The tarmac rally car, which now runs on 98 petrol and has a two-litre engine, has been very competitive at club level and has certainly punched above its weight.
The modified 1973 Toyota Corolla Levin punches above its weight.
"It wants to race and doesn't really start purring until you get over 100km/h," Cath said.
Mike and Cath have been involved in numerous tarmac rallies over the years and have had their share of class wins.
Their spirits were high when they lined up for the Taupo Tarmac Two Wheel Drive Road Rally on August 1.
Cath Braddock and Mike Reynish before the start of a rally in Taupo.
They started well but about 3.5km into the first stage their race took a turn for the worse — literally.
They approached a sweeping slightly off-camber corner after hammering along a cold forestry road in top gear.
As Mike turned the car there was some understeer forcing it to veer off the road, smash through two pine trees before stopping in front of a steep bank with a stream below.
"I knew before the car left the tarmac that it was the end of our day," Mike reflected.
The crashed car.
Cath said, "I thought we were just going to get into the rough, maybe dent some things, get a puncture, and carry on.
"I had no sense of how bad it was going to be until I got out of the car and looked at it.
