Hometown advantage for Masons in Rally Wairarapa

Richard and Sara Mason could clinch the national championship at Rally Wairarapa. Picture / Geoff Ridder

Local driver nearing a shut-out, reports Eric Thompson

Forty years ago, rally legend Rod Millen won the Ngaumu Clubmans Rally, which has undergone many reincarnations to become Rally Wairarapa, a round of the national championship.

This weekend's event will be the fourth round of this year's series.

Local driver Tom Mason won the rally in 1981 and went on to win another three events during the early 80s.

Now, his son Richard has hometown advantage in his attempt to add to his seven wins at the Wairarapa event.

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He and co-driver Sara Mason have dominated the year, winning in Whangarei, Otago and Canterbury to have an almost unassailable 68-point lead over Lance Williams. Matt Summerfield is a further seven points behind.

The championship returns to the North Island for the three remaining rounds with a maximum 90 points available. The Masons need only 16 of them to win a record fifth title.

Third in Wairarapa and fifth fastest time through the power stage would be enough to shut out the opposition with two rounds to spare.

"There's no doubt we go to every rally wanting to win," said Mason. "And even though our awesome start to the season means we are within touching distance of taking out our fifth title, there would be nothing better than winning the championship by winning our home rally for the eighth time in front of all our family, friends and supporters.

"Likewise, Sara is only one round win away from equalling Bob Haldane's record for co-drivers of 24, and no one has ever won the championship with a clean sweep, so that would be rather cool."

But he won't be able to back off in his backyard. Andrew Hawkeswood won there in 2008 and he returns, this time in his new 4WD Mazda 2.

There will be three more of these hybrid rocket ships, including one driven by Emma Gilmour (Suzuki), back from a recent trip to America for the Global Rally Cross.

Alex Kelsey and Patrick Malley will be driving their Peugeots -- Kelsey's has been home-built, Malley's is an import based on a WRC2 design. These cars are contesting the New Zealand championship and the Rally Xtreme Challenge, which are being held together for the first time.

None of the hybrids has finished a full rally. Gilmour had mechanical gremlins in previous rounds, Malley was robbed of a win in the first round of the Rally Xtreme Challenge by gearbox problems and Kelsey's V6-powered machine has hinted at real pace but not reliability.

Seventy cars take to the gravel roads around Pongaroa and Masterton today.

The Malcolm Stewart Classic Rally also being contested, so the field includes a Ford Escort RS1800, a Group B Mazda RX7, and others such as a Mazda RX3, Porsche 911, Fiat 131 Abarth. , Datsun and Skoda, with regulars Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford.

NZ Rally Championship after three rounds
1. Richard Mason - 114
2. Lance Williams - 46
3. Matt Summerfield - 39
4. David Holder - 38
5. Ben Hunt - 36
6. Matt Jensen - 18
7. = Andrew Hawkeswood, Chris West - 17