Update
It’s been a while, but be rest assured that I am still chipping away at everything. I’ve been working hard with Juno NZ and we successfully officially launched the SSV8 to the hungry New Zealand media the other week.
By helping my partner Chris with the Juno cars I’ve been able to build my technical knowledge and get my hands on some really tech motorsport specification parts.
The writing industry is a tough animal at the moment while everyone tightens their belts to get through the recession. I hope to continue doing my freelance work and be completely on my game when the ball starts rolling again.
Be on the look out for my name in motorsport print!
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Repco Rally Australia 09
A very interesting rally over here this week!
It was of course, the Pirelli Star Driver final for the Asia Pacific region, which I am proud to say was won by New Zealander Hayden Paddon. After disappointment in Malaysia last year, Hayden has more than made up for it with a stunning performance against the other young drivers here – and then gone on to show it to the regular Group N drivers. After SS27 this morning he still leads the Group N category in front of Mitsubishi driver Martin Prokop by 12.9 seconds.
Richard Mason is battling well against the Production-WRC drivers. He was leading that category up until late yesterday, Day Two stages not suiting his Subaru too well – but hopefully he can regain that position on today’s stages.
Mark Tapper unfortunately rolled his Evo 9 on Day One and wasn’t able to continue on.
Now that I’ve got those kiwi positions off my chest!
The top WRC runners have had a close fight all weekend, swapping and jostling for both the lead and better road position. Mikko Hirvonen has found himself again as road sweeper for Day Three, which I sincerely hope is not the end to his championship fight. “Mini-Seb”, Sebastien Ogier, has once again shown that he has the potential to become a world champion after he took the early lead on the first day and has then been able to keep fighting for podium position.
A mere 5.7 seconds separate the top three, Sebastien Loeb, Dani Sordo and Hirvonen, with eight stages left to run. Too close to call!
And finally, what I’ve been up for this trip over the ditch: I volunteered to help out with the field media side of things and have been trying to catch up with different people that are involved with the whole championship. The job unfortunately hasn’t been too busy, I would have liked to have been worked hard over here. But I did get out to SS8/13 on Friday for some interviewing out in the woods, as well as yesterday’s midday service and the super special stage at Murwillumbah yesterday evening. Other than that, I’ve been meeting some important people and discussing my options.
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Possum Bourne Memorial Rally
The annual rally run to commemorate New Zealand’s greatest rally drivers, Possum Bourne, was run in the weekend with a bumper entry list. 76 entires!
Usually, the rally is run behind the WRC field at Rally New Zealand over the Saturday’s stages – but with the World Rally skipping NZ in the rotation this year, PBM Rally was run on its own.
I shot out to Raglan to the famous Whaanga Coast stage to take some shots at lunch time. A good warm up before Rally Australia next week!
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Tags: Photography, Rally, Repco Rally New Zealand
Rally Oz – Countdown
Only 17 days to go until the World Rally Championship hits Australia.
Once again, another year has flown by and this event becomes one of the big ones. The pressure is on me now to hunt down a job or starting point for one as my degree study draws to a close. So! If anyone hears anything, do give me a yell.
I’ll be around and about for eight days in NSW, based in Kingscliff.
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Historical Day
Yesterday’s Teng Tools Autocross was the first (and maybe last) event that I’ve raced this year. And it went uber well :P
Sixty-six entries were recorded on Sunday for the Fiat Club Waikato run autocross held at Wintec’s Avalon campus, bumper considering they had only had 33 entries before Sunday morning.
I succeeded in beating my father by 2 seconds- we were both using the (Suzuki) Baleno. After seven years of competition (started at age 13) I’ve become faster than Dad! Also finished 26th overall and first female, which isn’t too bad. Last year at the same event I came within a second of the goal to win, so it’s awesome to have finally done it! Dad already gets quite a lot of stick that I don’t compete much, now that is bound to increase ten-fold.
Didn’t take any photos of the event, but here’s a pic of my prize for beating Dad – TOOLS! Woo!
A day that looked to be pretty miserable at 8.30am turned into an absolute ripper for me!
Here are a full breakdown of the results PDF Autocross Results 2009 - And finally, cheers to Fiat CW for putting on the day!
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Tags: Club Events, Giggles
Adventures
In nowhere I’ve ever heard of, do people have as many toys as the occupants of New Zealand (does that even make sense? oh, you get what I mean). Anyway, went off-roading somewhere in the wops South of Rotorua – made for some spectacular photographs.
Check out my Flickr account on the side there for more.
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Tags: Adventures, Giggles, Photography, This Week, Travel
Rally Waitomo
One busy weekend down, and today + tomorrow left on internship at the Waikato Times. Can’t describe how much I’m looking forward to a bit of a holiday before going back to tech.
Waitomo was FOGGY. Like pea-soup, can’t see shit, walk into a tree foggy. For the first couple of stages anyway. We were lucky, crap weather on both the Friday before and the Sunday after the rally, but surpirsingly there was a little bit of sunshine at the lunch service in Ohura.
Where is Ohura you ask? Well you kind of don’t need to know – as I don’t think many people will actually endeavour to go there, but here’s a map:
Other than that, pretty uneventful rally. Neil Marshall dominated after an embarassing slow first stage, uncontested because first-on-the-road Glenn Smith had problems and eventually fell off the road on stage four. And when I say ‘fell off the road’ I mean it. I saw his car about 10 metres down a drop lying on its side when we came through the stage.
Of course, I was co-driving with Dad in thr Suzuki Baleno, reminiscent of the 1998 – 2000 Baleno Cup, there was another one out which Dad wanted to beat, Kevin Preest, but after a good morning – he pipped us in the last few.
Anyway look out for my event review in this month’s NZ Speedsport (if you’re in New Zealand) or stay tuned here to see what I’m up to.
Coming events:
Possum Bourne Memorial Rally – The only chance competitors will get to run over NZ’s WRC roads this year.
Rally Australia – Less that 60 days to go for the first overseas trip this year.
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Tags: Club Events, Co-driving, Rally
From Otorohanga…
Pre event: looks like it’ll be a wet and slippery Rally Waitomo tomorrow! First car leaves Te Kuiti at 6.30am.
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Tags: Club Events, Mobile, Rally
50 Posts
Happy 50 posts! It may be a bit more than that, though I had a bit of a cull when I swapped over to WordPress here.
Update on how things are going on:
Inframax Rally of Waitomo- Scheduled to go ahead after organisers pushed to get the entries up after the close off date. Now sitting at a field of 48 including top entries of Glen Smith, Neil Marshall, Kingsley Thompson, Charlie Evans and Ryan Burley. I’ll be co-driving for Dad in the ol’ Suzuki Baleno.
Repco Rally Australia- I’m all booked to go, but there is fears about whether this will be run. Factors against the rally include flooding in the area and rampant environmentalists. Government over there are passing legislation to try and make sure the rally goes ahead. Eight days or holiday or eight days of rally? Hmmm…
The service park has now been relocated to the Cudgen Sports Grounds down the road, some 5km from Rally HQ.
LR SVX – The other half has a new car:
I quite like MUDBOX for a new plate, but I think he wants something like DIFLOK.
NAC Insurance International Rally of Whangarei- Was a success. Hayden Paddon has a dream weekend after leader Richard Mason was forced to retire with turbo-charger failure part way through day two. Paddon qualified for the Asia Pacific region’s Pirelli Star Driver shootout to be held at Rally Australia later this year alongside Kieran Hall.
My releases on the event:
Paddon and Jagger lead Rising Stars competitions / Paddon and Hall qualify for Pirelli Star Driver / Pirelli Star Drivers vie for two slots / International rally provides overseas opportunity
Waikato Times – I’m here for three weeks on internship, placed in the sports section. Looking forward to getting a few stories published.
Keep up with me on Facebook, Twitter and here.
Ciao x
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Tags: Co-driving, Perspective, Rally, Rally Australia, This Week, Travel
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