Jordan Grant and co-driver Glenn Goldring. Photo / Euan Cameron
Jordan Grant and co-driver Glenn Goldring. Photo / Euan Cameron
Te Puna apprentice mechanic Jordan Grant laughs when describing his rally car as "one of the fastest shopping trolleys around".
But take note, the 22-year-old who pushes his Suzuki Swift to speeds of up to 180km/h on gravel roads is all business.
The final round of the New Zealand RallyChampionships starts today as part of the FIA World Rally Championship, the first time the premier rally competition has been held in New Zealand since 2012.
Grant and co-driver Glenn Goldring sit 21 points behind the leader in his category two FIA front-wheel drive class with 60 points still up for grabs.
The best finish for the pair in their class this season was taking first place at Rally South Canterbury and they also recorded a second-place finish at Rally of Whangarei.
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"It's now known as one of New Zealand's fastest front-wheel drive cars.
"It's a serious car, a cool bit of kit and I really enjoy driving it. It has made a really good name for itself and is a good base for me to learn commitment and corner speed."
The Swift's custom-built engine has been kitted out with forge pistons, rods, custom camshafts and a custom deck plate that has been bolted to a high-speed sequential gearbox that "really makes the car".
"It's one of the fastest shopping trolleys around," Grant said.
But as Grant knows, it's not the vehicle but the driver that matters.
Driving a rally car at speed required concentration and skill, Grant said, with peaks of about 180km/h being reached "quite a lot" throughout the year.
"You'll spend most of the day between 80km/h and 160km/h," Grant said.
Grant said driving on gravel required a different skill set than on tarmac where drivers were often very precise and smooth.
Meanwhile, drivers on gravel had to think on their feet more and look for more detail on the road.
"The surface changes every corner and you have to read the road for how much grip it's got and how hard you can commit to the corner," Grant said.
Another hurdle for rally was learning to take in and act on stage notes from the co-driver and without hesitation.
"You have to listen really carefully because if you get caught out you can end up in a paddock or worse, trees.
"It does take some time and some serious focus to get into that zone of listening to the different language and knowing what that means on the road."
Born into a motorsport-mad family, Grant said his love for racing was in the blood but he got hooked "going sideways on gravel" after one of his father's friends let him use a car at a Motorkhana event.
Motorkhana involves manoeuvring a car through tight tests as quickly as possible - one car at a time - on either dirt or bitumen surfaces.
Rally New Zealand gets underway on Thursday evening. Photo / Supplied
Training for a rally is difficult because "you can't rip around on public roads" so Grant has to be disciplined in what he can do.
"That is the one tough thing, you can only wait until there is an event to have a practice. I go to the gym and keep fit, and you can watch car footage of the road to familiarise yourself with it," he said.
Grant also has a valuable asset in his corner for advice.
A member of the Hayden Paddon Junior Winmax team alongside two other drivers in his class, Grant gets to sit down with the former WRC driver Paddon before and after race events to bounce ideas off.
Paddon also watches in-car footage and gives feedback on how the young drivers can improve.
"It's really cool having a person like that giving back to the sport and it's been really cool being in the team. I hope to keep learning from him."
The rally kicks off this evening at 6pm at the Pukekawa Auckland Domain before heading to Raglan tomorrow for the Whaanga Coast and Te Akau stages.
Saturday is a short journey to the Kaipara region for three stages before a midday service and a repeat loop in the afternoon. Sunday, drivers head to the Franklin district for a repeat loop of stages with action focussed on the Jacks Ridge Haunui venue.
And while Grant has his eyes on being crowned champion of his class, he's not limiting himself to rally
"Next stage for me is wanting to go to a 4WD category one car. For me, that'll require quite a bit of sponsorship backing," he said.
"Then I'll be looking to get opportunities overseas driving and build a driver base internationally and then try to work your way into driving for somebody and in different categories.
"For me, my goal isn't exactly WRC, it's more a professional driver in general. I'm actually very open to looking for any opportunity to drive on four wheels."
