasure, “Dunko”, won the

40 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

“Fresh-faced drivers like Fury, Carr and Dunkerton all had a crack at beating the experts sent by the factories” Southern Cross in 1980, beating the internationals.

It was at that time that rear-wheel drive cars were coming to the end of their competitive life. Audi blitzed the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally with Hannu Mikkola passing a Lancia Stratos 10km into a stage on snow. This was the day world rallying changed for ever. It was the day that just a little bit of rallying’s DNA got passed on a stage, and rallying would go on to become one of the world’s best extreme sports.

Fast forward to this millennium and a groundswell of interest in what was new then is being repurposed and brought back to life. The resurgence and the interest in classic rallying has been one of the sport’s major highlights, both here and around the world.

Some may argue, but there are more classic cars built than any other class and the Australian Rally Championship recognised that fact, but events like the Alpine and Border Ranges Rally are well supported by not only classic cars, but

classic competitors.

Originally, the concept of classic rally cars appearing at the ARC was to celebrate the championship’s 40th anniversary. Costs soon became an issue for many classic crews and the ARC has not enjoyed as much classic support as expected, time away from home too much of a commitment for many.

Minor squabbles have continued over wording of rules, but overall, many older competitors have come out of retirement, most notably Ross Dunkerton who, at 70, regularly competes and wins, and is only a handful of events away from taking the crown as the most successful rally driver globally.

Classic competitors have been successful over the last five years, with multiple ARC Champion Neal Bates twice winning NZ’s Otago Classic Rally. Bates is no stranger to classics, committing early to the resurgence, delivering win after win. He was also part of the team that helped build the category and offers support where he can.

We will never return to those golden years of rallying, just like we can’t bring Pink Floyd back. It was a special time in our lives, unburdened by the internet and social media that consumes so much of our time today.

We will remember Roger Clark at Amaroo Park and we will remember Ari Vatanen in the Castrol, and we

will remember Neal Bates in the 1984 Alpine, a pimply faced kid dishing up a real lesson to the best. These memories are our history.

With the aid of old movies on YouTube, we can relive those golden moments that define our modern competition today. So many have entered the sport because of the antics of classic drivers.

There is no doubt that the current WRC stars are heroes behind the wheel.

You cannot be other than thrilled by their sheer speed on stages. There is something missing though, and it’s our youth.

We were taken aback by Ari in the Castrol because we had never seen anything like it before. Since then, due to the internet, we have more rallying to watch than hours in the day and we have become desensitised to great action. We just expect it now, rather than be marvelled when we see it.

Classic memories are still being created every week. When I am feeling a bit demotivated, I watch a Frank Kelly video or Jari-Matti Latvala’s in car footage in his Escort and shake off the blues, and that’s when I realise that we are in the new Golden Age of Rallying.

No one can say they are starved of events or action.

We can watch old heroes and new ones very easily, and if that’s not enough motivation to get out that old car, build a new one or even rent one, then you can’t be made happy!

In the old days, I could not wait to go in an event: I worked two jobs so I could go in events and I never worried about the cost, or the distance, or the rules. I didn’t worry about whether I was competitive or not. I just wanted to be there and compete.

Most of us won’t and don’t win, but if you can say you have competed against Vatanen or Carr, or Fury or Bond, then

that’s good enough.

If you compete today, treasure every second, because in 40 years your memories will be “Well, we nearly beat Molly Taylor or Mark Pedder”.

There may very well be a time in the future where what we call rallying is not possible. Seize the moment and go rallying. Whatever it takes. I wish I was a kid again.

Memories of rallying in the 1970s (below and left) have seen the re-emergence of some of the sport’s favourite cars, such as Neal Bates’ Toyota Celica.

Photos: Dallas Dogger , John Doutch MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 41

PROFILE: MOLLY TAYLOR

TAYLOR MADE FOR SUCCESS Story: LIZ SWANTON With the first round of the 2016 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) under her belt, Molly Taylor freely admits it still feels ‘surreal’ to be a factory driver.

Taylor was confirmed earlier this year as the driver for an all-new Subaru attack on the ARC, with a team run by Tasmanian-based rally guru, Les Walkden. It marks the Japanese car company’s return to the sport in Australia after an 11year absence.

The Sydney-based driver and her Perth co-driver, Bill Hayes, debuted their new Subaru WRX STI NR4 at the Quit Forest Rally WA in March after minimal testing, but were quick enough ‘straight out of the box’ to claim fourth outright for

➜ Molly unveils her Subaru

42 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

the weekend and equal third in championship points.

“The car is really, really good,” Taylor says.

“For me it was completely new. A Subaru, a 4WD, so there were a lot of unknowns going into WA, but I was really happy with how quickly I got comfortable in the car.

“And we drove it really hard, and didn’t have any issues, which is pretty impressive for a brand new car. To build it and have it that strong right from the start says a lot about Subaru and the team at Les Walkden Rallying.”

While she had met many of the LWR crew before the event, Taylor says there were some she didn’t meet until they all gathered in WA.

Photos: Subaru

She found them excited to be back in the sport and motivated, as is she, to do the best they can.

“They did a fantastic job with the car leading up to the event, and on the event itself, and it ran faultlessly. It was my first rally in an all-wheel-drive car and I still have a lot to learn, but we were all very pleased with the result.

“Obviously last year was a milestone for me at that event, coming second, but I don’t see fourth as a bad result. I think I put in a better performance, and considering we achieved it in a new car, I think it says great things about the potential for this year, as we work with it more.”

Of course, working with the car, and the team, is just one aspect of Taylor’s new role. She is also a brand ambassador, working with former Subaru ARC stars Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge at car launches, staff and dealer training, and a range of PR activities.

“I’m not sure when it will all sink in.

I’ve spent so long aiming for this and now it’s my job – and it is pretty special to have a job doing something that you would do from choice without being paid. I guess I’ve spent years doing it that way, so to be paid for doing

“I don’t see fourth as a bad result. I think it says great things about the potential for this year.” what I love is just the most fantastic opportunity.”

Taylor says the conversation with Subaru started just before Christmas last year, so the plan has come together fast – which is probably why she is still pinching herself.

“I can remember being in reception at Subaru, waiting for my first meeting with (Subaru’s managing director) Nick Senior. In fact, I still have the visitor’s pass name tag! I’ve kept it for the future scrapbook,” she laughs.

She’s aware her role brings new expectations and new pressures, but while she is still coming to terms with what all that means, she’s quietly confident she can measure up.

“It’s a change in the type of pressure, I guess, not more or less of it. When I was taking care of things myself, I was doing everything – getting the money

to compete, looking after the car, getting it to events and so forth, as well as driving, and it was always a massive juggling act, but I only had myself to answer to in terms of my performance.

“Now I don’t have to worry about any of those things, but I am accountable to an incredible group of people who are all doing their jobs in order for me to do mine, and I have a responsibility to put in the best performance every time, because that’s what they are doing. It’s a different type of pressure, for sure … but I’m working very hard to handle it.”

Taylor’s next outing is the National Capital Rally in Canberra (May 2729). She made history there last year, becoming the first woman ever to win a round of the Australian championship, but she says there is no pressure from that achievement.

“Start as you mean to go on, I say!

Winning last year is great motivation to do a good job this year. It’s a very technical rally so we will be tweaking the suspension and a few other things to get the best out of the car.

“My focus is very much on getting the car to perform well and me getting the most out of it. I’m looking forward to it.

We’ll see what we can do from there.”

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 43

TARGA TASMANIA

Story: PETER WHITTEN Photos: ANGRYMAN

44 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

CLOSE WINS TARGA TASMANIA

M

att Close won Targa Tasmania for the first time, winning the 25th anniversary event by an emphatic margin of six minutes and 41 seconds in the premier GT2 class.

Driving a 2015 Porsche GT3 with co-driver Cameron Reeves, the duo took the lead mid-way through the penultimate day when archrival Jason White retired his new Dodge Viper with engine failure on the run from Strahan to Hobart.

In the GT4 competition, Steve Glenney was dominant until the very end, running away with an easy three minute and 16 second win in his Subaru WRX STI over the pre-event favourite, Tony Quinn in a Lamborghini.

Queenslander Leigh Achterberg held on to win

the Classic handicap in his 1982 Porsche 944, a minute clear of the 1963 Jensen of Petter Ullrich.

Jon Siddins was another easy winner on the final day, taking the Classic outright title in his 1970 Datsun 240Z by five minutes from 2014 winner, Canberra’s Barry Faux, in a 1985 Mazda RX-7.

Victory didn’t come easily for Close, despite his nineminute buffer at the start of the day. An early scare on the opening stage when he got sideways was followed by a flat tyre on the penultimate stage. But Close, taking part in his 12th Targa Tasmania, secured his first victory.

“We had a bit of a fright on the Tinderbox Stage with a big moment and then three kays into Pelverata one of our rear tyres blew out,” Close said. “We had a

relatively good lead, but you never know.

“It was a very stressful hour – we got in before the sweep car and within our late time, but you just don’t need that.

“It’s taken me 12 Targas to win – I hope it doesn’t take another 12 for my next one.

“We’ve already started planning for next year and we’ll make a few changes to the car and we’ll get better.”

The battle for the minor placings went the way of Hobart surgeon Michael Pritchard in a Dodge Viper.

Seven times Targa winner, Jim Richards, charged through the final day’s six stages in his Porsche GT4 to finish in third place, but some four minutes adrift of Pritchard.

An impressive drive saw motoring journalist Mike Sinclair claim fourth place in

his Renault Megane.

Steve Glenney won the GT4 category in a Subaru WRX STI.Glenney’s victory in GT4 was comprehensive, but only came after he swapped seats with Ben Newman after day two and took over the driving reigns. The Nissan GTR of Angus Kennard followed home Tony Quinn’s Lamborghini to claim third place.

“This is my second win in Targa Tasmania – I’ve had far too many seconds before this,” Glenney said.

“It’s different this year in GT4 compared to outright previously, but I think our stage times would have had us on an outright podium anyway if there was one.

“It’s been a bit weird having started the event in the navigator’s seat and taking over driving after Ben

Matt Close took his first Targa victory in his Porsche GT3, while Jon Siddins was the Classic champion in his Datsun 240Z. MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 45

TARGA TASMANIA

Michael Pritchard took second place in the GT2 category in his Dodge Viper.

(Newman) had blurry vision, but it’s great to win.”

Jon Siddins was in control of Classic GT across the event, and the Targa veteran was delighted to secure an outright win.

“This is my 15th Targa Tasmania and I’ve had podiums and wins in various classic categories along the way,” Siddins said. “It probably wasn’t as hard as my other Targas, but this win is a bit special because it was the first Targa Tasmania with my wife as the navigator. She was excellent, which made it easier.

“She reckons now there’s no way anyone is kicking her out now.”

Alan Roe and Michael Lloyd suffered the ultimate heartbreak, retiring from the event, and the Early Modern lead, on the 37th of 38 stages. This gave victory to Andrew Bollom in a 1995 Mazda RX-7.

“It’s been a great tussle all week and it’s been up and down. We led for a while on Day Two, but we’ve had some great battles right throughout the week,” Bollom said.

“There’s a great variety of cars in this category and they all have their

Alan Roe, Lancer Evo Brendon Winterbourn, Lancer Evo

Mark Balcombe, Mazda RX7 46 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

weaknesses and strengths, so it’s made for one of the great races in this class.

“We came down here looking for a position in class, so to come away with a category win is just awesome.”

Jeff Beable led from start to finish in GT Sports Trophy after a faultless display in his Nissan Skyline, and in TSD Trophy Darryl Marshall came from an overnight third place to take the win in his Ford Falcon Ute. The Vintage class was won by Wayne Clark’s 1938 Dodge Speedster Special.

The next Targa event is Targa High Country in November.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

?

WHERE

are they now

. . .

I K S N Y D ED OR A ‘mild-mannered’ school teacher by profession, Ed Ordynski was the consummate rally professional – fast, reliable, presentable, articulate and a champion many times over.

Story: TOM SMITH MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 47

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

I

Toyota Corolla 2005

n rallysport today, young guns on both sides of the Tasman are showing their form to win events, championships and in the recent case of Haydon Padden, his first outright WRC victory.

However, this new generation of young rallyists may be oblivious to the efforts of some of our stars of the sport during the 90s and 2000s in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

Typically, names emerge and disappear after a period of intense involvement in the sport, having achieved their desire to compete and succeed …… or simply having run out of funds.

The archives show that a group of drivers dominated the Australian rally scene for about 10 years from the mid90s at a time when factory involvement from the likes of Mitsubishi, Subaru and Toyota was the norm.

RallySport Magazine sat down with

Subaru RX Turbo

Toyota Corolla 1974

one of those ex-drivers to ask what a pro-rally driver does when his highprofile rally career comes to an end.

A ‘mild-mannered’ school teacher by profession, Ed Ordynski was the consummate rally professional – fast, reliable, presentable, articulate and a champion many times over.

work a year, but I’m fortunate to be able to choose things that are really interesting and motivating.

Most of my car involvement is with energy efficient vehicles – I’ve tested all sorts of electric cars, hybrids and so on, including a Mercedes Benz hydrogen fuel cell model, and designed events for manufacturers to showcase energy efficiency. My specialty is relating motorsport and high performance to energy efficiency.

RSM: As a retired factory rally driver, what occupies your days now?

Ed Ordynski: I’m genuinely retired,

not just from rallying, and have been for ten years. The great thing about retirement is that you don’t have to do anything in particular – that’s a huge change in my lifestyle. I’m still busy, but it’s nothing like it used to be.

I do a great deal of motorcycle riding, usually off-road trails or adventure riding and have a whole new circle of mates with similar time on their hands.

I also travel and visit people I no longer get to catch up with via motorsport.

I probably do half a dozen pieces of

How did you know it was the right time to withdraw from top-level competition?

I didn’t get to choose. I was driving home from the initial set-up and testing of Scott Pedder’s Evo 8 in Wombat State Forest with the new Alan Heaphy-run Ralliart team when the call came from Japan that Mitsubishi was withdrawing from motorsports globally.

I was contracted to Mitsubishi for Group N winner at Rally Australia in 1991 with Harry Mansson.

48 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Pushing the Lancer hard in the South Australian round of the ARC in 2003.

another 18 months (til mid-2006), so I assisted Mitsubishi with the transition from a factory Ralliart team to Alan’s now privately-run TMR operation.

I was nearly 50 years old then and it seemed like fate had intervened in suggesting 2005 was a good time to stop. Mitsubishi was fantastic to me, paid out my contract, so I was free to drive or work for other manufacturers if I wished, and they even let me keep the Pajero I had at the time.

When I look back, I’m sure I would have been one of those drivers who didn’t know when to stop, so I’m quite grateful for how it all worked out – more than 30 years in the sport, most of it full time.

When was your last competitive rally outing?

The Rally of Lithgow, 2007, in a Hyundai Excel. It was one of the most enjoyable rallies I’ve done. Iain Stewart and I were reunited for the event to help promote the Hyundai series in the NSW Championship. We came second after a great battle with Glenn Farrant and Anna Ritson, who won and went on to take the series, the second time for Glenn. Glenn sent me a tee shirt his team produced, emblazoned with “I was there when Glenn beat Ed”. I still have it. It’s a great memento and I doubt if Glenn realises what a treasured item it is, being from my very last rally.

Incidentally, my last international rally was driving Cody Crocker’s Subaru in

“When I look back, I’m sure I would have been one of those drivers who didn’t know when to stop, so I’m quite grateful for how it all worked out.” the 2005 Rally of Longyou in China (2nd overall) when Cody was unavailable, and my last national event was Rally SA in a Toyota in 2005 when Neal Bates very graciously organised for me to drive a GpN (P) Corolla to mark 30 years in the ARC, both events with Iain Stewart co-driving.

So my last four rallies were in four different brands of car. It was kind of fitting in a way because I started rallying in a Toyota Corolla, Subaru provided a start into a professional career with the RX Turbo in the ‘80s, and Mitsubishi was like a family for nearly 20 years.

Do you remember your emotions when you crossed the finish line of the last rally stage you contested?

Professionally I never got to experience that as my career ended without notice. The three events I did after that were clearly ‘one-offs’ and I already had my head around being retired. But I certainly recall the elation

Iain Stewart and I had at the end of the Lithgow Rally as it was a furious battle through the night section, the Hyundais were well inside the top 10 on many stages and we had given it our best.

Did you enjoy the constant travelling around the country and the world?

Both yes and no. My career took off so strongly that the constant commitments and travel began to take their toll and by 1995 I knew I couldn’t keep going the way I was, both physically and mentally. In that year, I did the ARC during the co-efficient system, eight rounds, plus Canberra and WRC Rally Australia as the high co-efficient events – 10 ARC rallies that year.

I also competed in Rally New Zealand and did gravel notes for Ralliart in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. I drove in the Eastern Creek 12 Hour race for Volvo, as co-driver to Win Percy, and then did the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000 with Mark Poole, with part sponsorship from Holden and Bridgestone. I also did V8 testing with Holden Racing Team at Calder.

I had a separate contract with Mitsubishi for product launches and we did several of those nationally, taking in all capital cities each time. In itself, that contract could have been a full time job. I also had a contract with Bridgestone for original equipment tyre development.

I was also running China Racing MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 49

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? no longer being part of a team. I was in a close-knit, team situation since I left high school and it didn’t cease until I hit 50 years of age. That whole lifestyle of being immersed in a team of like-minded people, totally focussed on the next event and constantly being measured against other like-minded teams, is a powerful and addictive way to live your life.

During your competition years, did you actually plan for ‘retirement’?

On his way to winning the 1995 Round Australia Trial for Holden.

School, a joint venture between Federation Auto Sports China and Mitsubishi as the sponsor – meaning five trips to China, training 30 students each time and taking the finalists to a one-make race series.

Then on top of all of that was the Mobil 1 ‘Round Australia Trial with Holden, a huge commitment and yearlong project in itself, not just on the event, but all the testing, preparation and sponsorship requirements. It was a great insight into how hard Peter Brock worked too as we were both on continual duties for Holden, Mobil and Bridgestone as team-mates for that event.

All of the competitive events had ongoing test programs and extensive promotional commitments. I was exhausted. At the end of the 20,000km ‘Round Australia, I left to do recce for another rally. When I finished my second stint in the Bathurst 1000, I left the track and caught a flight to Seoul, Korea.

I was away from home for over eight months and always on flights and in hotels. They were great years 50 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

and I’m grateful for the wonderful opportunities, but also glad that intensity ceased.

Were you happy to come home and settle down finally?

Yes, very much so. I still feel like it’s only just starting after 10 years out of the sport.

It’s definitely ‘Life after rallying’ and with being on the go for such an extraordinarily long career, it’s also doing all those other things I didn’t get to do for 34 years while so committed to the sport, and the opportunities it provided, 24/7.

Were there any ‘post rallying blues’ for you?

Yes, in two areas. Firstly, I’m very much a forward thinker and was always looking at the next event whenever we crossed the finish line or, indeed, toward the next season.

Suddenly in your life, when there’s no ‘next event’ you can feel a little lost.

But the hardest one to deal with was

Yes, constantly. I joined a superannuation scheme at 17 years of age while at Uni, giving up 7% of my meagre income. Then when my professional career took off, I set up a self-managed fund and put aside everything I could in case it all stopped one day.

That was all in place before I was 40 when I figured that no way I could still be a factory driver after such an old age.

Things then went on ‘til 50 so retirement was an easy decision from a financial perspective. Possum Bourne, Neal Bates and I were fortunate to be in an era when, to our manufacturers, we were the equivalent of V8 Supercar drivers and I think all three of us coming from families where money was tight, we didn’t squander the period in which our earning power was high.

What did you think you would be doing post-rallying?

Exactly what I’m doing now, enjoying discovering another life and all of the things many people take for granted that I didn’t get to do.

Did it work out as planned?

Yes, because plans were in place, fortunately well ahead of when the outcome was required.

What do you miss most about competitive rallying on a full-time basis?

The feeling of placing the car accurately on the road, sliding into corners, making the apexes by centimetres, lining up blind crests perfectly, writing pacenotes – all of those things that inspire you to take up rallying in the first place.

Plus all those years of doing that with the best equipment, few budgetary constraints, being encouraged to go as hard as you can regardless of damage, unlimited tyres, new cars on standby – it is really like a boyhood dream being in a full-time environment.

Do you maintain contact with your old foes like Neal Bates, Cody Crocker, etc?

Early days for Ordynski in what else, but a Datsun 1600?

I don’t think of anyone in the sport as a foe, more like colleagues. Rallying is a great family and I reckon we all got on pretty well and with say, Neal Bates, I think I’m more friends with him now than when I was driving.

I’m in touch with pretty much everyone I knew back then, especially via social media, which obviously makes it so easy. I’m also very much in contact with overseas colleagues, officials, administrators, members of the media, parents and children of fellow competitors – it is a big family and you accept and forgive the few you didn’t get on with or clashed with.

Thinking back, in which team did you feel most comfortable? Where were you able to explore your limits with the support of the team?

Both Les Walkden Rallying and Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, because there was great overlap between the two. I was only ever contracted to Mitsubishi Motors and it is Mitsubishi that provided sponsorship to LWR when I drove for Les, and to Ralliart Australia when I drove for Doug Stewart and Bob Riley. Even when the sponsorship went to Les, it did so via Ralliart.

Both were fantastic working relationships, helped a great deal because we were all colleagues and I wasn’t employed by the team itself, which I think is by far the best way and I would advise any young driver to maintain their independence, contractually.

Both LWR and Ralliart actively encouraged you to be the best you could. I probably had the best working relationship, in terms of understanding me personally and supporting even when things didn’t go to plan, with Bob Riley at Ralliart; and with Les, the best mateship if you like, plus like me, he wanted to get the best equipment and future technology in the cars – he was driven by the next event.

Both Bob and Les were great drivers so you always received the understanding they would have liked themselves and both were incredibly appreciative when you delivered more than they expected.

Even the teams I drove for in one-off events offered tremendous support – like George Shepheard’s team in the ‘Round Australia Trial, where George personally devoted himself far above and beyond what was expected in management, to make sure you had every opportunity to win.

“Possum Bourne, Neal Bates and I were fortunate to be in an era when, to our manufacturers, we were the equivalent of V8 Supercar drivers.”

You had a long, fruitful and successful relationship with Mitsubishi. Did you ever have the opportunity to pursue opportunities with other manufacturers on a professional driving level – Subaru, Toyota?

Yes, on many occasions, as any professional driver does. Subaru of course, was instrumental in my early career when I was driving the RX Turbos, and I have a good relationship with current Managing Director, Nick Senior. When Subaru was looking for a second driver to join Possum, Nick rang me for some advice about young drivers he should watch – I listed Cody Crocker first, along with several others – and then he said, “I don’t suppose you’re free to drive a Subaru again?” which we both laughed at, as clearly I wasn’t. Would’ve been incredible to

drive alongside Possum, mind you!

Also, when Les Walkden changed from Mitsubishi to Subaru, I had the chance then to make the change, especially as Les had secured sponsorship from Subaru, but I chose to stay with Mitsubishi and hence my rally activities moved from LWR to Ralliart itself.

It was also Subaru that initiated my driving Cody’s car in China postretirement and I’ve even done some STI drive days with both Cody and Dean Herridge. Subaru wondered how that would go over with diehard Subaru owners, but the reception was outstanding with most of them saying thanks for coming to a Subaru day.

After Neal organised the Corolla for my final ARC appearance in 2005, Toyota discussed driving another vehicle they wished to promote in a series of events, but by then I had decided I’d retired. However, I can’t say enough how much I appreciated that offer and how Toyota made my ’30 years in the ARC’ possible.

Of course there were also great opportunities with Holden after winning the ‘Round Australia Trial and we had numerous discussions about a third car in V8 racing as I had gone MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 51

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? well in testing and subsequent events.

However, after the ‘Round Australia win, Mitsubishi also wanted to end my freedom to drive for other brands in areas they didn’t run a factory team themselves, and I was offered a series of on-going contracts over the next 10 years before the Holden negotiations went very far.

Naturally I chose to stay in the sport I knew best and loved.

Any regrets in regard to your rallying choices?

No! How could I look back on my career with anything but a big smile and thinking of all the great things that you thought you could only dream of happening? Maybe I should have quit teaching earlier and taken the risk of surviving, as you can’t hold down another job while trying to be fulltime. But definitely no regrets, they’re only indicators that certain habits and behaviours need to change.

Did you have any opportunities to pursue a serious international career?

Perhaps, but not realistically. I had a few discussions with many people,

“How could I look back on my career with anything but a big smile?” including Garry Connelly and Juha Kankkunen when we first won Group N at Rally Australia in 1989, suggesting ways to break into the WRC. But I was realistic I think in recognising my age and lack of experience of the events, even though our performances in Sweden and Finland started it all up again!

What would it have taken to get Ed Ordynski onto the world stage?

A commitment to it (by me), from high school onwards. Twenty is too old to start international experience, let alone being in your 30s in my case.

A team can’t invest, say, five years, for you to get experience of the major WRC events if that takes you out of the window of peak performance. You need to arrive at the Monte Carlo Rally in your first works drive, having done it six times already in a little Fiat or something.

Which was your favourite rally car and why?

Professionally, Lancer Evos 2 and 6, but personally, the Datsun 1600 because it was such a great car for a privateer even with limited modifications on a budget, like mine. It was a great car at the right time where you could win stages at the highest level, giving you the confidence to commit your life to the sport.

You had the pleasure of working with some gun co-drivers who were amongst the most successful in recent Australian rally history.

Give us a one-word description that best describes: Iain Stewart - Dedicated Mark Stacey - Professional Mark Nelson - Committed Lyndon Wilson - Focussed Harry Mansson - Determined

Next month, read Ed Ordynski’s comments about the current state of Australian rallying, young stars and future champions of the sport, and classic rally cars.

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SOUTHERN RALLY

RODDA WINS SOUTHERN RALLY Story: JOHN LEMM

T

he Mitsubishi Evo IX crew of James Rodda and Dave Langfield proved the old adage that to finish first, you must first finish, in the RAA Southern Rally, the opening round of the 2016 MRF Tyres South Australian Rally Championship on May 1.

The 2013 Champions finished 23.9 seconds ahead of the Subaru WRX STI crew of Aaron Bowering and Nathan Lowe after 10 stages, with Andrew Gleeson and Fred Brewer’s Datsun Stanza two minutes and 21 seconds further back in third.

The rally’s 128 km competitive stages were mostly held in the Second Valley Forest on the state’s south coast, as well as a long stage through the large Balquhidder cattle property.

Balquhidder hasn’t been used for rallying for a couple of decades and is fondly remembered by those who have run on it for its fast, sweeping gravel roads and panoramic views over the Southern Ocean.

Jeremy Browne brought out his historic 1966 Mini Cooper S simply to run on Balquhidder, but was forced to retire a couple of stages before it when the brakes failed.

Rodda was joined by three other previous state champions in Henry Nott, Declan Dwyer and Matt Selley, whilst Aaron Lowe, the son of former state and national champ Barry Lowe, was competing in a fearsome Commodore V8.

Declan Dwyer and Craig Adams set the pace from the start, before being overhauled by the fellow Mitsubishi Evo 6 RS of Henry Nott and Georgie Denver, setting fastest times over the next three stages.

Unfortunately Dwyer’s run came to an end on stage three when his battery shorted out, bringing the car to a halt.

Rodda’s event nearly ended on the same stage when the Lancer landed nose-first after what is known as the “ski jump”, tearing out part of the undertray and the entire right-hand inner wheel arch.

This was the same spot that caused Nott’s retirement last year when he damaged the radiator.

Nott locked up in a tight corner in the fifth stage and went off the road, the resultant mechanical damage and a broken wheel putting them out.

Rodda was now way out in front, with Bowering, in the ex-Jamie Pohlner WRX, and Gleeson’s Stanza being harried by both the Gemini of Carwyn Harries and Michael Henderson, and the Subaru WRX STI of Neil and Andrea Gehan.

Dwyer was now back in the event, setting a blistering pace, fastest on all six remaining stages. With his penalty, he was to finish 12th.

A loose plug lead saw the Harries Gemini misfire through most of the 19km final stage, Springs Reverse, whilst the Gehan Subaru hit a kangaroo, causing mainly superficial damage.

Really, they were lucky not to hit a deer instead, a large number of them being spotted during the event.

Jeremy Browne, Mini Cooper S

Andrew Gleeson, Datsun Stanza

Results:

1. James Rodda/Dave Langfield (Mitsubishi Evo IX) 2. Aaron Bowering/Nathan Lowe (Subaru WRX STI), +23.9s 3. Andrew Gleeson/Fred Brewer (Datsun Stanza), +3m44.2s 4. Neil Gehan/Andrea Gehan (Subaru WRX STI), +4m05.2s 5. Carwyn Harries/Mathew Henderson (Holden Gemini), +4m21.2s 6. Mark Povey/Steve Glenney (Datsun Stanza), +5m44.2s Round 2 of the championship is the Copyworld Walky 100 Rally at Robertstown on August 6.

Henry Nott, Mitsubishi Lancer

Below: Event winner James Rodda’s heavy landing on the “ski jump” may well have signalled his exit from the event. Photo: Frank Kutsche

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 53

RALLY ARGENTINA - WRC 4

PADDON PROVES KIWIS CAN FLY H

ayden Paddon has scored an historic maiden FIA World Rally Championship victory at YPF Rally Argentina after fighting off world champion Sébastien Ogier in a thrilling finale to a scintillating last-day duel.

The pair was separated by just 2.6 seconds ahead of the final legendary El Condor test, but Paddon stunned the Frenchman to hurtle down the rockstrewn mountain almost 12 seconds faster and secure a 14.3 second winning margin in his Hyundai i20.

Paddon, with long-time co-driver John Kennard, became the first driver from New Zealand – or anywhere Down Under - to win a WRC round in the championship’s 43-year history. It

Story: CHRIS NIXON 54 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

crushed Volkswagen’s ambitions of an unprecedented 13 consecutive victories and, for another year, Ogier’s personal goal of winning the only WRC event not in his trophy cabinet.

The win was one of the most popular in recent times for the hard-working Paddon, who is in only his first full season for Hyundai Motorsport.

“I can’t believe it, I really didn’t think I stood a chance before the last stage after losing time to Ogier this morning,” said Paddon, who celebrated his 29th birthday the day before the start.

“I gave that last stage everything I had.

Tight and twisty roads like El Condor aren’t my strength but I drove the stage of my life.”

Paddon’s home supporters were jubilant, with many staying up into the wee hours of the morning to watch or listen to the final stage on the internet.

The win was also welcomed by fans in Australia.

Paddon started the final leg with a 29.8 second advantage after taking the lead on Saturday when Jari-Matti Latvala broke the suspension on his VW and rolled. Gearchange glitches cost valuable seconds in the opening stage, before Ogier threw caution to the wind in the penultimate stage, eating into Paddon’s lead to set up a dramatic ending.

“I can’t believe it, I really didn’t think I stood a chance before the last stage after losing time to Ogier this morning.”

➜ Watch Hayden Paddon on the final stage at Rally Argentina

Photos: Hyundai, VW, M-Sport, Red Bull MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 55

RALLY ARGENTINA - WRC 4

“I had a clean drive, but I didn’t dare take the maximum risk.”

“The last stage was incredibly rough,” Ogier said. “I had a clean drive, but I didn’t dare take the maximum risk because there were big ruts. Well done to him, he did a great job on the last stage.”

Volkswagen teammate, Andreas Mikkelsen, completed the podium a further 50.9 seconds behind after surviving a spin in the foggy first pass through El Condor in the morning.

However, he dropped out of the top three in the championship standings as Paddon vaulted into second.

Dani Sordo finished in fourth in another Hyundai, with Mads Østberg a distant fifth in a Ford Fiesta RS, despite going off the road on Sunday morning following a pace note mix-up.

The top six in the fourday rally, which covered 364.68km of rough-road competition near Villa Carlos Paz, was completed by the third factory Hyundai

by Thierry Neuville, who recovered well after losing several minutes on Friday with a faulty fuel connection.

The championship returns to Europe for Vodafone Rally de Portugal on May 19 -22 May. The event will see the 2016 debut of Australians Scott Pedder and Dale Moscatt, who will line up in the WRC2 category in a Skoda Fabia R5.

Mads Ostberg was a disappointing fifth for M-Sport.

Jari-Matti Latvala had an event he’d prefer to forget.

2016 YPF Rally of Argentina - WRC round 4 1. H. Paddon / J. Kennard 2. S. Ogier / J. Ingrassia 3. A. Mikkelsen / A. Jaeger 4. D. Sordo / M. Martí 5. M. Østberg / O. Floene 6. T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul 7. M. Ligato / R. Garcia 8. E. Camilli / B. Veillas 9. H. Solberg / I. Minor 10. N. Fuchs / F. Mussano 56 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Hyundai i20 WRC) Volkswagen Polo R WRC Volkswagen Polo R WRC Hyundai i20 WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC Hyundai i20 WRC Citroën DS3 WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC Ford Fiesta RS WRC Škoda Fabia R5

+14.3s +1m05.2s +1:17.1 +4:56.7 +9:29.5 +9:39.2 +10:16.0 +10:48.5 +24:42.8

RETREAT RALLY Darren Clark launches his Mazda RX7 into fifth place. (Angryman Photography)

Story: BARRY OLIVER

ABBLITT SLIDES TO VICTORY

T

he Retreat Rally, run by the Motor Sports Club of Tasmania, provided some outstanding performances but none more so than the winning team of Keith Abblitt and Adrian Hodgetts in their Subaru WRX STi. The North-West coast crew dominated the nine stages that were completed, winning all but the first stage, and finishing on top in both heats to win the event overall by two minutes and 23 seconds in extremely wet and muddy conditions.

Former state champion Lee Peterson and co-driver Daniel Willson finished a remarkable second in the much-rallied Nissan Sunny GTi and gave the 4WD brigade a wakeup call to take out stage one in the screaming front-wheel drive car.

Despite the conditions, which no doubt favoured the 4WD cars, Peterson called on all his years of experience to be constantly up with front runners. It was a great effort.

Third place went to former state champion Andrew Wylie and three time champion co-driver Damien Grimwood in their Subaru WRX STi, who lost most of their time on the three runs through the 18.5 kilometre Northern Loop stage. In parts the stage was very rough and became increasingly muddy with each run, and brake failure didn’t help Wylie’s cause at all.

John Davidson and Steve Norris’s Subaru WRX STi was completed only hours before the start of the event, but the six weeks turning a shell into a full blown rally car paid off with a consistent run to fourth, whilst shaking down the new car.

Fifth place went Keith Abblitt was the class of to Darren Clark and the field in his Subaru WRX. Keegan Buckley in (Angryman Photography) the Group B lookalike Mazda RX7, with the father and son combination of Tim and Elliott Ritchie in their Subaru WRX rounding out the top six after a fine performance.

There were a couple of standout performances by teams who featured strongly in early Peter Barrett’s Toyota Sprinter battles the wet conditions. results in the top (Photo: Nathan Roddam) three, but problems pushed them down the field. Veteran Peter Barrett and co-driver Roger Carter put in some stunning times in a Toyota Sprinter, but lost over three minutes on the two kilometre stage three due to a mechanical issue eleven minutes. before finishing seventh, but finished For the first time in the history of third in Heat 2. the TRS each car was equipped with Nathan Newton and Kade Barrett the Tasmanian designed and built were also on the pace with some great Rally Safe unit, that monitors every times in their Datsun Skyline, but they car during the event. It proved its slipped off the road on stage eight worth when the rookie team of Adrian and couldn’t get the car started - they Whiddon and Kevin Quigley crashed had backed into a bank, blocked the their Datsun Stanza on stage six, exhaust and couldn’t unblock it. In the resulting in a dislocated shoulder. finish they had to jack the car up to There were 24 starters, but the tough clear the mud out before they could event took its toll with only 14 finishers. get going, but not before they had lost The Hellyer Rally is next up on June 18.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 57

HAYDEN PADDON ....

W

ell I’m sure you are all well aware of the outcome of Rally Argentina, a weekend that I will forever remember! But it doesn’t only stand out as it was our first WRC victory, but also because of the fashion of how we won the rally - going head-to-head with triple world champion, Sébastien Ogier.

It was what I would sum up as a perfect weekend from start to finish – winning Shakedown, winning 5 stages, winning the power stage and of course the outright event by 14 seconds.

Going into the weekend, we were playing down our chances, as the traditionally rough roads and challenging conditions have not been a favorite in the past. However after the pre-event recce, it became clear that 75% of the new stages this year were a lot faster than normal, and with Sunday as an exception, the stages were also smoother.

Adding to this, Shakedown went very well. As we did not test prior to this event (our team mates both did testing in Europe between Mexico and Argentina which we opted to miss in turn for more testing for the European events) – we used the first run to run the same setup as we finished Mexico as a base. After a return to service, we bolted on the new suspension, which had different settings and immediately we went fastest on the second and third runs – the car was feeling and working better.

But even after all this, we remained grounded for the weekend ahead, with the same goal in mind – to have a clean rally and a top 5.

Paddon and Ogier had more than one battle in Argentina.

58 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Hayden’s first competition car was a Mini.

As the rally panned out, it became clear that the speed was there, even when we were not having a perfect stage, or I made some small mistakes.

We were consistently in or around the top 3 on every stage! But it was close, it was a 3 way tussle between Seb Ogier, Jari Matti Latvala and us, and even on the repeat run of stages when conditions were more equal for us all, we were able to hold our own.

This rally also introduced me a lot more to mental games, both with others and myself. In any elite sport, mind games are a part of the game and while I was on the receiving end a couple of times, it only amped me up to dig deeper and make sure we were not beaten.

Two of Saturday’s stages were my favorite of the rally, and on the first loop on Saturday morning we had a big push, winning both stages – closing

the gap to leader Jari to 6 seconds and extending the gap behind to Seb to 30 seconds. Unfortunately for Jari he crashed out of the lead in the afternoon, which I felt very sorry for him – and put us in the unexpected position of leading a WRC event going into the final day by 30 seconds from the world champ.

Overnight we were feeling relaxed.

The team did an amazing job effectively rebuilding the car to make it brand new again in the 45-minute service and now the job was down to John and I. While 30 seconds sounds like a lot to some, for 3 stages totaling 54km I was nervous overnight that it wasn’t enough. The stages were much more twisty and technical than the rest of the rally, and last year on El Condor alone (1 pass), we lost 20 seconds to Seb. To make it even more challenging, when we started the first pass of El

Condor on Sunday morning, the low cloud had blanketed the top half of the stage in the thickest fog I have ever driven in. You literally could not see past the bonnet and as an indication of how bad it was, in the first 8km of the stage, we were 1 minute slower than what we were on the repeated run with no fog. Despite two mistakes in hairpins at the bottom of the hill including stalling the engine, we were relieved to have only lost 7 seconds.

The following stage was the roughest and toughest of the entire championship. However, the relief from the previous stage was about to turn to disbelief, as after a good clean stage (but not pushing as trying to look after the car) I was amazed that we had lost 20 seconds and now only had a 2 second gap going into the final stage.

So it all boiled down to 1 stage and after the altercation I had had the previous night with Seb, there was no way I wanted to be beaten. Having come this far in the rally to fall over at the last hurdle – it was not an option.

So the accumulation of work I had done with Gilbert Enoka (mental coach) helped me to reset, stay in the moment and focus on the ultimate performance and not focus on the outcome. This coupled with the work Ole-Martin Lundefaret (driving analysis) and I had done on El Condor stage over the past 3 weeks. Breaking it down meter-by-

meter meant we were prepared for what seemed like a mountain to climb.

It was ironic that El Condor was the stage that we identified as my weak link before the event and focused on this one stage for my general driving technique.

When the green light flashed on the start line of the final stage, we drove the stage of our life. Historically this is the slow, technical sort of stage I would struggle with, but something clicked and it was an almost perfect stage. As at the time it was ANZAC day in New Zealand, maybe it was a bit of the fighting ANZAC spirit that pulled us through.

Crossing the finish line, we were not aware of Seb’s time and if we had done enough. When we then saw the timing board at the stage end, first we did not believe the time we saw, as not only did we bet Seb’s time, but by a massive 11 seconds. There was a moment when John and I looked at each and said ‘surely not’? Confirmation from the media, and the rest is history. The emotion, the relief, the happiness and the proudness for the team cannot be summed up in words.

While this has been a long road and a dream, there is still a lot further to go. But the most memorable images from the weekend for me are not from the stages, or our reaction at the stage end. It is seeing the teams’

HAYDEN PADDON COLUMN

“There was a moment when John and I looked at each other and said ‘surely not’.

The emotion, the relief, the happiness cannot be summed up in words.”

reaction at service park, every single team member of Hyundai Motorsport jumping for joy and cheering. This is a huge team effort and the amount of passion and time that has gone into this new car and entire project is mind blowing. This is a team I’m incredibly proud to be part of and I know there is a lot more to come yet.

Its also amazing and humbling just how much support we get from you and everyone in NZ. Knowing that Kiwis are up in the middle of the morning watching the live TV broadcast just makes you want to give that little bit extra! So thank you and we apologize for any additional nerves we caused after the heavy time loss on stage 17.

This is a special moment for us and it is too hard to thank everyone, but there are hundreds of people that have directly helped to make this dream possible. I cannot put into words how much that means. To have Katie, Dad and other key NZ supporters here with us to share this with was amazing and they have all played a huge role along with my engineer Rui and of course John in the silly seat.

Thank you again for being a part of this journey and we are now working hard and looking forward to more in the future.

Until then, Hayden MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 59

RALLY OF WHANGAREI - NZRC 2

HOLDER BREAKS THROUGH After years of promise, David Holder finally broke through for his first NZRC victory.

Story: BLAIR BARTELS Photos: GEOFF RIDDER

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS Day 1 - morning Day 1 - afternoon Day 2 - morning Day 2 - wrap 60 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 61

RALLY OF WHANGAREI

O

ne of the most dramatic rounds of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship in recent memory saw David Holder take his maiden round win and with it, a commanding lead in the point standings.

A strong field of 40 cars was topped by Hayden Paddon, fresh from victory in WRC Rally Argentina, but also saw defending APRC Production Cup champion, Mike Young, plus the quality field that chased Paddon at Otago.

Other drivers making their first appearance for the year included Dylan Turner and Shannon Chambers, twowheel drive star Max Bayley, and several competitors competing in the Gull Rally Challenge held over the opening day.

Two passes over the Pohe Island Super Special Stage should have been fairly straight forward, but would ruin the chances of both Young and Matt Summerfield, the former with electrical problems and the latter with a broken cambelt tensioner. Also suffering was Tony Gosling, who would break a differential in his Historic class

David Holder and Jason Farmer celebrate their first NZRC win (above), and Dylan Thomson’s Fiesta on the Super Stage.

Phil Campbell was fourth until a blown head gasket stopped his Lancer Evo.

ADVERTISE WITH US 62 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Escort, fo morning’s competito At the o Rotorua’s crowd to of Paddo Second p expected albeit by very close than five The rea following point righ his class, than Cox with Sum again thir national c Stage fo upside do with drive Hawkesw Inkster lo further d

orcing him to miss the following s action, and Gull Rally Challenge or Bryn Smith with clutch failure. other end of the leaderboard, s Sloan Cox stunned the strong take the opening stage win ahead on and Glenn Inkster’s Skoda. pass through, Paddon took his d spot at the top of the times sheets, two tenths of a second. It was all e, with the top eight covered by less seconds. al action got underway the g day and dust became a talking ht from the start. Paddon showed just shy of 30 seconds faster x, who inherited a two minute gap mmerfield’s demise. Inkster was rd fastest, just ahead of defending champion Ben Hunt, and Holder. our saw the leaderboard tipped own. First to suffer was Paddon eshaft problems, while Andrew wood suffered a puncture and Glenn ost power steering. There was then drama when Shannon Chambers

hit a bridge only 800 metres into the stage, leaving the VW Polo Proto blocking the stage, causing time loss for both Clint Cunningham and Carl Davies.

That left Cox to take a lead of close to 30 seconds ahead of Lance Williams, impressing for the second round in a row, and Emma Gilmour. Graham Featherstone and Andrew Hawkeswood rounded out the top five, but fourth to seventh was covered by just seven seconds.

Holder would take a stage win in SS5 ahead of Young, who was still in the event due to stopping on a Super Special as opposed to regular Special Stage, and Turner, who was claiming to be a rusty after time out of the seat.

The following stage was the power stage with bonus points on offer, however when Hunt left the road just over a kilometre in and was complaining of back pain, the stage was cancelled and no bonus points were awarded.

In the end, Hunt was diagnosed with three broken ribs and both he and co-driver Tony Rawstorn suffered heavy bruising, but were

otherwise okay, while the new Subaru WRX STi was not as badly damaged as initially feared.

So at the first service, Cox held the lead ahead of Williams, Gilmour, Turner and Hawkeswood, but the entire top 10 were chasing hard.

Kingsley Jones lead the Gull Rally Challenge after Grant Blackberry retired, heading off Wayne Pittams and Jono Walker, although Walker would not leave the service park, handing third to Warwick Redfern. Anthony Jones led open two-wheel drive, Marcus van Klink the Historics and Max Bayley the FIA two-wheel drive class, despite starting as first NZRC car on the road.

Paddon rejoined for the afternoon loop and won the opening stage before retiring with a similar problem in the second. Behind him, Holder was best of the rest in the first two stages, then second to Young on the following two, to rocket him through the field.

He moved into second place when Williams rolled out on stage eight and looked set to settle for the runner up spot until a

Sloan Cox led all comers on the first day, but would fail to finish after problems on day two.

For more details call Dominic on 0499 981 188 or email dominic@rallysportmag.com.au MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 63

RALLY OF WHANGAREI The Hyundai NZ i20 had its first hiccup with driveline problems on the first day.

2016 Rally of Whangarei - April 29 - May 1 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

9.

10.

David Holder / Jason Farmer Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Emma Gilmour / Anthony McLoughlin Suzuki Swift Maxi Dylan Turner / Rob Scott Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Mike Young / Malcolm Read Subaru WRX STI Richard Baddock / Jason Anderson Subaru Impreza WRX Clint Cunningham / Greg Ruka Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Marcus van Klink / Dave Neill Mazda RX7 Max Bayley / Lisa Hudson Ford Fiesta RS Jeff Judd / Grant Marra Ford Escort RS1800

2h44m09.5s +1m29.6s +2.27.7 +6.13.3 +6.22.2 +6.43.4 +10.02.0 +11.59.0 +14.06.4

Series points after round two: Holder 64, Paddon 44, Baddock 36, Hunt 33, van Klink 31, Gilmour 28, etc.

cruel blow saw Cox stuck in first gear on the day’s final stage, dropping him to seventh overnight and promoting Holder to the lead.

Gilmour was relieved to have a clean run and sit second overnight, while Turner was as shocked as anyone to sit third, only 17 seconds behind Gilmour, but less than eight seconds ahead of Graham Featherstone.

Richard Baddock, a struggling Andrew Hawkeswood, Cox, Phil Campbell – who was struggling to figure out his lack of pace - Clint Cunningham and Young would start the second day as the top 10.

The class battles saw Marcus van Klink as the unofficial top two-wheel drive car and leading Historic ahead of Jeff Judd. Max Bayley topped the FIA two-wheel drive class and was only 1.4 seconds behind van Klink overall, while Anthony Jones was also in that battle and top of open two-wheel drive ahead of Dave Strong, Dylan Thomson and Jack Willamson, despite hitting a fence early in the day.

The Gull Rally Challenge positions remained unchanged, leaving Jones to take the win ahead of Pittams and Redfern, with Jeff Torkington taking two-wheel drive honours. Jones’ drive 64 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

also earned him a drum of Gull Force Pro E85 – liquid horsepower, as part of the Gull Rally Scholarship.

After dry dusty conditions on the opening day, overnight rain saw relief for many. Paddon once again rejoined, as did Summerfield after a full engine rebuild.

Paddon dominated all day, taking more than three minutes out of the field over six stages and showing what might have been, while Summerfield had a similar point to prove and was a clear second to Paddon on the second leg, firing a warning shot for the final three rounds.

While the top three positions held station across the day, the expected battle for the back end of the top five turned into another episode of carnage. First to suffer was Cox who, after leading most of the first day, made a spectacular exit when he hit a bank. Not far up the road was Andrew Hawkeswood with a sizable hole in the engine block.

The following stage saw Featherstone retire with electrical issues, while fifth placed Richard Baddock began to suffer a failing centre differential and fourth placed Phil Campbell a blown head gasket. None of the gaps were

considered catchable under normal circumstances in the top 10, with only three stages remaining, but there were plenty of drivers sweating on making the finish.

The big mover across the afternoon was Young, charging his way home and showing what may have been on his NZRC debut, if not for Friday night’s electrical issues. He would make his way to fourth, helped by Campbell’s retirement when he put a hole in the rear diff and Baddock’s centre diff issue, that would see him end up fifth, only nine seconds down.

Cunningham was ecstatic to complete a trouble free run in sixth, ahead of van Klink, Jones, Bayley and Judd. Thomson and Williamson rounded out the finishing NZRC competitors.

Classes saw van Klink not only take maximum Historic points, but also the Motogard Trophy that was awarded to the winner of Rally NZ between 1978-1982. He headed home Judd comfortably, who was happy to move into second in the championship.

Jones took open two-wheel drive, while Strong’s retirement moved Thomson and Williamson on to the podium. Max Bayley’s committed drive rewarded him

with a win in FIA two-wheel drive.

But no-one could stop Holder, who drove a nearperfect rally to take maximum points and the Dunlop Drive of the Rally award by all but one and a half minutes. Gilmour equalled her best result in second place, and Turner was ecstatic to take his first ever NZRC podium finish.

Holder’s win moved him to the top of the championship, 13 points clear of Paddon who won’t contest any more rounds. So Holder’s effective lead becomes 28 points over Baddock, Hunt and van Klink.

FIRST BLOOD TO GILL

I Marcus van Klink and Dave Neill won the Historic category.

Co-drivers ‘Crunch’ Bennett and Glenn Macneall enjoy a laugh.

ndia’s Gaurav Gill and Australian based co-driver Glenn Macneall have won the 2016 International Rally of Whangarei in a Skoda Fabia R5 car to win by a margin of 30.4 seconds.

Concluding the opening round (of six) for the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), Gill, the 2013 APRC champion and 2014 rally winner, started second car on the road for the final day, behind overnight leader and teammate Fabian Kreim. Overtaking the time deficit of 4.6 seconds in the opening test, it was during that stage his car lost turbo boost.

Rectified during the midmorning service break Gill pushed hard in the second run of the earlier used stages to extend his margin.

“After I got my car fixed I knew I had to push a bit to get a comfortable gap over my teammate because anything can happen.

“So when we got the 30 second

APRC winner Gaurav Gill.

lead we eased our pace to come back with the car in one piece.

“It is very good to start the year and championship to have this win,” said a relieved Gill.

Finishing second, Germany’s Kreim and countryman co-driver Frank Christian were pleased with the result – focusing instead on learning to compete on gravel roads, than their placing.

Third was Kiwi pairing Michael Young and co-driver Malcolm Read in the Cusco-prepared EZY Racing Subaru Impreza.

Only four of the international contending cars made it to the finish with Japan’s Makoto Kawahara and co-driver Osamu Yoda focussed on just finishing in their Lancer EVO VIII. Australians Scott Pedder and Dale Moscatt were setting some impressive times on day one, only for the engine of their Renault Clio to expire mid-way through the opening day.

The next round of the APRC is the Rally of Queensland from June 17-19.

German Fabian Kreim.

Photos: APSM TV

Luck finally went Emma Gilmour’s way and she finished second in her Suzuki.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 65

FEATURE: JHV 260

Photos: Dallas Dogger, Paul Thomas, Angryman Photography

66 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Gr

e x A s ’ r e h t a f rand r or competed under the ca ” ks or “w a en be ve ha r ve ne It may V 260 fondly JH r be em m re ow kn e th in e os th factory banner, but ing Escorts. as one of Australia’s longest serv s been resurrected in ha r ca e th r, te la s ar ye 40 ly ar ne Now, Tasmania. a rg Ta nt ce re e th in t bu de its e tarmac trim and mad

Story: JEFF WHITTEN MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 67

FEATURE: JHV 260

W

e’re all familiar with the old adage about grandfather’s axe – despite the old, worn out axe having three heads and six handles replaced, it’s still the same old axe!

The same could just as easily be said about a number of rally cars in Australia and New Zealand that have been used competitively over many years, and although being crashed and subsequently re-shelled, are regarded as the original vehicle.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise when you learn of a particular car whose owner acknowledges that it is no longer the vehicle that first hit the forest tracks many years ago.

In other words, despite wearing the same number plates and looking like the real McCoy, there is very little, if anything, to suggest it’s anything but the same car.

JHV 260, a 2 door, 2-litre Mk2 Escort was originally bought by Port Macquarie’s John Berne in 1978 and was immediately put into service, running in the Southern Cross Rally in 1978, 1979 and 1980, as well as many other events along the east coast of Australia.

However, by that stage (1980) the car was starting to get a little tired, so Berne reshelled the car using the ex-Lawton Ford shell from the car that

68 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 69

FEATURE: JHV 260 Greg Carr drove in the 1981 Castrol Rally in Canberra.

It was then sold to Canberra’s Dallas Dogger, who ran it in a number of major events including the 2GO Rally which was based on the NSW central coast. Dale Loader enjoyed a guest drive in a Newcastle event and Dogger then offered touring car legend, Kevin Bartlett, a drive of the by-nowfamous Escort in the 2GO Rally as a Channel Nine and Wheels promotion.

The car was refurbished by Ian Hill at Gosford Dyno Tune, but Bartlett crashed the car and damaged it quite badly on Watagan Road.

Still in its damaged condition, it was sold to Bruce Garland, who reshelled it in one week and then used it in the NSW Forest Classic Rally, a round of the NSW State Championship and other state events, as well as the 1985 Canberra-based Toshiba Rallysprint in 1985.

During that period other famous names such as Jim Richards and Ross Dunkerton were seen behind the wheel, as were Ed Mulligan (1983 2GO) and Dick Johnson (1984 2GO). Naturally, in all this change of ownership the car was painted in a wide variety of colour schemes, the most famous being the ex-Garland gold.

As can be seen, the car had a very active life since it first saw forest action back in 1978, running in many events with many different drivers. But there was plenty more life in JHV 260 yet.

After Dick Johnson’s guest drive in the car in 1984, Bruce Garland sold the car to Frank Barker, who then passed it on to Tony McMaster, JHV 260 being shuffled around from owner to owner, Dogger driving it again in the National Capital Rally in Canberra, and Graham Vaughan running various State rounds.

With a good reputation behind it, it wasn’t long before it changed hands yet again, being bought this time by Mike Bell, who ran it in a rallysprint in Canberra with Dogger navigating, and Sarah Manual driving in the Rally Des Femmes in Canberra, with Dogger again. There was little doubt that age was catching up with this well-known Escort.

Changing ownership once again, Geoff Vowles became the custodian. Vowles then embarked on a comprehensive ground-up rebuild which extended for a number of years, before it yet again changed hands, Gerald Schofield becoming the owner this time around.

Schofield reshelled the car, painted it red and ran the much travelled car for a number of years, mainly in NSW events.

Fitted with a Holbay Warrior engine, it was easily recogniseable in its red Cossack hair spray livery, a copy of the famous Roger Clark car built by the Ford Motor Company in Boreham, UK. On the move again, JHV 260 changed hands yet again with Victorian Champion Justin Dowel taking ownership and relocating it to Victoria.

In 2009, Paul Thomas bought the old damaged shell from 70 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Dallas Dogger at the wheel of JHV 260 in a night event, while touring car greats Kevin Bartlett and Dick Johnson drove the car in its famous gold livery.

Schofield after it had been laying around in Colin Hill’s shed for a number of years. Since taking ownership, Thomas has embarked on a 5-year rotisserie rebuild on the car. It is now arguably in its best condition since rolling out of the Ford dealer a massive 32 years ago.

“Fitted with a Holbay Warrior engine, it was easily recognisable in its red Cossack hair spray livery, a copy of the famous Roger Clark car.”

Certainly this particular Mk2 Escort is one of the longest-serving Escorts around, but just how you qualify the car as the “original” is a good point. While it has the same registration plates and many of the fittings may well be the original as well, almost everything else has been replaced or reconditioned.

But in the final scheme of things, in the eyes of the owners, it’s still JHV 260, even if there is only a smattering of the original car remaining. You would not want to contemplate how much has been spent on one car, but it must be hundreds of thousands!

Long may it remain in whatever form it ends up – Thomas is justifiably proud of what he’s got.

Acknowledgement: Bob Thomas who has done a lot of work putting the car together.

SPECIFICATIONS Engine: Genuine Cosworth 2.0 litre BDG, dry sumped, 4 bolt exhaust head, twin 45mm Weber carburetors, built

by Steve Hoinville from Competition Management & Engineering, 60mm Safari-spec alloy radiator.

Fabraications roll cage.

Transmission: Ford helical close ratio 5 speed, AP twin plate clutch with Holinger centre push release cylinder.

Differential: Fully floating hubs, camber/caster housing with Mazda centre, Albins axles, 5.1:1 ratio.

Suspension: MCA gold Tarmac rally coil overs, 275lb springs (front), 200lb (rears).

Steering: 2.0 ratio heavy duty quick rack connected to under dash electronic power steering.

Brakes: Adjustable pedal box with Brembo master cylinders, Brembo 4 piston front calipers with 285mm AP discs.

AP 265mm 2 piston rear calipers complete with park brake. Pagid blue pads, hydraulic handbrake.

Paul Thomas’ debut in the car at Targa Tasmania ended early when a front brake rotor cracked and he and brother Craig withdrew the car for safety reasons.

Wheels/Tyres: 15 x 7 gold Minilites with 205 x 15/50 AO50 Advan tyres.

MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 71

ARRON WINDUS - PIRELLI RALLY

AUSSIE ABROAD

T

he Pirelli Carlisle Rally, round three of the British Rally Championship, was a tough event for Rhianon Gelsomino and I. On day 1 we were looking for a clean run and to find a comfortable feeling in the car, but unfortunately in stage two, coming into a tight left corner after a fast fifth gear straight, I went to go down the gears and found that our gear linkage had broken.

I managed to get it back to third gear, where I then left it for the rest of the day. We lost a considerable amount of time having to nurse the

Photo: Stanislav Kucera

Twenty-year old Victorian, Arron Windus, is contesting this year’s British Rally Championship as part of the Vauxhall Motorsport Junior Rally Team. Arron reports on his experiences from round three, the Pirelli Rally. car home. It was a frustrating day for sure, but that’s rallying.

My awesome Vauxhall Motorsport Junior Rally Team fixed our gear selector problem overnight and on day two we were back out on the tough Kielder Forest stages.

Three stages were all that remained on the Sunday so we were looking to waste no

time. Although we could make no impression on the outright positions, we were looking to see how we faired against the field on stage times.

Early on we had a good feeling and got into a rhythm, which we maintained for the day. On stage six we pushed and had fifth fastest stage time.

The last stage was our

longest and we had a great start until six miles from the end of the stage when we got a puncture on the left rear, dropping about 40-50 seconds.

It was not entirely our weekend, but I was happy to be learning quickly.

Our next event is the Scottish Rally in late June.

Already my preparations are underway and we are looking to have a good result and finish strongly, but also to show the true potential of the Vauxhall ADAM R2.

A huge thank you to my team for all their hard work, and all our sponsors.

CARRIGANS WINS QRC EVO-FEST

T

he 2016 MRF Tyres Queensland Rally Championship kicked off with the well-attended SR Automotive Manumbar Rally on Saturday, April 2, organised by well-known ARC regulars and Brisbane Sporting Car Club stalwarts, Simon and Margot Knowles.

Forty seven cars and crew made the start line in Nanango for the event, one of the largest QRC event fields for some time.

Event sponsor, Stewart Reid, was an unfortunate withdrawal due to back pain, and while he competed in NZ’s Otago Rally on the following weekend, the discomfort was still obvious across the ditch.

A great selection of roads ensured that competitor feedback was overwhelmingly positive, despite a couple of short delays in the schedule due to safety measures, including a few stray cattle.

The contest between the top four teams was a Mitsubishi parade with Kent Lawrence/Jim Wilson (Evo 8), Tristan/Andy

72 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

Carrigan (Evo 6), Rob Bishop/Neill Woolley (Evo 6) and Ian Menzies/Bob McGowan (Evo 6) all trading places and times.

Marius Swart, with Peta Davies in his recently rebuild S2000 VW Polo, was never far away.

The Carrigan brothers - former QRC Champions – managed to stake their claim on top spot with very quick times over SS3 and SS6, establishing a gap from the intense battle developing between Menzies and Bishop.

At rally end, the Carrigan team had taken the win by over a minute to Menzies/McGowan – edging out Bishop/Woolley by just four seconds. Lawrence/Wilson took fourth and Swart/Davies rounded out the top five.

Clay Badenoch/Cameron Sluce took a fine 2WD category win in their classic Celica RA40.

Round 2 of the series continues with the Wowan Rally in Central Queensland on May 14.

- Tom Smith

HENRI TOIVONEN: 30 YEARS ON

HENRI TOIVONEN: 30 YEARS ON Martin Holmes remembers the day rallying lost one of its most promising stars

There were no ‘panic’ wheel marks at the scene of Toivonen’s accident on May 2, 1986.

Photos: Martin Holmes

M

ay 2, 1986, thirty years ago, was the day I will always remember. It was the day when the Lancia Delta S4 shot off the road on stage 18 of the Tour de Corse

The charred remains of Henri Toivonen’s Lancia Delta S4.

and exploded where it landed in a group of trees below road level, ending the lives of Henri Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto.

1986 was already a very special year, memorable not always for the right reasons after the spectator tragedy in Portugal in March, during times when the Group B crisis was reaching its climax.

And Corsica, for a long time recognised as the ultimate tarmac rally, was an early and long awaited highlight of the season.

Of the six different Group B top level teams it was soon evident that only Lancia and Peugeot had the resources and determination to run a fully competitive programme. After the previous round (Safari), Peugeot led Lancia in the Manufacturers’ championship by four points, far ahead of Audi and the other manufacturers.

For Corsica, Lancia entered three S4s for Markku Alen, Henri Toivonen and Miki Biasion. The year

“It was the day when the Lancia Delta S4 shot off the road and exploded where it landed, ending the lives of Toivonen and Cresto.” before had been a sad event in Corsica when the Lancia team driver, Attilio Bettega, carrying competition number 4, lost his life when his 037 slid off the road and impacted a tree. That had been the first top driver fatality in the WRC. It was widely assumed that the entry list for the 1986 event would leave number 4 blank in respect, but in fact it was given again to a Lancia driver, this time Toivonen. Nothing was said about it, but silently it increased the pre-event tension.

After an initial loop of stages in the south of the island when the Peugeots of Bruno Saby and Timo Salonen led, the rally headed into the inland hills and Henri pulled steadily ahead. For the second day Henri was running first car on the road, lying 2m45s ahead of Saby at the halt at the middle of the second day.

Immediately after that the accident happened. I was waiting to see the cars on a mountain top half way MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 73

HENRI TOIVONEN: 30 YEARS ON

“It was apparent that Jean-Marie had not suddenly dreamed up these changes to the sport. He must have stored up his ideas for just such an occasion..” through the following stage, but the cars did not arrive. A sinister pall of smoke rose up from across the hills.

The other cars running behind Henri stopped at the scene, the stage was halted and crews turned back down the stage.

For many, even seasoned rally reporters, the rest of the day was filled with emotions. As soon as news arrived of the accident, I was seized by an extraordinary reaction of needing to remember what had been the last time I had spoken with Henri. We used to speak many times during each event‚ but I was mentally paralysed wondering what had been the last occasion with Henri.

Instead of following the rally round to the overnight halt at Calvi, we all headed back to rally HQ at Ajaccio to see what would happen. My mind kept racing, the solution never came.

In the end the Press Room monitors were switched over to national TV news where the accident was the lead item.

The programme showed Henri sitting in his car at the restart earlier that day at Bastia, with occasional flashgun flashes. I had my Eureka moment, one of those flashes had been mine, and I instantly recalled what we had been taking about.

1986 was the year when we started using cheap ‘Mickey Mouse’ cameras when we were not on the stages. Henri was asking me about my cameras. I told him I would show him on the next rally a print of my picture of him, so he could see how good it was.

That evening in Ajaccio the FIA President, Jean-Marie Balestre, gave one of the most crucial speeches of his career. It was when he outlined the changes he would impose on the sport. The immediate end of evolution homologations of Group B cars, the introduction of a Group A formula for the WRC, the limit of 300bhp for rally cars, a maximum limit of 30km for special stages. All a carefully planned road map for the future of the sport.

74 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

After the tragic accident, the Lancia was quickly whisked away and kept under wraps.

It was apparent that Jean-Marie had not suddenly dreamed up these changes to the sport. He must have stored up his ideas for just such an occasion as this.

That day was extraordinary for another reason. Just how quickly the burned out wreckage of Toivonen’s car was taken away from Corsica and found its way back to Italy. With my colleague, journalist Thomas Lindberg, we walked up from the closest access point to the scene of the crash. It was 4km uphill, but apart from an aircraft crash type collection of pieces still embedded in the ground at the scene of the crash, there was nothing of the car to be seen.

The wreckage had long gone. We later passed it under a tarpaulin on the back of a truck on the island’s main road.

That day an endless series of conspiracy theory debates started up. What actually happened? The car may not still be seen, but there were

important signs to be noted, notably that there was no sign of panic braking or a puncture, just an indication of the line of the tyres making a slight attempt to the curve.

Was this a pacenote mistake? Highly unlikely, this was one of the worst bends on the stage. Drivers do not forget bad bends. Henri was known to have a bad cold that day, was his judgment impaired by medicine? He was still suffering pain from a back injury suffered on previous events.

People then started thinking about the car. These were days before control fuels, teams used whatever suited their cars, Lancia included. Could the crew have been affected by leaking fumes?

Unlikely, the car had been serviced shortly before.

In a recent interview, Henri’s brother Harri said the Lancia people believed a sticking throttle had caused the crash.

It had happened on various previous

occasions and probably this was the reason.

There is not only a special fascination for rally people about Corsica, there is a tragic beauty about the place.

The intensity of the tensions between families on the island, which they keep to themselves when the rally people and the regular tourists are around, is always there, but you see all about the violence the rest of the year in the newspapers.

For rally fans, however, Corsica remains a very special challenge for sporting reasons.

Nowadays new rules about the format of world championship rallying mean that the old true ‘Tour’ style of event is no longer possible, and many of the old iconic sections of the route are not followed.

The Tour de Corse has been held at a wide variety of times during the year, not only in the glorious springtime, first week in May, which was when the tragedies involving Attilio, Henri and Sergio happened.

There was always something different and unexpected in Corsica.

Thinking back to the Attilio accident, there was an uncanny coincidence. Both the 1985 and the 1986 accidents happened on the second of May. The rally may have changed. The roads have become faster and smoother, but Corsica will always be special. It is great that Henri Toivonen on the morning of the world championship these his tragic death in Corsica. days came back to the island.

➜ See the crash that took Henri Toivonen’s life in 1986

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH

76 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MAY 2016

➜ Hyundai R5 testing Kevin Abbring tests the new Hyundai i20 R5 on tarmac roads south of Turin in Italy. The car completed more than 900km of testing over three days. (Hyundai) MAY 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 77

Issue #2 - June 2016

NEXT MONTH

Inside Toyota’s secret motorsport museum in Germany

PLUS ...

National Capital Rally Rally of Portugal Canterbury Rally Where Are They Now? Classic news And much more

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