Cox geared up for season finale

Rotorua driver Sloan Cox in his Taslo Engineering Mitsubishi Evo X. Photo/ Jason Bryne A Little Bit Sideways

A good result at this weekend's Rally Coromandel could see Rotorua rally driver Sloan Cox finish second in the 2016 national championship.

Tauranga's David Holder already has the title sewn up, but going into this season's final round, Cox and co-driver Malcolm Reid are sitting in fourth place, two points behind Graham Featherstone (56 points) and four behind second placed Emma Gilmour.

Also eligible for the junior title, Cox is in second place one point adrift of leader Lance Williams.

Read is tied for second in the co-driver's championship and aiming to maintain that spot.

Featherstone is a previous podium finish on the Coromandel roads and with the prospect of a best ever championship finish at stake, his consistent, fast style could be his trump card. But Cox will be going all out to finish the season with a rally win and maximum points.

The Rotorua Mitsubishi Evo X driver has had a difficult season with stage-winning pace hampered by niggling mechanical problems. But if he and Read can produce a clean run they have the speed to be fighting for a rally win and championship podium.

"We have been so close to getting a good result or win this season, but different problems with the Taslo Engineering Mitsubishi Evo X keep holding us back," said Cox.

"However I am looking forward to another good event with Malcolm. I am also excited to be back on MRF tyres under the NZ MRF Rally Team, they are an awesome tyre that works really well. I am glad to finally be back on my favourite rally tyre."

First time champion Holder heads a 74-car strong field for what is the fifth and final round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.

Based at Whitianga, the Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel will feature 10 special stages and 120km of competitive driving.

Holder and co-driver Jason Farmer head to the series finale looking for a third win of the season in their Stadium Finance Mitsubishi Evo.

Good form on the Coromandel roads with a second and third placings in the past two seasons means Holder heads to the Peninsula full of confidence.

Gilmour has only finished two rallies this season but has scored a win and a second in her Suzuki Swift. Her championship challenge was sidelined with engine failure at the previous round in Gisborne, but she has her sights firmly set on a clean run at Coromandel.

Behind Cox, and also in the battle, is Andrew Hawkeswood. Since debuting a new Mazda 2 AP4+ car at the start of the season Hawkeswood and the Force Motorsport Team have developed the speed of the Mazda into rally winning contenders.

Making a one-off appearance in New Zealand, Australian Brendan Reeves will take the wheel of the 2015 specification Mazda 2 formerly run by Andrew Hawkeswood. A former driver in the Junior World Rally Championship Reeves from Victoria is one of Australia's leading rally drivers with an impressive CV. If he can adapt to the Mazda quickly Reeves will provide a great benchmark for local competitors.

The rally starts from the Mercury Bay Sports Park at 7.30am, heading north via the Ernslaw Forest before a refuel in the Coromandel township takes the rally to its most northern point at Port Charles. The challenging 309 Road takes teams back to Whitianga and the Central Service Park at the Mercury Bay Sports Park for the first of three service breaks.

The longest stage of the rally, the 23km Tapu-Coroglen test will be tackled twice along with two more passes through the 309 Road.

The popular Whitianga Waterways Super Special stage will feature twice tomorrow afternoon providing a great opportunity to view the cars in action in the heart of the town, before the rally finish and podium celebrations commence from 4.30pm in Blacksmiths Lane in Central Whitianga.