Mid Season Report – The fight for the NZRC 4WD Class
In 2024, the fight for the NZRC 4WD class within the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship is shaping up to be a fascinating battle that will likely go down to the last stage of the International Rally of Whangarei in November.
News broke not long before the opening round that 7-time and defending champion Hayden Paddon would miss the season opening Rally Otago to defend his European Rally Championship title. Although missing a round to international commitments is not a new thing for Paddon, missing a two-day round with the extra bonus points meant there was a real opportunity to take the title away from him and new co-driver Jared Hudson.
The line up of contenders to take that title away was solid. Second generation drivers Jack Hawkeswood (with Jason Farmer) and Robbie Stokes (with Sarah Brennan) were both looking to become the first second-generation round winners, but would have to fend off former champions Ben Hunt/Tony Rawstorn and Emma Gilmour with new co-driver Katrina Renshaw, while also allowing for dark horse performances from Zeal & Waverley Jones and Stewart Reid with Bella Haggarty, both moving into the top class for the first time. There was also potential threats from Andy Martin/Rocky Hudson and New Caledonian regular visitors Eugene Creugnet/Philippe Delrieu.
Hawkeswood made the strongest start, opening a 15 second gap over Stokes in the first two stages. Gilmour was third fastest early, before hitting a hole and damaging the suspension in stage two, promoting Hunt to third and Jones to fourth, although signs of a damaged rear diff were emerging for last years Rally Challenge champion. Reid meanwhile led the next battle pack, he, Martin and Creugnet separated by 4 seconds.
Hawkeswood and Stokes would swap stage times for the remainder of the day, honours going to Hawkeswood by just under 20 seconds. Hunt was almost a minute further back in third.
Day two saw Hunt start to show his hand, he would be fastest across the second day as well as the power stage and would half his gap to second, but was unable to make any further headway. After a ding dong battle across the two days, Hawkeswood would take his first career win just 17.8 seconds ahead of Stokes, who was relieved just to have a trouble free run after a retched 2023 season. Gilmour fought back to fourth, passing a limping Jones who’d spent the second day with only front-wheel drive. Reid would be forced to retire after a scary fire, joining Creugnet (turbo) and Martin (illness) in not making the finish.
The second round, the South Canterbury Rally, saw Paddon return to make up for the ground lost and he wasted no time, taking seven of the eight special stages en route to victory. Stokes would put in an impressive drive to second place, battling all day with Hunt, the pair eventually separated by just .3 of a second. The championship battle however had another twist, Jack Hawkeswood caught out in a tricky forestry stage, a collision with a tree ending his day. That stage would also end the road for Martin, with a broken bolt on his clutch pedal after a spin. That left Jones to take fourth ahead of Gilmour, Reid and Creugnet.
The third round, the Southern Lights Rally, saw a return to Invercargill for the NZRC after a 20 year hiatus. It also saw the reintroduction of night stages, taking on the infamous Pebbly Hills on Friday night and then the long Benmore stage before sunrise on Saturday.
Paddon was again the class of the field, this time clean sweeping each stage on his way to victory. Meanwhile Hunt and Stokes would again battle it out, initially Stokes, now with sister Amy calling the notes, held the advantage before a spin and damaged suspension slowed him late. In the end, Hunt would claim second, 7.9 seconds ahead of his rival. Hawkeswood battled illness and a failing engine to take fourth, ahead of Gilmour, another to make a co-driver switch to Australian Ben Searcy. She’d just edge out Jones by 11.4 seconds, then Reid who was continuing to adapt to his Mirage AP4. There was another strong battle between Martin and Vanuatu newcomers Nelson Law and Antonio Korikalo, going in Martin’s favour by just 3.3 seconds at the end of the day.
Two seconds and a third see Robbie Stokes hold the lead by a single point, his 84 edging out Ben Hunt’s 83. Jack Hawkeswood sits third on 63 ahead of Hayden Paddon and Zeal Jones who are equal on 60, one ahead of Emma Gilmour on 59. Stewart Reid has 34, then Eugene Creugnet on 16, Andy Martin with 15 and Nelson Law on 14. There is plenty to play for, with two new entries in Brendan Reeves and Pierre-Henri Brunet appearing for the next round at Daybreaker.
The co-drivers standings see Tony Rawstorn holding the lead on 83, ahead of Jason Farmer (63), Sarah Brennan (61), Jared Hudson and Waverley Jones (60), Katrina Renshaw (41), Bella Haggarty (34), Amy Stokes (23), Ben Searcy (18), Philippe Delrieu (16), Rocky Hudson (15) and Antonio Korikalo (14).
img: Copyright Geoff Ridder.
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