Rally ECOSYSTEM
Almost 3 Deep
Traveling‘s had me a tad busy to pen down just how good the first two rounds of the Northern Rallysprint Series have been so far! Now, back on the clock, a reminisce on two exciting rounds leaves me decadently hungry for more. The need for speed still running rich and with a drop of Red Bull, let’s go fly.
Different stages with different demands, the narrow flows of Waikato’s west coast vs the tight technical spectator show that Jack’s Ridge brings. Competitors have enjoyed some unfamiliar terrain then back to a bit of what they know. It’s good, it keeps the playing field levelled. Great seeing the younger gen racing too, they’re every bit the caliber of the rest of the field.
The weather’s been fair so far and the competition stiff. There’s been good entry fields at both events, round 1 and round 2 within weeks of each other, kicking off the 25′ series. We’re now gearing up for the 3rd installment of this exciting series, patiently waiting for Ruarangi Road, its reputation and what it’ll bring to the table. Thank you, Northland Car Club, for bringing this road back.
So, Ponganui Road, round 1, 8th March.
Around 80kms southwest of Auckland city, it offered a picturesque 10kms of limestone stage to play in. Not used for some time and similar to Bothwell Loops, Glen Murray road compound, narrow sections and flowing clusters of cambered corners, Ponganui Rd was a step up in its corner volume ratios.
Approach at the right speeds and dance from corner to corner. It was a busy stage, codrivers getting extra cudos if able to get through start-to-finish without making a blunder. Lucky we were able to order a flat white after run 1 to amp up concentration levels and keep up the momentum.
Rain dotted the sky, not enough to faze Ben Hunt though, setting the fastest run 1 stage time of 7.15, 23 seconds ahead of Ben Huband in his Subaru Impreza. The top cars muscle in for top 16 in run 1 and it’s always good to see class A, B and C cars dotted in this cutoff. If not in a high-powered beast, class battles are fiercely contested as runs progress, podium positions juggle and the game is boot it and have a good set of runs, shaving time off each runtime. The caution sign was readjusted for the mid-course straight, crest then 4L down, that could get a bit hairy.
Overcast and dusty got to some codrivers, adding extra challenges. The road was wicked though, Gavin Feast and Jay Pittams setting identical times in run 3 to make the top 4 overall. With Ben Hunt having an unfortunate off in run 2, Phil Campbell and Ben Huband battled it for top 2, Phil taking out fastest time and finishing top of the series table.
Jacks Ridge, round 2, 30 March. The Aucklanders love a close venue, and this stage ticks all the boxes. Call on your mates to come and watch, this is a goodie. The stage makes up in its shorter length with being brave over crests, narrow gateways, switchbacks and surprises. There are subtle changes in this road that draw on concentration, try not to look at the spectators that gather in sections though, just nail the corners and make it look good! The jump crest downhill, yeah nah, inside always screams yeah though.
Sweat beads down the forehead as the temp turned up a dial, some really affected by the heat. Mechanical niggles also setting in and attrition dropping the field a few. This time, Carlin Leong and Phil Broadbent were battling for overall 3rd and 4th in top 4, Charlie Evans and Mike Goldsbury also jandal right down, just outside this bracket. The stage is exhilarating, when the flow’s on, it feels so good. The pits offer a good vantage point to have a geeze on other’s efforts, look at the lines, are they different from yours?
This road offers a chance to dial in the airtime before descending on Ruarangi, you’ve got to be at one with your codriver for full confidence and competitive stage times. Elation comes from pushing the boundaries, here, the stage before, or the stage after. Class battles ensue, and this is just as exciting for most of us who are not in the top tiers. It’s rewarding and furfilling, even better when you get to race amongst people you haven’t met before.
I focus on the top guns, though right down the field, the dials are turned right up. Class B frontrunners Phil Broadbent and Mike Goldsbury were laying down under 4min run times, Tony Young in class A, pulled out a 4.03 and Kieran Cornelius was pumpin the Pulsar, though John Whooley just taking out class C honors. With the absence of Phil Campbell, Ben Huband and Dave Strong were able to have good tussle throughout the day, Ben just sneaking ahead by 2 seconds on the final run, ending the day with a 3.38 run time.
Cars are then rolled back onto trailers and a quick tour down the hill to ‘the shed’. Andrew Hawkeswood’s workshop in amongst impressive machinery – both inside and outside of the shed, competitors and teams have a chance to unwind. Drinks and a bbq paint the perfect scene after a day’s racing, and a fun, friendly prizegiving wraps up the end of round 2.
So, where are we at after the first 2 rounds?
Ben Huband tops off the field with 119 points, followed by Dave Strong on 112 points, and Carlin Leong and Sam Broadbent in equal 3rd place on 110 points. Full points are available on the Points Tab of the website, check it out to see where you’re sitting.
Entry cutoff for Ruarangi Road is 7th May, don’t procrastinate, get in and race with us at this iconic road. All the roads are good, but this one is extra special. See you there 🙂 ….
Photos: Rod Snoad Photography, Geoff Ridder Photograpy, Stanley B Mans
Nikki Sim
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