Another strong finish for Campbell
Tauranga’s Phil Campbell secured second at Rally Coromandel and keeps the championship fight alive for the final at Rally Wairarapa. Photo: Paul Bryne
Tauranga’s Phil Campbell has once again bagged a solid haul of points at the Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel, round five of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, held over the weekend.
Campbell headed to the round looking to repeat last year’s round win at the Whitianga based event and felt the first stage had gone well, only to find he was only eighth fastest with a time just over 8 seconds off the pace.
Special stage two saw Campbell head back towards where he wanted to be as he recorded the second fastest time in The Roofing Store Mitsubishi to move him back up to fourth place, only one tenth of a second off a podium spot.
After the service, Campbell and co-driver Venita Fabbro really settled into their rhythm and a pair of second fastest times meant they took second place, a position they would secure across stages five and six.
A quick blast around the streets of Whitianga on the super special stage resulted in a stage win for Campbell before a conservative run to the finish enabled the 28 year old to secure another solid second place and the valuable points to go with it.
“It was another great result for us, the car ran really well and although we couldn’t quite challenge for the win, a solid finish near the front of the field is what we needed,” said Campbell. “Now we’ll head to Wairarapa in a strong position to secure second place in the championship and take advantage of any problems Ben might have.”
The Campbell Rally Sport team now turn their attention to the final round of the NZRC, Rally Wairarapa, on October 3.
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