Rallying: Top international teams head North

Gaurav Gill and Glenn Macneall head the factory-supported Skoda team.Picture / Euan Cameron

Rally champs back to Czech out our gravel roads

The Czechs have arrived to contest the International Rally of Whangarei this weekend, which is also the opening round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

The Skoda factory team is one of several overseas outfits here for the two-day gravel event in and around the Whangarei district.

As in previous years the event is based in central Whangarei with its headquarters, service park, parc fermé (overnight secure park) and ceremonial finish in the Quayside Town Basin precinct.

"Internationally televised coverage of the rally brings huge feedback on the road quality and wow factor of the region's scenery - a real lure when we're trying to entice teams to commit to coming all this way," said Laurie Brenssell, chairman of the organising committee.

"While our gravel roads are regarded as the most exciting and exhilarating to drive, the rally is also the test manufacturers such as Skoda pay close attention to in their quest to develop and sell a globally proven product."

Leading the line-up entered for this year's International Rally of Whangarei, the opening round of seven APRC events, will be APRC defending champion Gaurav Gill and co-driver Glenn Macneall. India's Gill and Australian Macneall have been regulars at the Whangarei event and finished runners-up to teammates Esapekka Lappi and co-driver Janne Ferm last year.

They will campaign the same factory-backed Skoda Fabia Super2000 that carried them to five wins last season and the overall title. This year defending European Rally Championship pairing Jan KOpecky and Pavel Dresler, from the Czech Republic, and eight other international entries and 39 New Zealand teams join them.

"We will not rest on our laurels and will continue to push to ensure that we are fighting for the title again," said Gill.

Teams score points toward either the APRC, Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), or the Top Half Rally Series (THS). With the aim of setting fastest time across each of the 14 special stages, cars include latest specification factory-backed Skoda Fabia S2000 4WDs to yesteryear Ford Escorts.

With last year's winner Hayden Paddon away in Europe preparing for his WRC campaign, it's up to Richard and Sara Mason to keep the internationals and locals honest. Having not won in Whangarei Mason is hoping this will be the year he stands on the top spot.

"We feel we've got a good chance this year," said Mason. "The car's much the same beast as last year so we know it well. Also, there have been a few changes to the event and we head north for the first time on to roads no one has raced on before.

"We're feeling good about the weekend and this is the year we get the win."

Teams will get into action on the competitive sections early on Saturday morning and there are a number of new competitive tests - including Saturday night's running of the Hella Pohe Island Super Special Stage - at Whangarei's William Fraser Memorial Park. After that, and a second service break, the cars will resume competition early on Sunday. They then return to the Quayside Town Basin for a ceremonial finish from 3pm.

2014 New Zealand Rally Championship

Round 1: Rally of Whangarei, April 11 - 13
Round 2: Rally of Otago, May 10 - 11
Round 3: Canterbury Rally, June 01 - 02 (TBC)
Round 4: Rally Wairarapa, June 28
Round 5: Rally New Zealand, August 23
Round 6: Daybreaker Rally, September 27