Mount Maunganui's David Holder has driven to a career-best podium finish in the New Zealand Rally Championship.
Holder and new co-driver Ben Hawkins completed the 15-stage Otago Rally in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8 in second place overall, behind the former national champions Richard and Sara Mason (Masterton) in a Subaru who dominated the event with fastest time on all but one stage when they punctured a front tyre.
In only his second event in a four-wheel-drive turbocharged rally car, Holder moved up the order with a consistent run through the demanding Otago stages.
At the finish Holder was four minutes behind Mason and just over a minute clear of Christchurch driver Matt Jansen (Subaru) in third place.
"The car was mint the whole way through," said Holder, who had shown front-running pace in the Whangarei series opener in April before crashing through a fence and being forced to withdraw with a holed radiator.