Round-1
APRC and World Rally Championship share same route
10 Mar 2010 by By DEANNA HARRIS - Whangarei Leader
Motorsport enthusiasts will have a lots to get revved up about this year with two major rallies showering gravel on roads in Whangarei district.
Northlanders will get a double shot of rally action with Rally New Zealand and the International Rally of Whangarei using roads in the area during May and July.
Auckland is the base for Rally New Zealand in May but competitors including Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb and Ford rival Mikko Hirvonen will rev up on May 7 on Whangarei and Kaipara roads.
International Rally of Whangarei media manager Kate Gordon says Rally New Zealand, a
round in the World Rally Championship, used the roads between Whangarei and Maungaturoto for a number of years when the event was based in Auckland up until 2005. Then the event went to Hamilton in 2006-2008.
"With the event moving its headquarters back to Auckland, we can use the fantastic rally roads of Kaipara and Northland."
On Friday competitors complete eight rally stages in Whangarei and Kaipara. Between stages drivers head for a service park in Whangarei, likely to be at the Town Basin which will be open to the public. The rally brings people to the district and involves many local volunteers.
"We use 2500 volunteers, many from Whangarei and Maungaturoto. The event shares the proceeds from spectator tickets with the community groups in these areas, so we’re giving something back to the areas which allow us to use their roads," says Ms Gordon.
After this event, the International Rally of Whangarei, part of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, will be churning up the gravel in July on some of the same roads as Rally New Zealand.
The Brooks stage of Rally New Zealand and Wairere stage on the Rally of Whangarei feature the Hella Bridge at Swamp Rd, Maungaturoto. It is the only stage repeated in both events because it is such an iconic rally stage.
The two-day Rally of Whangarei is based at the Town Basin with the rally headquarters, service park and ceremonial finish in central Whangarei. Whangarei District Council chief operating officer Jude Thompson says the district is set to once again benefit from motorsport events.
"For the third consecutive year we have the opportunity to host the International Rally of Whangarei. We estimate it has brought an economic benefit on average of $5 million a year into our district."
Photos Michael Young
Paddon prepares for Pirelli Star Driver training in Europe
5 Mar 2010 by Team Release
Double New Zealand rally champion Hayden Paddon will contest the full P-WRC series this year, after adding two more rallies to the six he will tackle as part of the Pirelli Star Driver scheme.
Paddon, 22, from Geraldine New Zealand, is one of five drivers to win a Pirelli Star Driver (PSD) scholarship this season, and will contest six rallies as part of the FIA-backed young driver scheme.
Four of these events - Finland, France, Germany and Great Britain - also count as rounds of the P-WRC. Which tempted Paddon to put together a deal to contest the full Production series. "With the PSD campaign, we also contest Turkey and Portugal," explained Paddon. "But as these are not P-WRC events, we will make up the six rounds needed to complete a P-WRC campaign by adding our home event, Rally New Zealand in early May and Rally Japan two months later."
Paddon and his co-driver, John Kennard, are the only New Zealand team to have entered the 2010 Production World Rally Championship. While in Europe, Paddon will be at the wheel of a left-hand-drive Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X. For the additional P-WRC rounds in New Zealand and Japan, he'll be back in his Team Green Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX, the car he used to win his place as a Pirelli Star Driver at Rally Australia last year.
"A very exciting year lies ahead for us, and being able to put a full PWRC campaign together, over and above our existing Pirelli Star Driver programme, is a dream come true," said Paddon. "To think we will be competing in eight of this year's 13 rounds of the World Rally Championship is massive, but there is a lot of hard work still to be done to ensure we can extend this campaign and be a contender at every WRC event in 2011!"
Being able to compete in a full PWRC calendar means Paddon and the team can begin to put in place the next part of their plan: to work towards winning the Production World Rally Championship title.
"We have a detailed and realistic plan for the next eight years, based on my ultimate goal of making it to the pinnacle of rallying, the WRC. Part of this plan was to win the P-WRC within three years, but after sitting down and analysing our current progress and speed, we believe this is something we can achieve in two years.
"The goal this year is to learn the events - they will all be new events for John and me - but we also want to be competitive and we're aiming for a podium championship result."
Facebook page for International Rally of Queensland
25 Feb 2010 by Brian Young
International Rally Of Queensland
The International Rally of Queensland has a new Facebook Page full of information and latest news. Could Atkinson return to APRC with Proton?
25 Feb 2010 by David Evans - Autosport
Former Subaru World Rally Team driver Chris Atkinson tested a Proton Satria Neo S2000 in the UK recently.
Atkinson is the latest in a long line of drivers to have completed a test of the car which finished second on last year's Rally of Scotland. Proton is currently finalising its second driver plans for this season, with Alister McRae already confirmed as the team leader.
Atkinson, who has never driven a Super 2000 car previously, was in the car for much of the day at the mid-Wales test venue. The test started in dry weather with snow falling towards the end of the day.
British teenage driver Tom Cave, who recently purchased a Satria for selected Intercontinental Rally Challenge rounds this season, was also present to complete his first run in the car.
Proton MEM team principal Chris Mellors said: "Chris was in the country on Wednesday and we were up testing, it made a lot of sense to put him in the car. We were doing some engine data work, which is also why we brought Tom down to get him out in the car for some experience.
"It was a good day, we're still looking at a range of drivers [for the second seat], but it was good to have somebody of Chris's experience in the car."
Article by David Evans - Autosport: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81590
Photos: Brian Young - APSM
APRC Regulations update
23 Feb 2010 by Murray Brown
Further updates on APRC 2010.
- As advised previously there are some errors in the revision to the 2010 Regional Rally Regulations, including the APRC.
- Article 5.7 - Minimum Participation Requirements - should read - 6 nominated events of which at least 5 must be contested
- If you are aware of any other regulations that appear to be confusing, please let me know and I will attempt to have these addressed when the regulations are up for review again at end of 2010.
- A reminder of the ability to apply for a
"Wild Card" entry for APRC which provides for competitors to be "registered" on their home event, start with the registered competitors and score APRC points. If subsequent events are contested, and you wish to score points, you are then required to complete the usual registration process and pay the required registration fee. Nominations for a Wild Card entry must be done through your ASN and accepted by the APRC Executive.
- A revised
registration form is attached here, reflecting the reduced registration fee if completed and submitted by 28 February 2010. Further details available on the APRC website http://www.fiaaprc.com/ - Please note the cut off dates for registration for APRC, Asia Cup and Pacific Cup.
If you need clarification of these dates, please contact me directly .
Supplementary Regulations for this event are due to be available from Friday 5 March . I will advise when these are available, but please continue to check the event website http://www.malaysianrally.com/ - As previously advised there are some changes to the Rally HQ/Hotel location and the pre-event service area/service park used during the event.
- If you have any questions on these changes, please contact me directly.
Rally Guide 1 is available on the event website http://www.rally-hokkaido.com or I can send you a copy if requested.
- A reminder that if you are wanting supplies of FIA approved fuel at the first 2 events of APRC 2010 (Malaysia and Japan), I will need to have your orders in place very soon to ensure supply at the event service park. Please do not leave this until the last minute for ordering as it could result in additional freight charges, or potentially no fuel available for your team. Please let me know as soon as possible with your orders.
- An announcement regarding the young driver programme for drivers in the APRC region is expected to be made in early March.
- Further to my previous update, I have been advised of other rally cars that are available, for lease or for purchase for APRC competition. These include European based S2000 cars as well as regionally based Gp N cars. If you would like further information on any of these options, please let me know and I will send the information and contact details to you directly.
Murray Brown
APRC Coordinator
FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship
Countdown Motorsport Logistics
30 Westminster St
St Albans
Christchurch 8014
New Zealand
+64 3355 6125 Ph
+64 3355 6128 Fax
+64 21 464 921 Mob
murray.brown@xtra.co.nz