All the silverware for van Klink
Photo: Euan Cameron
Marcus van Klink has overcome the threat of a misfire to take all the available trophies at the Trusthouse Racetech Rally Wairarapa, the fourth round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship driven by VINZ.
Driving the Chesters Plumbing Supplies Group B Mazda RX-7, van Klink and co-driver Dave Neill headed to the event looking for maximum points in the NZRC while also anticipating a big battle with Deane Buist for the Malcolm Stewart Classic Rally and made the perfect start to the morning, taking an 18.1 second lead after two stages.
With a further three stage wins before the lunchtime service, van Klink opened up his lead to 43.6 seconds, despite the car developing a misfire half way through stage five. Despite the team’s best efforts to remedy the electrical fault, it was not to be and a nervous van Klink headed off to tackle the final four stages while trying to defend his lead.
Despite Buist winning each of the remaining stages, van Klink kept the margins small and never looked to have the lead under threat, coming home a relieved winner with a margin of 27.7 seconds.
Maximum points for the NZRC round sees van Klink need only a finish at the next round to wrap up the Historic Championship with a round to spare, while co-driver Neill has already claimed the co-drivers championship. The pair also became the first repeat winners of the Malcolm Stewart Classic Rally.
“We certainly had some anxious moments across the afternoon, it was getting really bad and the car was struggling to do 100km/h,” said van Klink. “But at the end of the day, we can’t ask for much more of a result, so all in all I’m rapt.”
The team now turn their attention to their new tarmac weapon of choice, the Citroen C2 S1600, for the cars debut in New Zealand at the Taranaki Tarmac Rally on July 12.
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