Holden Barina pair aim to take next step 

Local Canterbury star Josh Marston is hoping to turn his promising speed in 2018 into a podium finish at this weekend’s Lone Star Rally Canterbury.

The Holden Barina driver has put together two solid performances in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship so far and has his eyes on a spot on the podium in the one-day forestry rally.

While the stages are located within the Ashley and Okuku forests on private roads Marston has driven a fair portion of the high speed roads before.

“There are certainly some roads that I am quite familiar with,” Marston admitted. “Down south I have done a lot of the roads in there so I am more comfortable and you know the nature of it so I do feel you do go better.

“I am really looking forward to it.”

Marston and co-driver Andrew Graves finished fourth and fifth at Otago and Whangarei respectively to really boost the Holden outfit as they enter their second full season in the NZRC.

Teammate Greg Murphy returns for Rally Canterbury having missed Whangarei due to a clash with his Supercars commitments and will be hoping to take another step from a positive first up performance in Otago himself.

While mechanical issues ruined his rally, Murphy put together some fast stage times and both Barinas were right on the pace at times this season.

“Especially when we look at some of the splits and some of the stage times – there is really good pace there,” Marston said. “Not consistency by any means – I can put my hand up for that.

“But there is pace there which we can build off and start doing it more often really.”

Lone Star Rally Canterbury begins at Joe’s Garage at 8am on Sunday before finishing at Lone Star at 7pm.

The 2018 New Zealand Rally Championship is proudly supported by Brian Green Property Group, Gull New Zealand, Dunlop New Zealand, Hella New Zealand and Stadium Finance