From the Service Park special – Far North Rally 

While it wasn’t a round of the 2022 national championship there were plenty of championship front runners in action. Plus the NZRC Live team were there to dig some dirt.

He’s back!!!
Oh how we’ve missed Dylan Turner from recent events – this column has largely survived on a solid dose of Turner-isms and his return weekend up north was no different.
He started off by palming his two boys onto the livestream crew for the day – no packed lunch or anything. Luckily for them BB and Budgie took care of the well-mannered youngsters, who made an appearance or two on the livestream.

When man crushes go bad
Perhaps Turner was still smarting from missing Thursday night’s exclusive BBQ with Shane van Gisbergen.
While BB and Budgie were in attendance there was no sign of SVG’s great mate Dylan – we can only assume the invite got lost in the mail.

Oh no!
You know that awkward moment when something important or emotional is happening and some clown forgets to turn off their cell phone and it rings?
That was Turner’s Dad Bill, whose phone rang in the middle of the pre-rally pōwhiri with local iwi.
Not only did the ring interrupt but his ringtone was RnB song Freaks by Savage and Timmy Trumpet to add insult to injury!

Cut her short
This column feels very much for the delightful Waverley Jones, who once again had her fun cut short by her early-finishing husband Kingsley Jones.
No, we’re not talking about their bedroom antics (there’s been far too much of this mentioned by Kings over the past couple of years) but rather of their inability to finish a rally full steam.
After an impressive drive throughout the day, the Skoda driver whacked a bridge on the final stage, just kilometres from a podium finish.

Brian “Nostradamus” Green
Veteran driver and national championship title sponsor Brian Green produced the quote of the weekend when he said Kingsley had more chance of growing a mullet than beating the fellow Skoda of Shane van Gisbergen.
A man with so much experience should be listened to, and his prediction proved quite correct.

Armchair experts
It was great to see a few out-of-town rally stars coming along as spectators up north.
We spotted talented Bay of Plenty crew Ben Thomasen, Phil Campbell and Mitch James on a couple of spectator points through the day.
Bring your cars next time lads.

Commentators’ curse
BB and Budgie put the ultimate commentators’ curse on a couple of unlucky drivers on Saturday.
Amy Keighley has had an impressive season to date and was in the middle of getting a bit of commentary love when she ran a little wide and just avoided a big moment on Oromahoe Road.
Moments later however, poor Jimmy Dunlop was being talked up as the performance of the rally when he hit the bank hard and was forced to retire.
BB actually called the moment before it happened on the livestream.