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Sunday 2^nd February saw the Northland Car Club kick off the 2020 ABC Pipefitters Northern Rallysprint Series with the running of the Ruarangi Road Rallysprint, and what a way to start.

52 crews turned up, there were a few regulars missing but a few new faces made up for that, It’s great to see and very encouraging for the series. The MBOP seems to have quite a few members now entering with a couple of crews travelling up from Taupo.

With 52 crews entered it was certainly going to be very competitive at the pointy end of the results. The 6 times reigning champion Graham Featherstone led the field away in his Evo, followed by Dylan Turner in his Audi AP4, then Phil Campbell in a fiesta AP4. Dave Strong was next in another fiesta with local lad Carl Adnitt in his homebuilt Mazda RX8 4wd rounding off the top 5. Picking a winner was not going to be easy.

This year’s event ran opposite direction to last years, proving that it does seem a little safer running this way as no incidents were reported, which is not the case when running the other way. It was this which no doubt led to a very smooth running, albeit a little late in starting once the cars were on the stage everything ran like clock work.

Feathers won the event from Phil Campbell, but by the slightest of margins, A full report and photos will be in the Next edition of “ A little bit sideways” Rally magazine. The results and points tables can also be found elsewhere on this site.

Entry & Regulations for round 2 of the series, The Hibiscus Coast Motorsport Clubs Arcadia Road, Are up on this site and also at www.hcmc.org.nz. Another event being run in the opposite direction from last year.

See you all at round 2 in a couple of weeks, just a reminder registrations are still open until round 3, we will have the table set up at documentation  for round 2.

Sunday 17^th January saw the Hibiscus Coast Motorsport club hold its round of the ABC Pipefitters Northern Rallysprint Series, this was round 2, and Arcadia Road, Paparoa was the venue. This fantastic piece of road produced plenty of drama and incidents for the 45 crews that turned up on a pretty hot day,  temperatures had dropped a little compared to the week prior, the sun had gone and reports of showers was probably not what the organisers were wanting to hear. It did rain slightly on the way up, the skys looked dark and cloudy but fear not, it all held, the sun came out and to be honest it was still bloody hot by the afternoon runs.

Graham Featherstone was once again the man to beat, but he had plenty of great opposition, Phil Campbell in the Fiesta AP4, Dave Strong in another Fiesta S2000, Clint Cunningham, Fiesta Proto, kingsley Jones was also present in his recently acquired Skoda fabia RS and also add in past rallysprint champions Warwick Redfern, Steve Goodare, Charlie Evans, the present Top Half Rally Champion Bryn Smith and one time local Bevan Wilson in his home built Triple Rotary powered 4wd BMW and it was all on! What a line up, and that’s without mentioning all the extremely fast regular clubmen such as Liston, Jones and even the return of Noel and Sam Miller. This was going to be exciting to say the least.

The overall lead went “Tit for Tat” between Feathers and Campbell, before Feather’s took control in the top two run off. All through the classes there seemed to be dramas, even the top two run off had a few major incidents, it was all on and all go all day. The Car Club did a superb job, they kept control and despite many incidents ran a fantastic event.

A full report and photos can be found in the next edition of a little bit sideways…..out this week.

Next round, 17^th March at the Bothwell Loop Road, another cracker of a road, an ex WRC one at that, Hosted by the Pukekohe Car Club. Regs & Entry will be out soon are out now and can be found else were on this site, and of course the Pukekohe Car Club website

Check out else were on this site for the latest updated points tables.