WELLINGTON - New Zealand rally driver Possum Bourne will become part of a world rally championship experiment when he starts fourth on the road at the Australian round of the series at Perth tomorrow.
Bourne and co-driver Craig Vincent had been seeded 17th for the event in their Subaru Impreza world
rally car, but in a move to give the leading contenders in the world series better driving conditions, the start order for the top 20 crews has been reversed.
"I'm not that fussed about it but at least we're not first on the road and having to sweep all the gravel aside for the guys behind us," Bourne said.
Rally officials will implement the new rule only if it is fine - a high probability in Perth's early summer. If it rains, the start order will follow conventional seeding, with world championship leader Tommi Makinen leading the field away.
The reversed start is being implemented so the top drivers do not experience the worst road conditions, with fine loose metal and dust on the road surface. The first cars through the stage sweep it aside, providing a better surface for following competitors.
At the start of the second and third days of the event, the rally leader will get first choice of start order within the top 12, and so on until the 12th-placed driver gets the 12th choice.
As in the Rally of New Zealand, where Bourne and Vincent came fifth, they are aiming to be the best non-factory crew.
"It'd be nice to get in the top six again but it's a big ask," Bourne said.
"We've got a pretty good car now so hopefully we can put in a reasonable effort."
Apart from 12 factory cars in front of him in the seeding list, Bourne will also have to contend with Finnish champion Pasi Hagstrom.
The Subaru Australia backed Impreza has undergone testing in Bourne's hands before he started reconnaissance of the now familiar stages.
"We've been fine-tuning the car all season and we've got a pretty good package, so now we just have to make it all work."
The rally finishes on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Auckland is to stage the first motor racing event of the millennium, with a charity night open to all motorsport competitors.
The meeting, to start at 1am on January 1 at Pukekohe Park, will be promoted by the Formula Libre Association, with the proceeds going to Middlemore Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Rehabilitation Plus Carrington and the Brain Injury Support Group of New Zealand.
The driving force behind the projest is American speedway and race driver Stan Fox, who suffered trauma after a high-speed crash at Indianapolis and now works for head injury support groups.
He will start the Pukekohe event and drive one lap in a Mini Cooper, one of the cars nominated as the car of the century.
WELLINGTON - New Zealand rally driver Possum Bourne will become part of a world rally championship experiment when he starts fourth on the road at the Australian round of the series at Perth tomorrow.
Bourne and co-driver Craig Vincent had been seeded 17th for the event in their Subaru Impreza world
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