Rally New Zealand 2022

[EstWRC]

Great day from Kalle and Ott.

Really good actually. Ofc helped with conditions too

[Tauri_J]

Rubbish WRC+

[EstWRC]

Rubbish WRC+

+1

Heard from Ott only on two stages today? Kalle 3 stages

[dimviii]

Ogier is acting so weird this year

Seems it hurts him he isn’t fastest

what did he say?

[EstWRC]

what did he say?

He didn’t say anything special but you can see from his body language and face that he isn’t satisfied and like irritated

Difficult to explain without seeing

[Tauri_J]

Gus back to his old self

[EstWRC]

Ogier may loose a lot now but it can pay off for tomorrow if it will rain heavily

[Eli]

Ogier may loose a lot now but it can pay off for tomorrow if it will rain heavily

With 7.2 between the top 4 it’s anyone’s guess how tomorrow will pan out, fingers crossed we’ll see another day like today, no technical issues and no punctures, an absolute joy to watch, the only shame is WRC+ being so rubbish.

[EstWRC]

What the forecast for tomorrow? Rain is 100% sure?

[mknight]

MSport is repeating like a broken record.

How many times has Greensmith had one or two good stages and the slide back to nowhere? I lost count.

Same with Breen good start, starts dropping a position or two ...and it's off. 4 out of 5 last rallies only interrupted by a puncture instead of an off.

[cali]

Getting old is not much fun.Tell that to Loeb

Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk

[EstWRC]

Nice advertisement
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220930/4bfaf9919cd8c07115e4a2b57ae089b1.jpg

[Rally Hokkaido]

Lots of fist bumps by local crews at the end of the last stage. Not surprising considering the conditions they challenged and the fact that today's total SS distance was equal to a complete NZRC or ARC round distance.

[TypeR]

MSport is repeating like a broken record.

How many times has Greensmith had one or two good stages and the slide back to nowhere? I lost count.

Same with Breen good start, starts dropping a position or two ...and it's off. 4 out of 5 last rallies only interrupted by a puncture instead of an off.

I think/would say that today the sudden pace loss was ,,thanks'' to Breen and order to bring the car to finish.. on the other hand I don't see the point to hold Gus back as M-Sport shouldn't care about manu points.

[Rally Hokkaido]

MSport is repeating like a broken record.

How many times has Greensmith had one or two good stages and the slide back to nowhere? I lost count.

Same with Breen good start, starts dropping a position or two ...and it's off. 4 out of 5 last rallies only interrupted by a puncture instead of an off.

I love the interviews with Richard Milliner where he has to continually downplay the costly mistakes by Breen and up-play Greensmith's rare good performances. He would make a very successful politician!

[mknight]

He manages it 9/10 times but sometimes it's too much even for him, like after Fourmaux Ypres crash.

Anyway now he can at least talk about stage win instead of "good split times" like a few times before.

[pantealex]

Watching these stages, I feel compelled to say it is/was a travesty that the WRC didn't try harder to return to NZ sooner...

Covid was the reason for last 2y, NZ boarders were closed.
but before that, you are absolutely right.

[Humber]

Lots of fist bumps by local crews at the end of the last stage. Not surprising considering the conditions they challenged and the fact that today's total SS distance was equal to a complete NZRC or ARC round distance.

Should save the fist bumps till they get back to service. Plenty of cars have broken, run out of fuel or had too many flat tyres over the years on the run back to Parc Ferme. (148.87km)

Today Rally NZ - 160kms of stages, 523km of touring (total distance - a Dakar-like 683.14 km)

[Mk2 RS2000]

Today and tomorrow are two seperate rounds of the NZRC so individual day results count

[Tauri_J]

What the forecast for tomorrow? Rain is 100% sure?

Latest shows moderate to heavy rain all day.

[Hartusvuori]

Ogier handed second penalty for speeding infringement. The third one would mean 5-minute time penalty.

[flat_right]

Latest shows moderate to heavy rain all day.

Would this mean that the earlier you start the better (ruts will be filled with water)?

[denkimi]

Tell that to Loeb

The 2022 loeb is slow compared to the 2002 loeb. Nobody beats time, but if you're good enough you can beat others for a longer period.

[TypeR]

Ogier handed second penalty for speeding infringement. The third one would mean 5-minute time penalty.
Probably not for him :D

[Tauri_J]

Would this mean that the earlier you start the better (ruts will be filled with water)?

Its hard to tell. Ruts are not an issue here I think based on onboards. But usually its best to start from front If its wet.

[meh]

If it's "swimming on stages", then need to bet on Rovanperä. One just can not forget Rally Estonia powerstage.

[Humber]

Two rain bands passing through the Saturday stage area at the moment.

https://environmentauckland.org.nz/Data/Map/Parameter/Rainfall/Statistic/LAST24HR/Interval/Latest

[EstWRC]

Latest shows moderate to heavy rain all day.

Oh yea. Good luck for Tänak then :D

Neuville in the best position then i guess With this starting position.

We will see

[cali]

The 2022 loeb is slow compared to the 2002 loeb. Nobody beats time, but if you're good enough you can beat others for a longer period.But still beating the younger generation - one thing that Ogier does not seem to be capable anymore and Seb's have quite considerable age difference.

Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk

[Tauri_J]

If it's "swimming on stages", then need to bet on Rovanperä. One just can not forget Rally Estonia powerstage.

Crazy showers and Kalle got lucky. Not taking anything away from Him because he would have won PS anyway

[Maui J.]

Great day out at the rally. Managed to get to SS2, SS4 & SS6 to add to SS1 on Thursday evening.
Probably the biggest crowds I've ever seen on the Friday stages since I started spectating way back in the Group B days.
Weather was a mix of light drizzle to heavy rain so some drivers suffered more than others.
Long day out, 0600 start, returned home at 2030. Looking forward to the next 2 days.

[AnttiL]

+1

Heard from Ott only on two stages today? Kalle 3 stages

It seems like the connections were breaking up constantly. It's difficult in this kind of weather with clouds, water and wind. But stage end reporters were at the end of every stage.

[Danny0405]

Would be very surprised that Breen makes both last rounds in Catalunya and Japan after this mistake.
Clearly, we already know that he has no real hope for a podium on tarmac, all the more with Sordo and Ogier being here in Catalunya; M-Sport best hope is Fourmaux’ potential there even if it’s risky.

So clearly, if M-Sport is saving money at the moment, benching Breen on tarmac is not a bad solution.

[Hartusvuori]

A 5-second penalty for Tänak. Too much hybrid boost on the city stage on Thursday.

[AnttiL]

A 5-second penalty for Tänak. Too much hybrid boost on the city stage on Thursday.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fd5YLKyXEAA3riZ?format=jpg&name=large

Engineer's mistake

[er88]

Would be very surprised that Breen makes both last rounds in Catalunya and Japan after this mistake.
Clearly, we already know that he has no real hope for a podium on tarmac, all the more with Sordo and Ogier being here in Catalunya; M-Sport best hope is Fourmaux’ potential there even if it’s risky.

So clearly, if M-Sport is saving money at the moment, benching Breen on tarmac is not a bad solution.Every time Millener opens his gob I think he reeks of an amateur team leader. They appointed these drivers knowing fine well they aren't at the top level but they've crushed Fourmaux and Breen. Greensmith is different as he pays for everything, as does Loubet.

Yes Breen and Fourmaux need to perform better and have to take responsibility, but are they being managed correctly?

I said after Monte that their approach with Fourmaux crashing was totally wrong. He showed really good early pace, crashes happen in Monte. Should've been optimistic for the season ahead, instead they put the fear of death in Fourmaux about not crashing again and made a big media buzz about him helping rebuild the car in the workshop. Since then Fourmaux has shown no pace, he's driving with the primary aim to not crash - so what happens? Invariably he crashes.

Breen has a contract for next year and there's hardly better options out there. If I was Millener, instead of benching Breen I'd tell him not to worry. You'll be here next season, go and drive the last two events with freedom and forget about the crashes in the last run of events.

[TypeR]

Ogier handed second penalty for speeding infringement. The third one would mean 5-minute time penalty.

Neuville also same penalty. Amateurs..

Easier for Toyota guys and Kalle :)

[EstWRC]

A 5-second penalty for Tänak. Too much hybrid boost on the city stage on Thursday.

they realized this a day after?

so this means he will start before Evans then? or as the positions were locked it doesnt change?

[WRCStan]

If I was Millener, instead of benching Breen I'd tell him not to worry. You'll be here next season, go and drive the last two events with freedom and forget about the crashes in the last run of events.

And when it happens again in these two rounds?

[TypeR]

5s isn't that much, BUT if top4 is in 7s after 160km of stages, then it's a lot..

[EstWRC]

5s isn't that much, BUT if top4 is in 7s after 160km of stages, then it's a lot..

its quite harsh IMO but it is what it is

[meh]

Dooh those penalties.

Tänak went to sleep as 1st and wakes up as 2nd. Evans was sleeping faster.

[TypeR]

Dooh those penalties.

Tänak went to sleep as 1st and wakes up as 2nd. Evans was sleeping faster.

Hahaa

[Rallyper]

How on earth can you control your hybrit unit while driving in high focusing mode? What´s the meaning? 5 secs can decide a whole championship...

[AnttiL]

How on earth can you control your hybrit unit while driving in high focusing mode? What´s the meaning? 5 secs can decide a whole championship...

Like I said, it's engineer's mistake. You pre-set the hybrid unit with maximum energy limits per every stage. The original rules had a different limit and a bulletin updated that, and the engineer didn't notice/remember.

[ouvreur]

How on earth can you control your hybrit unit while driving in high focusing mode? What´s the meaning? 5 secs can decide a whole championship...

In these cases, it isn't down to the drivers, it's defined in advance by the engineers. There are tables published in advance of the event, telling the teams how much electrical energy can be used per boost in each stage. This must have been overlooked...

[Rallyper]

In these cases, it isn't down to the drivers, it's defined in advance by the engineers. There are tables published in advance of the event, telling the teams how much electrical energy can be used per boost in each stage. This must have been overlooked...

Thanks. Even AnttiL. For clearifying.
However don´t think these kind of mistakes should be deciders. More that team should be fined instead.

[becher]

Thanks. Even AnttiL. For clearifying.
However don´t think these kind of mistakes should be deciders. More that team should be fined instead.
That opens up the opportunity to mess with the rules to gain a competitive advantage and just pay a fine. In essence one could buy a championship in that case.

[mknight]

Breen has a contract for next year and there's hardly better options out there. If I was Millener, instead of benching Breen I'd tell him not to worry. You'll be here next season, go and drive the last two events with freedom and forget about the crashes in the last run of events.

Anyone is a better option than a driver that crashes in 4/5 rallies and loses 2 mins with puncture on the 5th. "A driver is only as good as his last rally" the saying goes. 1 crash is a normal mistake, 2 in a row is bad luck, going to 3 and 4 it is not much about luck any more.

I agree that there can be real doubts about how MSport manages their drivers, already since Suninen last year. Obviously we don't know how it works inside and the rumors we get can be adjusted by one or other side, but the results of both Fourmaux and Breen definitely show it is not working.

[er88]

And when it happens again in these two rounds?What if it doesn't?

And even if he does crash twice, who else are they going to get if they drop him? They don't want Mikkelsen unless he pays, he's never been rated within the team. They've pissed off Suninen & Lappi, Meeke is old and despite giving them good speed, is crash prone as well. Ostberg will never do business with Msport again after 2017.

Loubet and Greensmith in a two car team? They made their bed with this driver lineup so hopefully they can make it work with at least one of Fourmaux or Breen. Championship kind of needs one of them to seriously step up

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Lots of excuses/reasons for Breen's sequence of crashes - lack of testing, no engine upgrades, trying too hard to match the other cars, some new events, team-leader pressure - but this has to stop.

[djip]

What if it doesn't?

And even if he does crash twice, who else are they going to get if they drop him? They don't want Mikkelsen unless he pays, he's never been rated within the team. They've pissed off Suninen & Lappi, Meeke is old and despite giving them good speed, is crash prone as well. Ostberg will never do business with Msport again after 2017.

Loubet and Greensmith in a two car team? They made their bed with this driver lineup so hopefully they can make it work with at least one of Fourmaux or Breen. Championship kind of needs one of them to seriously step up

I agree that management request seems to swing between "go slow and finish" (in which case you haven't proven any point, neither for the car, nor the driver) or "go for it" (only to later throw the driver under the bus if mistakes happen). In particular for rookies such as Fourmeaux, this has proven to be totally ineffective. The driver either loses confidence, or does not learn to drive at full speed, or both. If you chose unexperienced rookies, you better losen the leash, see what they have to offer speed-wise and too bad if shit happens. It's part of the learning process. I never really understood this long game "learn it slow first" approach of MSport, in particular if drivers are later dismissed...
Of course this argument does not apply to Breen who is not a rookie anymore. To me he resembles Armin Schwarz more and more (fast but crashes all too often). At least Armin managed to pull one victory early on before he turned into a reliable, but slower, driver.

[WRCStan]

What if it doesn't?

And even if he does crash twice, who else are they going to get if they drop him? They don't want Mikkelsen unless he pays, he's never been rated within the team. They've pissed off Suninen & Lappi, Meeke is old and despite giving them good speed, is crash prone as well. Ostberg will never do business with Msport again after 2017.

Loubet and Greensmith in a two car team? They made their bed with this driver lineup so hopefully they can make it work with at least one of Fourmaux or Breen. Championship kind of needs one of them to seriously step up

You were talking about man management. When do/would you give an employee a fifth/sixth chance to make the same mistake without sitting them down, reassessing where/how they are going wrong, the limits of their abilities and making sure they understand what the goal is and how to achieve it? If you'd say to Breen "don't worry, forget about what's happened, you're invincible, so go and try again doing whatever you want in exactly the same way knowing there's all of next season events as well to strike it lucky", perhaps you need to inflect on your ability to lead your people to where they need to be, and wherever that is.

As it is, I think the reason for the humiliations is because of the inability to follow instructions. I don't believe for one second bosses are saying to them to challenge for the win every time at risk of binning it. So, 'what if it doesn't' (happen again and again) is just good luck IMO, not great management.

[dimviii]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fd7AcFqXwBodG8c?format=jpg&name=medium

[EstWRC]

anyone knows what the conditons are like?

[TypeR]

These fkin hybrid systems.. there is nothing positive towards them. Even no banners on stages or cars..

Toyota vs Hyundai protest war

[WRCStan]

I'd love to know how long before saying all that, that Tom Fowler knew he was going to say that. Brilliant.

[satukata]

Weather now in stage 8?

[Tauri_J]

anyone knows what the conditons are like?

Looking at webcams, wet and low cloud

[meh]

Oh those penalties.

Rovanperä got 0.07% over maximum and 5sec penalty.

Tänak is huge fan since Sweden when some guys just decided - hey, you can not compete anymore.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

anyone knows what the conditons are like?

Oliver Solberg said tons of rain for today.

[jcevc]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fd7AcFqXwBodG8c?format=jpg&name=medium

From my point of view this is just compensation for Tanak penatly.

[EstWRC]

Lol

At least it’s not raining at the moment

[seb_sh]

Just got back from a trip for work and couldn't watch as I was travelling, interesting rally so far, too bad about all the penalties, let's see what happens. Definitely a rally that should be in the championship!

About Breen (and Fourmaux) at this point you start to think it would be better to just keep Loubet and Greensmith as the main drivers with some rallies for Loeb to show the speed of the car. Also this quote sounded a bit ominous to me: "It is a mistake Craig will remember for a long time and I'm sure he will be very upset with himself." (Rich Millener)

[Tauri_J]

Lol

At least it’s not raining at the moment

Probably starts raining when Ott starts

[meh]

Probably starts raining when Ott starts

By current times road seems to get slower anyway. Or just Breen made that good stage compared to Neuville, Taka, Solberg

edit: and 1.7sec faster than Rovanperä in split1

[Tauri_J]

Katsuta's pace is embarrasing.

[EstWRC]

Probably starts raining when Ott starts

Started already lightly

[meh]

Neuville: it's cleaning a lot in this stage...

(wrong excuse song got played)

[Tauri_J]

Ogier really slow, not good for front runners

[meh]

Too much lottery in this rally - road position make too much difference.

[EstWRC]

Kalle will win this

He just loves these conditions

Ott said he has no feeling

[Tauri_J]

Too much lottery in this rally - road position make too much difference.

Opening a can of worms here

[meh]

ewrc: "sorry, page is down for 1-2 hours - server maintenance".

[Hackinator]

Shane van Gisbergen is infectiously cheerful.

[Hackinator]

Kalle will win this

He just loves these conditions

Ott said he has no feeling

Did Ott have an off? It seemed unclear.

[Eli]

ewrc: "sorry, page is down for 1-2 hours - server maintenance".

Is up & running now.

[Rally Hokkaido]

ewrc: "sorry, page is down for 1-2 hours - server maintenance".

Just refresh the page

[meh]

Just refresh the page

did many refreshes, it was down some minutes. seems to work again

[meh]

Did Ott have an off? It seemed unclear.

He said they had incorrect pacenote and was concerned that maybe they damaged the car. Whatever it means. No big visible extra timeloss in any split.

[EstWRC]

Even bigger losses to Breen than in previous stage

[EstWRC]

Unbelievable pace from kalle

Faster than Breen in spl3

[TypeR]

Neuville technical problems.. 3 cilinders?

[dimviii]

Ogier also faster between split 1 and 2 from Breen

[meh]

Evans already made bithday gift for Rovanperä with hitting bank/accident. Continues, lost 10+sec

[Rally Hokkaido]

Evans spun and hit bank, continues.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Evans season is nearly as disappointing as Breen's.

[meh]

Toyota is strong car! By this visual it's hard to believe it's still running relatively ok.

[EstWRC]

Cmon Ott

It’s not over yet

[TypeR]

Must be some proper trouble for Ott..
Totally different stage end mood than previous rallies.. calm, but ,,don't aak more'' :)

[EstWRC]

Must be some proper trouble for Ott..
Totally different stage end mood than previous rallies.. calm, but ,,don't aak more'' :)

I’m not sure if problem

Hyundai generally seems slow in wet conditions this year

[TypeR]

Interesting..
Using random water for cooling system is ok, but let's say finding a driveshaft from a ditch is forbidden..

[seb_sh]

Interesting..
Using random water for cooling system is ok, but let's say finding a driveshaft from a ditch is forbidden..

lol

[jonkka]

Interesting..
Using random water for cooling system is ok, but let's say finding a driveshaft from a ditch is forbidden..

Water is easy to find but driveshafts aren't...

[meh]

Water is easy to find but driveshafts aren't...

Those may "fall" to correct places when "prays" are sent :)

[TypeR]

Yet.. both as important to continue racing.

[jonkka]

Those may "fall" to correct places when "prays" are sent :)

Not without use of helicopters or chase cars which were banned decades ago as a cost-cutting measure. Therefore, no outside assistance and repair is allowed only with using parts and tools carried in the competitor's car. I assume every fan knows this so excuse me if I am preaching to the choir.

[EstWRC]

5.8km stage

Let’s put a split on 4km

[WRCStan]

Not without use of helicopters or chase cars which were banned decades ago as a cost-cutting measure. Therefore, no outside assistance and repair is allowed only with using parts and tools carried in the competitor's car. I assume every fan knows this so excuse me if I am preaching to the choir.

Yeah but the puddle isn't in the car, is the point.

I don't mind - water/fluid is a consumable unlike a driveshaft but there were 5s penalties for 0.14kj of boost for less than 10 seconds.... gotta be consistent.

[meh]

5.8km stage

Let’s put a split on 4km

Long enough to have a lot of dramas.

[wyler]

Yeah but the puddle isn't in the car, is the point.

I don't mind - water/fluid is a consumable unlike a driveshaft but there were 5s penalties for 0.14kj of boost for less than 10 seconds.... gotta be consistent.

water is not a mechanical part nor a tool. i think you are allowed to use a stick that you found as a wrench (or a driveshaft) if you want...

[Eli]

Game over for Gus, good thing he won that stage yesterday ;)

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Wow scary... I actually had a feeling Gus was going to go off.

[EstWRC]

I have never seen that they cut the picture away before the crash

[becher]

I have never seen that they cut the picture away before the crash

I thought it was a malfunction.

[Eli]

I have never seen that they cut the picture away before the crash

Just now they’ve showed the replay, but I do like the fact the WRC+ continue as everything’s okay even when us viewers didn’t see anything.

[Sproaks]

I thought it was a malfunction.
Same with me. So it's like the 'US-Style'-Live with possibility to avoid seing things you don't want to show (or because of strong language in the US)?

Glad they are OK

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The way he swerved to avoid a big puddle looked like they were going too fast. As soon as the picture went I knew it was a crash.

[flat_right]

I have never seen that they cut the picture away before the crash

Didn’t it happen in Portugal when Suninen crashed?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Stage cancelled.

[EstWRC]

Didn’t it happen in Portugal when Suninen crashed?

Yeah and there were spectators which I understand

Nothing here, maybe it was malfunction after all but perfect timing then

[wwbroe]

Neuville is missing third gear apparently

[Rally Hokkaido]

Stage cancelled.
The car recovery is taking too long.

[meh]

Evans can leap now to the service. I wonder is it taken in to account when nominal times are calculated that he does not have fully functional car?

[Sproaks]

Lucky Evans

[EstWRC]

See you in 3 hours guys

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The nightmare continues. What a horrible long trip home for all the guys at MSport who deserve so much better for all their hard work.

[dimviii]

goodnight guys,see you tomorrow.

[AnttiL]

5.8km stage

Let’s put a split on 4km

That's where it starts to become technical and twisty

[AnttiL]

Didn’t it happen in Portugal when Suninen crashed?

Also in Argentina 2018 with Kalle. Picture cut out just when car went off the road. And they actually were very close to hit spectators. They rolled over a car where a woman was sleeping in, it was lucky.

[wyler]

millener said car is in danger for spain with that damage...

[WRC1]

millener said car is in danger for spain with that damage...

as long as they cant get Loeb into that Car it is better to skip Spain anyway....they can start the rally but as long as they have no real drivers (apart from Loeb and maybe Loubet) they can also burn the Money...

[rp]

as long as they cant get Loeb into that Car it is better to skip Spain anyway....they can start the rally but as long as they have no real drivers (apart from Loeb and maybe Loubet) they can also burn the Money...

That´s true, but Gus is their customer, so will be there. His father was so happy and excited after the stage win that Gus will get a multi-year contract to continue his learning.

[rallyfiend]

Given that Gus crashed the car, one would think that he will be the one to miss out on spain....

[Danny0405]

Well, it’s pretty clear that they will withdraw one car in Catalunya AND in Japan.
The only question is who?
Benching Fourmaux doesn’t sound a great idea as he is the only one with some tarmac potential.
Would bet on one rallye out for Greensmith (Catalunya) and one for Breen (Japan).

[WRCStan]

Can somebody please explain linked rallies if, Toyota for example, were to send 8 different cars to Greece and NZ (link 3)?

[rallyfiend]

Can somebody please explain linked rallies if, Toyota for example, were to send 8 different cars to Greece and NZ (link 3)?

I think links relate to the engine and gearboxes and such items rather than the car itself.

[WRCStan]

I think links relate to the engine and gearboxes and such items rather than the car itself.

I thought they might drop and ship the transmission separate, but it does say "For each car name;". Also wondering if they've found a loophole with only doing 6 rounds in each car.

[Essaj]

All three Hyundais have been given 10s time penalties for too much hybrid boost on SS7

[TypeR]

All three Hyundais have been given 10s time penalties for too much hybrid boost on SS7

What's the point of even driving and risking then..

Fkin unbeliveable

[EstWRC]

All three Hyundais have been given 10s time penalties for too much hybrid boost on SS7

I just can’t believe….

[EstWRC]

Tänak has given up it seems

[Essaj]

Katsuta out :(

[Rally Hokkaido]

Katsuta out :( Yes, understeered off on a left corner and rolled lightly.

[EstWRC]

Congrats Kalle

Has been amazing season and the guy is untouchable in these kind of conditions

[Mk2 RS2000]

Well that's the day done, there has certainly been some class shown and looking forwards to tomorrow, especially the new forest stage as no one has ever rallied there before. So now time for the pub and a catch up with others who have been following WRC+

[RS]

millener said car is in danger for spain with that damage...

Didn't look that big an accident? Are these new cars a bit fragile?

[Essaj]

Didn't look that big an accident? Are these new cars a bit fragile?

M-sport just cheap

[TypeR]

Anybody else having troubles using Rally NZ website?
Either opens veery slowly or fails to open at all..

[Portimao]

Anybody else having troubles using Rally NZ website?
Either opens veery slowly or fails to open at all..

Yep, same issue.

[Eli]

Huge congrats to Rovanperä (assuming he makes it safely tomorrow), driving in maturity a few good years beyond his age, shining in these conditions, I’m sure had it been in Wales this weekend he’d be showing the same pace. Tough luck for Tänak but in this season he has proved time & time again he hasn’t lost his 2019 form even a bit, just needs a better car/team and I’m sure he’ll comeback fighting (hoping for 2023). Also huge congrats to Toyota, I’m not sure about the points situation but assuming it stays as it is, they will make it a double(?) please correct me if that’s wrong.

P.S.
I hope we get a third championship contender next year so it’ll be a three horse race.

[focus206]

P.S.
I hope we get a third championship contender next year so it’ll be a three horse race.

Hopefully, but I'd be alright with a two horse race, this year has been a Rovanpera solo really. Brave effort from Tanak, but he had never been close to Kalle in the standings.

[EstWRC]

whats the weather forecast for Sunday and when can we hear from another penalties to Hyundai drivers?

[mknight]

As long as their engineer(s) keep forgetting to enter one number into the system for each stage they will keep getting penalized.

Just like Tanak will keep getting penalized as long as tries to drive with two punctures.

The only big question is how long will Ogier and Neuville keep getting just fines for speeding on road sections.

[er88]

Well, it’s pretty clear that they will withdraw one car in Catalunya AND in Japan.
The only question is who?
Benching Fourmaux doesn’t sound a great idea as he is the only one with some tarmac potential.
Would bet on one rallye out for Greensmith (Catalunya) and one for Breen (Japan).Greensmith pays for absolutely everything so I doubt he will miss out.

Did Millener actually say there's a doubt with that car for Spain? Fuck all wrong with it besides a new roof.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Any confirmation yet of what was wrong with Tanak's car losing him time all afternoon ?

[Sproaks]

Any confirmation yet of what was wrong with Tanak's car losing him time all afternoon ?
According to him they had problems with the grip under this conditions, they were 'struggling with the transmission', 'loosing performance in the differential'.

[EstWRC]

Any confirmation yet of what was wrong with Tanak's car losing him time all afternoon ?

He just mentioned transmission/differential issues when stages are more muddy

Also seems he wont retire, about Kalle winning the title, had a lot of praise for Kalle and in the end said: "in a way i wont accept it, we try to fight back in the coming years hopefully"

[SubaruNorway]

Why do they start so late? normally it should have been done by 2am CET

[dnb]

The only big question is how long will Ogier and Neuville keep getting just fines for speeding on road sections.

34.3.4 Penalties for infringements during the competition element of the rally:
a) First infringement:
– Speeding: A fine of €25 per km/h over the speed limit, applied by the Clerk of the Course;
– Other than speeding: A penalty will be applied by the Stewards.
b) Second infringement:
– Speeding: A fine of €50 per km/h over the speed limit, applied by the Clerk of the Course;
– Other than speeding: A penalty will be applied by the Stewards.
c) Third infringement: A 5-minute time penalty applied by the Clerk of the Course.
d) Fourth infringement: Disqualification applied only by the Stewards.

[Rally Hokkaido]

Good morning guys (7am here in Japan). Looking forward to different type of stages, especially Jack's Ridge.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Why do they start so late? normally it should have been done by 2am CET

Good question, especially when we could have a new World Champion crowned.

[becher]

Hm Bertellis Puma is the Monte winning one.

[WRCStan]

Greensmith pays for absolutely everything so I doubt he will miss out.

Did Millener actually say there's a doubt with that car for Spain? Fuck all wrong with it besides a new roof.

Immediately after the accident and the red flag he was on alllive saying this, but obviously couldn't know the extent of the damage.

[wwbroe]

Nice show on first run trough power stage, Ott nearly went off there.

[WRCStan]

Solberg: Fucking Hell!
Edmondson: Yep. 30....

[Rally Hokkaido]

Why do they start so late? normally it should have been done by 2am CET

I think it is because of the short itinerary and Jack's Ridge. There are over 10,000 spectators there, with the first pass timed to be the highlight of the morning's entertainment programme, just before lunchtime.
TRIVIA: Jack's Ridge is named after Jack Hawkeswood who is competing in an AP4 Spec GR Yaris. His father, Andrew built the stage on his own property. He is a former top NZRC and APRC driver who also builds AP4 cars.

CORRECTION; Jack's Ridge is apparently named after Andrew's father, i.e. Jack's Grandfather.

[jonkka]

Am I the only one awake and watching events unfold? Forum is sooooo quiet...

[WRC1]

i am here tooo!!!

[Sproaks]

On board as well. 4:30 am for me :D

[jonkka]

Cheers to you both! It's 5:30 AM here and I haven't slept at all so far, bound to be a bit groggy later today...

[Sproaks]

Cheers to you both! It's 5:30 AM here and I haven't slept at all so far, bound to be a bit groggy later today...
Same for me, still awake

[Mk2 RS2000]

3:35pm here Comfortable following a WRC event this time

[Eli]

And another technical problem for the Puma?

Edit: nope, just a puncture.

Disappointing to say the least.

[Rally Hokkaido]

Anyone include Bertelli in their pickems? I don't think anyone would have believed he would be the top finishing Puma!

[Eli]

I don’t understand why they ( the commentators) think Ott can save it, if Kalle wins it’s game over as he would have 6 wins as oppose to a maximum of 5 wins for Ott.

[TypeR]

Kalle going for 25+5, Full send!

[jonkka]

I don’t understand why they ( the commentators) think Ott can save it, if Kalle wins it’s game over as he would have 6 wins as oppose to a maximum of 5 wins for Ott.

That would apply only if they end up on equal points. Should Kalle fail to score on two remaining rallies, Ott could theoretically outscore him (provided that Ott takes enough points from here which doesn't seem to be the case).

[Essaj]

Lets fking go!

[Rally Hokkaido]

Outstanding full attack from Ott!

[Mk2 RS2000]

A deserving winner, a disciplined drive knowing when to attack and when to consolidate.

[malscar]

Outstanding full attack from Ott!

same with Kalle

[Sproaks]

Congrats, Kalle! Well deserved title.

[Eli]

Well done to Kalle, huge congrats & well deserved, hopefully next year he’ll have some opposition ;)

[Rally Hokkaido]

Master class from Kalle! Congrats to Jonne, too!

[EstWRC]

All 3 latest world champions on the podium and all have been with Toyota.

Congrats whole Finland!

[Mk2 RS2000]

Well for those in our part of the world we have Bathurst and Shayne Van Gisbergen again to
Look forward to next weekend

[Mk2 RS2000]

A few of us were chatting tonight and the consensus was that young Oliver Solberg came of age during this event. Quick when it counted handled issues without getting upset and handled them with maturity

[mknight]

Not sure I'd call two 4th times on a rally with low entry and lots of retirements as "quick".

But I agree that this and Ypres is what he needs to be doing to advance in his driving. Drive at good but safe pace and learn, instead of pushing every stage and having a moment on every second.

Just as in Ypres it also shows he is not (yet?) an asset in manu fight and he should not be. The whole idea of using him as nominated driver is wrong and adds unnecessary pressure. (Which is obviously lifted since mid season as manu title is decided, but in Monte it's there again).

[mknight]

What I find interesting is that Toyota struggled massively in Greece, Hyundai struggled here....but Puma was near the top on both rounds. Just that the car (Greece) or drivers (NZ) aren't reliable.

[EstWRC]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221002/55295471bfa3f71896907076df1f95db.jpg

[janneppi]

I guess it was easier for Rovanperä to aim for fastest time instead of fourth in the power stage.

Two bad rallies didn't shake him at all. Very good drive.



Sent from my Takapalk.

[Eli]

Only shame is we can’t see the podium celebrations and him being the world title, I doubt anyone will beat this record for quite a while.

[Rallyper]

Congrats to Kalle and Jonne and to you Finnish fans and friends.
The greatest rally nation in the world finally got their new champion. What a day to celebrate. New national day for Finland parallell to 6th of December?

[Humber]

What I find interesting is that Toyota struggled massively in Greece, Hyundai struggled here....but Puma was near the top on both rounds. Just that the car (Greece) or drivers (NZ) aren't reliable.

Looks like the Toyotas and Fords (slightly less) are better in the stages with higher average speeds and probably higher cornering slide speeds. Hyundai appears to be better with slower speed stages with slower slides. NZ winner average speed Toyota 99.9 km/h and Greece winner Hyundai average speed 84.7 km/h

[EstWRC]

Q:
If you could go back to the pace on Friday – Saturday it ebbed away. Is there a reason why?
OT:
We were having some transmission troubles again on Saturday and since we already had one in Greece, we did not have anything to put in and we had to make it to the finish. We had to manage it as good as possible so we did not lose too much but that’s how it was.

Full press https://www.fia.com/news/wrc-k-rovanpera-its-been-long-break-finland-had-world-champion

[Jarek Z]

Congrats to Kalle and Jonne and to you Finnish fans and friends.
The greatest rally nation in the world finally got their new champion. What a day to celebrate. New national day for Finland parallell to 6th of December?

The WRC crown goes to Finland after a 20-year break! Congratulations!!! :)

[flykas]

Not sure I'd call two 4th times on a rally with low entry and lots of retirements as "quick".

But I agree that this and Ypres is what he needs to be doing to advance in his driving. Drive at good but safe pace and learn, instead of pushing every stage and having a moment on every second.

Just as in Ypres it also shows he is not (yet?) an asset in manu fight and he should not be. The whole idea of using him as nominated driver is wrong and adds unnecessary pressure. (Which is obviously lifted since mid season as manu title is decided, but in Monte it's there again).

Totally agree. I was thinking that maybe being good at rally cross is creating additional pressure on him to be instantly good in wrc, while I think at the moment he should put less pressure on himself, be humble and learn a bit and he'd be fine.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

A quite brilliant rally win by Kalle on a new event with very tricky conditions. It showed his true skill and bravery.

And to do this with the pressure of the chance of clinching the world title proved his mental toughness at this young age.

A very worthy new World Rally Champion :champion: and the scary fact that he will only get better !

[flykas]

Amazing season and win for Kalle. Also a great moment in WRC history. I remember this year's Monte when he was really struggling with new gen cars, I was thinking "yeah, this might be too soon" and here we are now. What a force and I don't see this trajectory changing soon unless Tanak gets a better car or somehow Hyundai magically gets their stuff together for next season. Congrats to Kalle and Jonne and for all the Fins for getting theyr title back:]

[seb_sh]

Congratulations to Kalle and Jonne! Great come back in tough conditions after two bad rallies, I'm sure there will be more championships to come.

Some thoughts on the others. Ogier seems to have taken a step down in speed. Evans has looked uncomfortable all year, even in conditions where he used to be good, seems the car doesn't suit him. I think we are seeing Katsuta's max level. Hyundai in general still looks behind, Solberg seems to be finding his rhythm, he needs more time. At Ford either the cars fall apart or the drivers go off, nothing new, i give them the village team award this year.

Looking forward to Spain and especially to finally see Japan back in the WRC.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeCHYm4WIAAPAOO?format=jpg&name=medium

[er88]

What a way to clinch the title. Superb drive from Kalle,was nice to see Harri at the stage end

[dimviii]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeC4RHYXkAA9aws?format=jpg&name=medium

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeBcLGuXgAAbngk?format=jpg&name=large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeCa3pmXwAEOoN7?format=jpg&name=medium

[cali]

Huge congratulations to Kalle/Jonne and our fellow finnish rallyholics!
Well deserved champions and they had one helluva season!

Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk

[focus206]

Close to perfect season for Kalle, no doubt he's a very worthy champion, congratulations to him. I still can't see anybody challenging him seriously next year either.

[dimviii]

Congrats to Kalle -Jonne,well deserved championship.

[steve.mandzij]

it also makes him, without taking karting into account, the youngest FIA World Champion in history!

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

[Rally Hokkaido]

What a way to clinch the title. Superb drive from Kalle,was nice to see Harri at the stage end

Yes, Harri deserves a lot of credit from teaching 8-year old Kalle car control on a frozen lake to guiding him until now.

[TypeR]

https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2022/wrc/ogiers-pride-at-passing-down-the-crown/

Ogier: “Kalle is like the reincarnation of Kimi [Räikkönen] in rallying maybe - like completely cold-blooded and sometimes he has no emotions!''

So.. it will be Toyota's last title for at least 15 years and Kalle retires before getting another title :D

[meh]

Close to perfect season for Kalle, no doubt he's a very worthy champion, congratulations to him. I still can't see anybody challenging him seriously next year either.

True, if Tänak retires.

[manthey]

True, if Tänak retires.In term of Raw speed, do you think Ott and Kalle are on par?

[bandit12]

In term of Raw speed, do you think Ott and Kalle are on par?

Yes.

[meh]

In term of Raw speed, do you think Ott and Kalle are on par?

Yes, I think so.

We can only speculate, for actual comparing we need to put them to the same car.

It's not maybe "raw speed", but maybe even more important argument - we (at least I) don't know Kalles's development and setup skills. He got "out of the box" ready rocket to drive.

But Kalle is a huge talent. Literally grown up behind the wheel. He is so young and can fill all the "its better to have experience" stuff with time.

I just hope we don't have one-man-show in the WRC in coming years and that's why I hope that Tänak continues.

[mknight]

It's not maybe "raw speed", but maybe even more important argument - we (at least I) don't know Kalles's development and setup skills. He got "out of the box" ready rocket to drive.


First two days at Monte this year Kalle was multiple times slower than Rally2 cars.

Not exactly out of the box rocket ...

[cali]

First two days at Monte this year Kalle was multiple times slower than Rally2 cars.

Not exactly out of the box rocket ...Yeah but he found something after those two awful days in Monte and has been almost unstoppable since then.
Sounds more like a setup thing or found a specific wat to handle that "rocket". Those 2 days are just a tiny bit of the overall season and this rocket was 2nd in Monte in the hands of Ogier. Kalle found out very quickly the ways to tame the Yaris.

Sent from my DN2103 using Tapatalk

[dimviii]

imho i think at pure speed Tanak must be a click faster.

[Eli]

The one we've been waiting for ;)

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/colin-clarks-2022-rally-new-zealand-driver-ratings/

[dimviii]

The one we've been waiting for ;)

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/colin-clarks-2022-rally-new-zealand-driver-ratings/
from the link

Tänak’s championship challenge is over for another year and I’m really not sure how much more of this he will be willing to accept.

[WRCStan]

Bertelli 3/10 due to lack of experience - which is supposed to be reflected in what a 10 is.

But at least he came home with decent points. :arrows:

[seb_sh]

Greensmith crashed 5/10, Breen crashed 2/10

He might as well be using Tarot cards

[Maui J.]

Great to have Rally NZ back. Big congratulations to Kalle, what a talent and so young. We always talk about will Loeb's 9 titles ever be surpassed...could this be the start of that. He's got a 8 year head start!

Shame about the weather over the weekend, we had beautiful blue skies and dry roads leading up to the rally, but that's what rally is all about...can't make it too easy for them.

Huge crowds, which was great to see. There seems to be a great underlying interest in rallying from all walks of the NZ public, it always surprises me when people mention rallying in this country completely out of the blue. It must all come from the days when Rally NZ was as regular part of the championship. I bumped into a lot of people I knew on the stages that I had no idea were interested in the WRC. It was great.

Improvements for next time...even out the kilometres between day one and two. It was a bit lopsided. Increase the overall km, it was a little short. Open up more spectator spots per stage to thin the traffic.

Great weekend. Let's do it all again.

[AnttiL]

Greensmith crashed 5/10, Breen crashed 2/10

He might as well be using Tarot cards

It's the relative level of the drivers. You would expect more from Breen than from Greensmith. Also, Greensmith has crashed only once before this season.

[Jarek Z]

Improvements for next time...even out the kilometres between day one and two. It was a bit lopsided. Increase the overall km, it was a little short. Open up more spectator spots per stage to thin the traffic.

And a better entry list!

[seb_sh]

Also, Greensmith has crashed only once before this season.

So he should get much worse score then, we expected Breen to crash, not Greensmith! :P

[manthey]

Yeah but he found something after those two awful days in Monte and has been almost unstoppable since then.
Sounds more like a setup thing or found a specific wat to handle that "rocket". Those 2 days are just a tiny bit of the overall season and this rocket was 2nd in Monte in the hands of Ogier. Kalle found out very quickly the ways to tame the Yaris.

Sent from my DN2103 using TapatalkHe had problem with use of regen delivery but he sorted out

[manthey]

Yes, I think so.

We can only speculate, for actual comparing we need to put them to the same car.

It's not maybe "raw speed", but maybe even more important argument - we (at least I) don't know Kalles's development and setup skills. He got "out of the box" ready rocket to drive.

But Kalle is a huge talent. Literally grown up behind the wheel. He is so young and can fill all the "its better to have experience" stuff with time.

I just hope we don't have one-man-show in the WRC in coming years and that's why I hope that Tänak continues.Let's hope Tanak can continue with Hyundai or (dream) Mr. Toyoda desire to see the comparison directly with his cars

[J4MIE]

And a better entry list!

The problem with New Zealand is that, while it looks a great event, it’s also a long way across the other side of the world from most teams. Shipping charges are through the roof these days.

[Maui J.]

The problem with New Zealand is that, while it looks a great event, it’s also a long way across the other side of the world from most teams. Shipping charges are through the roof these days.

Totally agree. A full container between Europe to NZ has increased by 500% since Covid, and that's by sea freight. No idea what air freight is but I'm sure its exorbitant.
So unless your the son of an Italian fashion mogul, or have some very generous sponsors, the trip down to this part of the world isn't cheap.
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that the FIA helped finance getting Hayden Paddon's new Hyundai WRC2 get back to NZ, as they needed to make sure he was on the start line in the latest equipment from a PR point of view to bring in the crowds.

[Maui J.]

And a better entry list!

Agree, it was a bit thin.
There were an additional 40 odd 'National' cars running behind the WRC event cars that didn't make it on the results list on WRC.com or eWRC-results. Some of these cars would've been eligible for the main event (some not, as they were too old) but then there's the additional expense of using the mandatory P1 racing fuel. Only a handful of the local drivers choose to do this.

[jiipee64]

Totally agree. A full container between Europe to NZ has increased by 500% since Covid, and that's by sea freight. No idea what air freight is but I'm sure its exorbitant.
So unless your the son of an Italian fashion mogul, or have some very generous sponsors, the trip down to this part of the world isn't cheap.
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that the FIA helped finance getting Hayden Paddon's new Hyundai WRC2 get back to NZ, as they needed to make sure he was on the start line in the latest equipment from a PR point of view to bring in the crowds.

Kaj Lindström told in an interview that the air freight for cars had risen but not that much. But the ticket prices for personel had skyrocketed.

[rallyfiend]

Totally agree. A full container between Europe to NZ has increased by 500% since Covid, and that's by sea freight. No idea what air freight is but I'm sure its exorbitant.
So unless your the son of an Italian fashion mogul, or have some very generous sponsors, the trip down to this part of the world isn't cheap.
I read somewhere a few weeks ago that the FIA helped finance getting Hayden Paddon's new Hyundai WRC2 get back to NZ, as they needed to make sure he was on the start line in the latest equipment from a PR point of view to bring in the crowds.

I think it was WRC Promoter, not the FIA.

The FIA don't use their own money for anything.

I think WRC Promoter actually helped financially most of the international competitors. They did for Kenya too.

[WRCStan]

How soon after a barrel-roll is it appropriate to ask the driver for a photo in front of the wreckage?

https://i.imgur.com/tYtmcVl.jpg

[dimviii]

haha Gus found the courage to smile too.

[Maui J.]

I think it was WRC Promoter, not the FIA.

The FIA don't use their own money for anything.

I think WRC Promoter actually helped financially most of the international competitors. They did for Kenya too.

Yes, you're right.
Ha, ha. Of course it wasn't the FIA. What was I thinking?

[Jarek Z]

Ha, ha :) What a great photo! Gus seems happy. Someone send it to Malcolm ;)

[Eli]

https://dirtfish.com/rally/paddons-perfect-rally-new-zealand-route/

Almost 400kms like in 2012, we can only dream at this point.

[Mk2 RS2000]

Well for those in our part of the world we have Bathurst and Shayne Van Gisbergen again to
Look forward to next weekend

Another full day in front of the TV screen and watched SVG win one of the greatest touring car races in the world then wake up this morning to learn that Hayden Paddon has won the TER championship Life is good for Kiwi motorsport followers

[AndyRAC]

Another full day in front of the TV screen and watched SVG win one of the greatest touring car races in the world then wake up this morning to learn that Hayden Paddon has won the TER championship Life is good for Kiwi motorsport followers

For me SVG is the best 'all round' driver in motorsport at the moment; quick in everything he drives......

[rp]

For me SVG is the best 'all round' driver in motorsport at the moment; quick in everything he drives......

Still Loeb is the best.

[dimviii]

For me SVG is the best 'all round' driver in motorsport at the moment; quick in everything he drives......

who is he? where he was rallying,and what he won? Never heard of him.

[SubaruNorway]

who is he? where he was rallying,and what he won? Never heard of him.

Not sure if you're serious or not.
https://youtu.be/wj4e18bjpSk

Used to drive a lot of Dirt Rally 2.0 during lock down also, pretty fast!

[dimviii]

hahahaha

[focus206]

who is he? where he was rallying,and what he won? Never heard of him.

He's mainly a V8 Australian Supercar driver, former champion and I think this year's champion as well? He was a good GT driver as well, won some international races in GT3 and an endurance cup. He did some rallies this year with very good results for being a rookie, but we're talking about Australian or NZ championships level. He finished 2nd in the NZ championship classification in Rally New Zealand, behind Paddon. I'm unaware if he did something else.
In my opinion, not yet an all rounder on the level of Loeb and Kristoffersson.

[dimviii]

In my opinion, not yet an all rounder on the level of Loeb and Kristoffersson.

when he is slower from Paddon,who Paddon was slower from wrc2 drivers,i dont think that he is a good ''all rounder''
to put him in the Loeb level is a pure insult.
Sorry if you are trolling.

[focus206]

when he is slower from Paddon,who Paddon was slower from wrc2 drivers,i dont think that he is a good ''all rounder''
to put him in the Loeb level is a pure insult.
Sorry if you are trolling.

I said NOT on the level of Loeb and Kristoffersson ;)

[kirungi okwogera]

when he is slower from Paddon,who Paddon was slower from wrc2 drivers,i dont think that he is a good ''all rounder''
to put him in the Loeb level is a pure insult.
Sorry if you are trolling.

wait, which "wrc2 drivers" was Paddon slower than?

not to detract from your overall point that shine ven geesburgen is not a world class level driver - he's not!

[dimviii]

wait, which "wrc2 drivers" was Paddon slower than?

not to detract from your overall point that shine ven geesburgen is not a world class level driver - he's not!

https://www.ewrc-results.com/results/73364-secto-rally-finland-2022/

[AndyRAC]

wait, which "wrc2 drivers" was Paddon slower than?

not to detract from your overall point that shine ven geesburgen is not a world class level driver - he's not!

FFS - When you can't even get his name right, one has to conclude you're an ignorant fool. They've just been raving about him on Midweek Motorsport, I'd take their opinions more than a few rally fans on an internet forum.

[kirungi okwogera]

FFS - When you can't even get his name right, one has to conclude you're an ignorant fool. They've just been raving about him on Midweek Motorsport, I'd take their opinions more than a few rally fans on an internet forum.

I was making fun of aussie accents, if you'd ever watched him race (mostly in Aus) you'd have heard his name that way or thereabouts

edit: thanks dimviii, I thought you meant this rally given the context.

[pantealex]

For me SVG is the best 'all round' driver in motorsport at the moment; quick in everything he drives......

Kristoffersson is clearly fastest "all round" driver ATM
just check his stats...

[seb_sh]

I think we're getting a bit too excited about SVG. He's a great Touring Car and GT driver but I think he's just having fun with rallying. He drove well but he's not like some new young talent who just appeared.

[Myrvold]

I think we're getting a bit too excited about SVG. He's a great Touring Car and GT driver but I think he's just having fun with rallying. He drove well but he's not like some new young talent who just appeared.

Isn't that just more impressive? A fun little hobby, with quite acceptable results.

[Mk2 RS2000]

Check out SVGs credentials in single seat race cars, winner of NZ formula Ford championship NZIGP first time he put his bum into a wings and slicked single seater plus motocross and speedway He is a true all rounder

[GigiGalliNo1]

I haven't posted on the forum for a while and have missed the WRC over the last two years due to being in Australia. I lost my love for the WRC and got sidetracked with other things and work... but safe to safe I sort of returned to following the sport this year and attending Rally New Zealand! It was my first international trip in 955 days and I returned to New Zealand after 10 years where it was my first offical WRC event I photographed and worked at :)

Loved the event, it was nostalgic and the stages were amazing. A few issues with one farmer in particular and the new cars nearly made me deaf on one side and they drove past! I'd love to share some more from the event.