Safety worry for National Rally leader

Chris West (left) and co-driver Garry Cowan celebrate after winning at Dunedin by 0.2 of a second.

Outside influences could affect the results of this weekend's second round of the National Rally Championship at Rotorua.

Joint leaders after the Dunedin round one held three weeks ago, Chris West and Richard Mason are seeded to start behind competitors in the Asia Pacific Championship International Rally of Rotorua.

West, who has been seeded 10th in the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, expects to be considerably quicker than several of the cars starting in front of him.

"Looking at the times of a couple of the Asia Pacific guys who are seeded in front of us, we were anything from three to five seconds a kilometre faster on some stages at Dunedin," he says.

West is scheduled to start one minute behind the last of the Asia Pacific series drivers and is concerned about catching those slower drivers, particularly on Saturday's long stages in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

"It's a safety concern, catching and passing slower cars, and there is always the risk of a broken windscreen or punctured radiator and so on from the flying gravel created by the car that has been caught," he says.

The event's stewards and officials are meeting on Friday to consider creating a greater gap between the Asia Pacific field and the national championship competitors.

"Depending on the stewards' decision on the gap between ourselves and the next car ahead it could prove interesting, especially trying to pass on a stage like Motu," says West.

"I hope from a safety aspect the stewards of the event will act accordingly."

At Dunedin, just 0.2 seconds separated West and Mason after 235km of rallying over two days, so any outside influence could have a crucial affect on the result at Rotorua.

And Sunday's second heat will bring no relief to the national championship competitors, as there is no re-seeding of the field based on overall places at the end of Saturday's heat 1.

On Sunday all the Asia Pacific drivers will again start in front of the New Zealand championship drivers.

"Our first priority is to get as many national champs points as possible," says West. "Richard is certainly our main rival but we can't overlook Sam (Murray) and Emma's (Gilmour) performances at Otago. Both will be looking for stage wins like Richard and me."

West believes that if the roads are wet a high overall position will be more difficult from starting 10th on the road, where he will be at a disadvantage compared with top seed Australian Cody Crocker in another Subaru.

However, the tables could be turned if it's dry.

"We're certainly hoping for dry conditions. Having the cars in front sweep the roads will be an advantage for sure," says West.

For Gilmour, the challenge of matching herself against Asia Pacific drivers provides extra motivation.

"Rotorua was the first big rally I contested as a driver, and this combines with the international dimension and one of the world's great rally stages, the Motu, to make it a special event for me," she says.

"That said, I have yet to achieve a result I am really happy with at Rotorua. Doing so is my priority this time."

Gilmour became the first woman to lead a heat of the New Zealand Rally Championship when she powered her Subaru Impreza WRX STI to successive fastest stage times on Sunday's second leg of the Otago Rally.

She eventually finished third-equal in the two-day event, having been bettered on the points table only by reigning champion Mason and former champion West.