Classic car rally is close

Silver Fern Rally

Excitement levels are rising among motorsport fans across the district as the Silver Fern Rally heads this way.

The 2018 rally started in Hamilton last weekend and finishes in Rotorua on Saturday afternoon.

Among the 32 entries are teams from Australia, Wales, Ireland and England.

“The rally celebrates the heyday of New Zealand motor rallying with classic cars from the 1970s and 80s,” Silver Fern Rally spokesman Paul Shanahan said.

The rally has normally been run only in the South Island.

This year’s competitors have six special stages on the Pehiri, Wharekopae, Ruakaka, Parikanapa, Whakarau and Motu roads on Saturday and those roads will be closed to the public during this time.

The rally arrives in Wairoa from Hawke’s Bay tomorrow, with a lunch and service stop at Wairoa College from 11.30am.

The cars are expected to start arriving at Harry Barker Reserve about 5pm tomorrow.

On Saturday the rally heads towards the Bay of Plenty, with a lunch and service stop at Matawai School.

This year the Ultimate Rally Group, which runs the Silver Fern event, chose the Race4Life Trust as its charity for the next five years.

The trust’s aim is to enable people with life-limiting illness to realise dreams they and their families can cherish.

Trust representatives will be in the city tomorrow as part of the event.

“It is a fabulous opportunity to raise our profile throughout the North Island,” a trust spokeswoman said.

“The work of the trust has a huge impact on the lives of palliative patients, families and the wider community.”