Subaru drivers in top positions after Rally of Otago

Lance Williams Otago Rally 2015. Photo credit Geoff Ridder

Subaru drivers are placed first and third in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) after the Rally of Otago last weekend.

Despite it being a tough event for both of them, Auckland’s Ben Hunt held onto the lead and Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield is placed third on points.

It was however, really Subaru Impreza driver Lance Williams’ time to shine, as he scored his second-ever overall podium result today.

The young rising star from Te Aroha, in the Waikato, is only competing in his second NZRC season under the experienced eye of veteran co-driver Raymond ‘Crunch’ Bennett.

The pair were the model of consistency, finishing the first day in third after nine special stages and holding their position throughout the second day, which consisted of a further seven stages.

Williams (20) said he was mindful of an overheating problem in the Subaru, which had emerged in last month’s International Rally of Whangarei.

“We were just trying to get to the finish today,” he says.

Bennett was celebrating not only his second podium driving with Williams - they were third in Rally of Whangarei last year - but also competing in his 20th Rally of Otago. After 35 years co-driving he has passed on his knowledge and experience to many up-and-coming drivers.

“Over the years I’ve mentored lots of people including Hayden [Paddon] but Lance is something else,” Bennett says.

World Rally Championship driver Paddon won the overall Rally of Otago in a Ford Escort BDA. It was an historic victory as a two-wheel-drive car has not won a national championship rally since the 1980s.

Hunt’s rally was unfortunately punctuated by punctures in his Subaru Impreza. The first one happened on stage four on the first day of the 280km event.

When he and co-driver Tony Rawstorn went to replace it they found they had the wrong rim size on the spare tyre and were forced to bolt a back tyre on the front and limp about 13km out of the stage  and back to service.

It was a disappointing set-back as he had been trading stage wins with American driving star Ken Block for the first three stages.

Hunt started today fired up to gain back as many places as possible to protect his championship lead but misfortune struck early with another puncture on the opening stage.

“It was one of the most trying rallies I have ever competed in. We won a lot of stages [eight in total] but two punctures were too much time to make up, with 11 minutes lost,” Hunt says.

Summerfield, struck trouble on the first day, retiring after stage two with a blown head gasket. He rejoined for day two and stormed through to second place for the day and also took the five championship bonus points for winning the 15km Kuri Bush power stage.

 

CAPTION Subaru drivers Ben Hunt held on to his New Zealand Rally Championship lead while Lance Williams finished the event third overall. Please credit Geoff Ridder.

 

Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship points

1 Ben Hunt, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, 66

2 Phil Campbell, Mitsubishi Evo 9, 59

3 Matt Summerfield, Subaru Impreza, 43

4 Dylan Turner, Mitsubishi Evo 9, 42

5 Hayden Paddon, Ford Escort BDA, 38