Motorsport: Rotorua co-driver elated after season-first win

Geof Argyle and co-driver Joelle Eyre, from Rotorua, race their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 at the Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel. PHOTO/JASON BRYNE A LITTLE BIT SIDEWAYS

Rotorua co-driver Joelle Eyre has won her first major rally during the Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel.

The VINZ Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel featured the top rally drivers from across the country at the weekend, doubling as a New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) event and Rally Xtreme event.

Eyre and driver Geof Argyle (Palmerston North) took the lead on stage six of the rally and never gave it up, finishing one minute ahead of second-placed Phil Campbell and Venita Fabbro, after nine stages.

The win means Eyre and Argyle remain at the top of the Rally Xtreme series with one rally to go.

"It is our first win this year and my first win ever," an elated Eyre said.

"It is an awesome rally to take out."

She said they were trailing NZRC leaders Richard and Sara Mason going into the sixth stage but the Masons had a mechanical problem.

"We took the lead in stage six, Richard Mason was leading but he hit a rock and he broke something."

She said they knew they were leading after that stage and simply held on to win.

"We just didn't want to do anything silly. We knew we were winning when we went past Richard, and we pretty much had it if we kept it on the road," she said.

"It was a bit surreal when we came across the finish line."

She said it was always nice to beat the NZRC guys and they were hoping to record their second consecutive Rally Xtreme series title this year.

The final Rally Xtreme event of the year will be the Tanoa Paihia Hotel Rally of the North in October.

Eyre and Argyle finished the Goldrush Rally of Coromandel in a time of 1hr 41min 49sec, in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8.