Joker rounds a possibility for NZRC?
Championship contender Jack Hawkeswood has come up with a radical plan to shake-up the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship – a joker round.
Always one to have a smile on his face or a practical joke in mind, Hawkeswood’s joker concept though is no April Fool’s gag thought it did come to him while he wasn’t in competition mode.
“I had the idea last year at the prize giving after too many rums,” Hawkeswood said on BB and Budgie’s Thursday Night Recce, which aired last night.
“The joker round or the joker leg – a double points leg.
“You’ve got to pick it two weeks out – you can’t pick it after the fact. It’s got to be two weeks before the rally, you pick your joker leg, and you only get one for the year.”
The idea is nothing new to sport – there have long been similar concepts where rules add a new dimension to a competition. Power plays have existed for a long time in ice hockey, netball tried a power play quarter, Formula 1 has employed the DRS to give a chasing car more speed.
But a change to the point-scoring could have a major impact on the championship. It could be a tactical move used to good effect on an event a driver is a proven winner at, or it could be used to catapult someone back into title contention.
Either way, it is more food for thought for championship organisers to think about – perhaps before the next round of rum.
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