Todd Bawden/Katrina Renshaw (Ford Fiesta MkII R5) have won the latest round of the 2025 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series (NIRS), beating home Quentin Palmer/Michael Goudie (Skoda Fabia Rally2) with William Menzies/Doug Dolan putting in another solid performance in their much older car (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) coming in third. The one-day Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally of Coromandel also doubled as the fourth round of the Brian Green Property Group NZ Rally Championship with some intense competition for overall and NIRS honours.  

“Really pleased with the result,” commented Bawden. “It’s been good to be back in the car after 12 months. The roads were fantastic and held up well. Other than a couple of minor issues with the car it has been good and I was pleased with our speed.”  

Palmer was the quickest NIRS competitor over the opening two stages with Bawden winning the next four.  

“We had a good fight with Quentin (Palmer),” said Bawden. “We lost a bit of power in the final two stages, so he was quicker than we were and won those two. It was good to see such close times between a number of us across the whole day.”  

Palmer retains the overall lead in the Series with Menzies moving into second while Ben Huband drops to third after retiring out of the event with electrical problems.  

In the Class results, a standout debut rally from rookie Marc Milner in his 1600c Toyota Starlet sits first equal with Mike Goldsbury in Class B. John Whooley (Honda Civic) retired with drive line issues but still has a 20-point advantage over Adrian Sutton (Nissan Pulsar) who was first in Class C (2WD 1601-2000).  

Jeff Torkington (Toyota MR2) has a one-point lead over Chris Ramsay (Toyota Corolla APR2) although it was Daniel Haines (Ford Escort) that was first home in Class D ahead of Brent Taylor (Toyota 86).  

In the Classic Class E, young Kyle Percival (Ford Escort Mk2) has a 45-point lead over Mike Vincent (Hillman Avenger).   Palmer continues to lead Class F (4WD 1601-2000) over Bawden while Ben Huband’s (Subaru Impreza) retirement has seen him drop 17-points behind Menzies in Class G (4WD 2001 and over).  

The see-sawing battle in Class I (4WD Pre 1996) finds Chris Burke (Toyota Celica) jump seven-points ahead of Bradley Stewart (Subaru Impreza).  

Both drivers and teams take a short break before the penultimate fourth round on Sunday 21st September 2025 at the Newstead Lodge Rally of Waitomo based in Piopio.

Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard secured their third win in a row in the 2025 EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) at the Gippsland Rally in Eastern Victoria, which ran 22-24 August.  

The New Zealanders finished the 216.6 km of competition across two days with a handy margin of one minute, 6.8 seconds over the second-placed crew and defending champions, Harry Bates and Coral Taylor.

Run on forestry roads near the town of Heyfield, the rally featured four night stages on Saturday evening, the first time in more than ten years that an ARC event included forest stages in darkness.  

Paddon and Kennard had almost a clean sweep with nine stage wins during Saturday’s ten stages to finish the day more than a minute ahead of Bates. Conditions were described as trying with some wet roads and accurate driving required to find the best grip.  

Saying the Hyundai i20 N Rally 2 car was running the best it’s been all season thanks to the PRG team’s preparation work, Paddon enjoyed Saturday’s stages.  

“We did most of our heavy lifting during the first loop in daylight,” said Paddon. “I really enjoyed the night stages as well, but it was tricky, especially when you are protecting the lead.”  

With eight stages to run on Sunday, Paddon’s goal was to preserve his lead and aim for maximum points. Harry Bates and his brother Lewis, who held third place, fought hard all day. While Paddon and Kennard won most of the day’s stages, Harry did secure three stage wins. The Kiwis didn’t stop the pressure, winning the end of day power stage, thereby earning maximum points from this event and extending their championship lead to 88 points with two rounds left to run.  

“It’s been a perfect weekend and a perfect result,” says Paddon. “It’s awesome for PRG come away with maximum points.

This being an endurance round means it required a slightly different approach to the first three sprint events. Once we’d built up a lead on day one here, it was a matter of maintaining that through Sunday’s stages knowing we wanted to up the ante on the final power stage for maximum bonus points.  

“All in all, the car was a dream to drive all weekend. The team has done an amazing job with the preparation and running it, and John in the car, as always, did an awesome job. What a great way to extend our championship lead and now we try and carry this momentum forward to the next event in Adelaide in October.”  

Keep up with all PRG’s news and results via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup.   

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrailLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

Defending national champion Ben Hunt has claimed his third win of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship after winning the Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally Coromandel on Saturday.

Hunt (Skoda New Zealand Fabia evo Rally2) took the win in the championship’s return to the Whitianga-based rally by 10.4 seconds over fellow title contender Robbie Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia evo Rally2).

Jack Stokes finished third for a second successive podium in his Team Hutchinson Ford Fiesta AP4.

Hunt and the older Stokes traded times and stage wins all day, but the three-time national champion did enough to protect an advantage he claimed on the opening stage.

He also collected the maximum five bonus points for winning the power stage to open up his championship lead over Stokes to 11 points with two rounds remaining.

Jack Hawkeswood (Force Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris AP4) finished in fourth place while Kingsley Jones completed the top five in his Auckland Denture Clinic older Skoda Fabia R5.

Bryn Jones continued his dominant campaign by taking victory in the NZRC 2WD class over combatant Tim Mackersy – both in identical Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars – by 23.8 seconds.

The vastly experienced Deane Buist maintained his dominance in the Historic 2WD class to win a fourth consecutive round in his Ford Escort on what was surprisingly his first visit to rally in the Coromandel. Steve Gill (Ford Escort) was a comfortable second despite a clutch issue, while Pat Norris (Toyota Corolla) finished third.

Haydn Mackenzie relished a move to the Toyota Yaris Proto and a change of classes to win the Rally Challenge 4WD battle. Vanuatu driver Julien Lenglet (Subaru Impreza) put in a stunning drive to be second in the class while Andy Martin (Subaru WRX) was third – pipping good mate Gavin Feast for the final podium spot.

Kyle Percival completed a solid drive to win the Rally Challenge 2WD class.

Kevin Laird triumphed in the Group A Challenge ahead of Josh Keighley in a battle of the two Subaru H6s.

The championship heads south to the Battery Town Rally of Bay of Plenty in six weeks on Saturday October 11th.

MotorSport New Zealand have agreed to assign the Rally Safety Notes provider contract from Neil Allport Motorsports to Rally Notes New Zealand Limited.

Rally Notes New Zealand Limited is a new company led by experienced international co-driver John Kennard, of Blenheim, supported by Ian McKee, of Christchurch.

The company will continue to use the Jemba Inertia Based Notes System for the creation of Safety Notes, in close conjunction with the system’s developers in Sweden.

“We would like to thank Neil, one of New Zealand’s most accomplished rally drivers, and all at Neil Allport Motorsports, plus their team of helpers,” said MotorSport New Zealand President, Deborah Day.

“For over 20 years they have provided a dedicated service supplying Safety Notes to New Zealand rally competitors.”

Neil Allport Motorsport’s last event creating safety notes will be the 2025 Dayle ITM Gold Rush Rally Coromandel on August 23, while John and Ian will start their supply of safety notes from Battery Town Bay of Plenty Rally on October 11.

Competitors can purchase Safety Notes via sales@rallynotes.nz for Rally Bay of Plenty and Whangarei. Rally Notes New Zealand will supply safety notes for all MotorSport New Zealand permitted rally events for the duration of the agreement.

New Zealanders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard are getting ready for another brand-new-to-them rally in Australia this coming weekend, 24 to 26 August, as they line up in their Hyundai i20N Rally2 car for the Gippsland Rally in Victoria, the fourth round of the 2025 EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) in Victoria.  

The Kiwis currently lead their respective drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship standings with 256 points, with this event and two more still to take place to finish the championship.  

Paddon’s closest competition are the Bates brothers, Lewis with 221 points and Harry with 192 points, and he’s expecting plenty of pressure from both Bates and other top competitors on an event they know well.  

Paddon says, “Gippsland is another new event and new conditions for us to learn during testing and recce. From what we have seen, the stages look to be medium speed and grip, but a bit smoother than some of the previous events. I’m looking forward to it.  

“Unlike the first three ARC rounds, which were sprint events where you could earn points from your finishing position each day, this is an endurance round where your points are determined by your overall place across the two days – as happens in most rallies. This magnifies the importance of finishing the rally with no problems, with no second chance for points on this event.  

“At this point of the championship, it’s important we protect our lead and keep scoring points. We are expecting a strong challenge from the Bates brothers again on stages they know well, so we will put our best foot forward to keep the pressure on.”  

A unique feature of the Gippsland Rally is the running of four night stages, the first time in more than ten years that an ARC event includes night forest competition.  

“I’m really looking forward to the night stages aspect of the rally – night rallying is my favourite, and will be a key part of the rally making up 25 per cent of the route.”  

The Gippsland Rally starts with a rally show and ceremonial start in the eastern Victoria town of Sale, while the Service Park is based further west in Heyfield.

The competition comprises 18 special stages and 216.6 competitive kilometres across two days on roads in Gippsland state forests.

Saturday’s action comprises a 65 km daylight loop, a generous Service and dinner break before 60 km of night competition and includes the Deep Creek rally stage which was voted by ARC competitors as their 2024 Stage of the Year.

Sunday’s action includes 90.94 km of competition across eight special stages.

Some of this rally’s special stages are repeated four times which could impact running conditions on the repeated runs.  

Keep up with all PRG’s news and results via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup.   

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrailLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

Queenstown based driver Caleb Macdonald and his Australian co-driver Larisa Biggar in their Mitsubishi EVO 6 powered home to win the 2025 Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally in difficult conditions on Saturday. It was a special day for Macdonald as he notched up his first outright rally victory.

Macdonald won the opening stage before Tim Smith of Christchurch in his Subaru Magnum H6 took the lead after winning the second. Smith retained the lead after Stage 3 which was the first of three in a row won by James Worker of Mossburn in his EVO 6.

However, Worker was pushing hard to overcome a time deficit after problems early on so it was Macdonald who reclaimed the overall lead after finishing third in Stage 3 and second in Stage 4. He took the final Special Stage from Worker to claim the overall rally victory by 39.5 seconds from the impressive Tim Smith/Ben Trevelyan with Worker/Campbell Tannock third, just 3.5 seconds behind Smith. Smith was awarded the Class H win after his performance.

Top seed Andrew Graves was out early after finishing fourth in the opening stage with a fogging windscreen and he was off the road and out of the event in Stage 2. “I was a bit frustrated and pushing hard after Stage 1. We are okay and it is a minor fix, just a shame for my sponsors, family and friends that we were out early on.”

Second seed Robbie Stokes of Canterbury was fifth going into the final stage but a puncture plummeted him down the order. Carter Strang of Wallacetown finished fourth overall and won Class D with David Clearwater of Christchurch next followed by Deane Buist of Christchurch who was sixth as well as the first 2wd car home and the winner of Class C.

Derek Ayson of Gore was seventh in his Opel Manta taking out Class G in the process while Josh Keighley of Christchurch in a Subaru H6 was eighth with Jeff Judd in another H6 Subaru and his son Taylor Judd (Toyota Corolla) rounding out the top ten.

Other class winners were Paul Preston of Te Anau who won Class E after finishing twelfth and Ian Warren of Dunedin who took fifteenth place to win Class B. Warren also claimed the Glen Shirlaw Memorial Trophy for the first Otago Sports Car Club driver home. Paul Cross of Gore who finished eighteenth overall won Class F and Josh Silcock of Rangiora took out Class A in twenty-seventh place.

Macdonald said winning the event, “was a very special moment. To win the Barry Robinson Memorial Trophy on the occasion of the Eastern Southland Car Club’s 50th Anniversary with family watching was very special.” Macdonald has ties to the area having previously come from Gore. He also thanked co-driver Larisa, the club and his service crew.

“We struggled early, there was torrential rain in Stage 1 and we pirouetted down the road backwards at 120km/h in Stage 2. I gave myself a stern talking to after that!” 

Tim Smith was happy, saying “it was a fantastic day. It compares with our win in the 4wd class of the Otago Classic Rally. It was amazing to get a podium in an H6 car. It was a good battle all day with Caleb and congratulations to him on the win.”

Worker was pretty happy with his day. A foggy windscreen on Stage 1 meant he had to battle back from a 39 second deficit. “We had to climb back up the order. It was a rough day in the morning but they were really good roads, a good event and well organised.”

In a lovely touch Anna Robinson, one of Barry’s daughters won the Barry Robinson Memorial Challenge Trophy for the first Central Otago Motorsport Club member home after finishing in twenty-sixth place as co-driver to Chris Lange in a Ford Escort MK2. The trophy was presented by Barry’s wife and Anna’s mother, Jane, and other family members.

Top seed Graves had retired in Stage 2 which also claimed Craig Abernethy of Gore with mechanical troubles and both Tony Aimers of Wellington and Harri Silcock of Rangiora with broken axles.

In Stage 3 Australian Richard Galley went off the road and out of the rally while Rhys Dunsmuire of Christchurch retired with overheating.

Winton’s Steve Gill went out with mechanical troubles one stage later.

Brody Cattermole of Temuka had mechanical problems in Stage 1 and rejoined only to fall foul of more problems and retire in Stage 6. Cattermole won the Zestino Tyres NZ Special Award as it was his first rally and his twenty-first birthday.

Lauren Mackersy of Dunedin won the Gore Flooring Xtra Colourplus Novice Driver Challenge while Anton Montgomerie, Paul Garlick and Konrad Ward took the novice co-driver awards.

Craig Jessop, Clerk of the Course for the event said his team would have preferred sunshine but, “you have to play the hand you are dealt. The marshalls and set up crews did a fantastic job in atrocious conditions. Every stage went on time. The competitors loved the stages and the new combination of roads.”

In a move harking back to the 1990s, the introduction of a new Trans-Tasman Challenge will be named in Ed Mulligan’s honour. Mulligan, who passed away earlier this year, was a stalwart of both Australian and New Zealand rallying and was well-liked on both sides of the Tasman.

The Mulligan Memorial Cup will be the prize for the Trans-Tasman Challenge, which will utilise two events in New Zealand, and two in Australia.

The events chosen for the series are ones Mulligan himself would have enjoyed immensely.

The Otago Rally and Silver Fern Rally will be the two Kiwi rallies, each events of high calibre and were some of the last Mulligan competed on. More than 250 kilometres usually make up the Dunedin-based Otago Rally, while the Silver Fern Rally is one of the only rallies in the world to cover a mammoth seven days.

South Australia’s new Flinders to Fleurieu Rally in September 2026 will be part of it, and its long-distance nature is like that of the Silver Fern. This event will run from September 21-25 in 2026. The two-day Bega Valley Rally will start the series in June 2026, an honour that organisers are thrilled to add to the event’s long CV.

The Silver Fern will be Round 3 in November 2026 with the 2027 edition of Otago in April being the final event.

The Trans-Tasman initiative fosters a friendly, but fiercely competitive, spirit between Australian and New Zealand rally competitors, with the aim of deepening ties across the Tasman, while honouring a beloved figure in the sport.

“The Mulligan Memorial Cup is named in tribute to a true rally legend whose passion, humour, and dedication left an indelible mark on all who knew him,” series co-ordinator, Owen Polanski, said.

“Ed Mulligan was a rally driver, mentor, larrikin, and motorsport tragic whose enthusiasm knew no borders. He competed passionately in both Australia and New Zealand, building lifelong friendships and always lending a hand.

“The Cup honours his legacy of competition, camaraderie, and fun. His love for gravel rallying, and the friendships it fostered, inspired the idea for this international challenge.

“This new series reflects Ed’s legacy,” he added, “a celebration of grassroots motorsport, a commitment to excellence, and a spirit of generosity and fun. By naming the trophy in his honour, the rally community ensures that his impact lives on through every stage and every story.”

Points will be awarded based on performance in each round, with overall honours awarded to the top crews representing their respective nations.

Additionally, a private dinner or lunch for participating crews will be held at each rally, while each country will host a 9-hole golf tournament, open to all registered competitors and team members. The competition will award bonus points toward the Mulligan Memorial Cup standings, rewarding both rally skill and off-track sportsmanship.

Further details on the Mulligan Memorial Cup will be announced in the coming months, ready for the series to begin in Dunedin, New Zealand, in April 2026.              

Zeal Jones and Bayden Thomson will press the rest button and aim for their first outright win when the Morizo Challenge Cup rally series heads into its final three rounds.

Round five didn’t exactly go as planned with Jones retiring from Rally Kamuy with damage sustained from contact with a hidden concrete drain after once again contending for a top three spot in the results.

Once again, the crew had to adjust to new surface conditions - a feature of the learning process from this season’s Morizo campaign – but there were plenty of positives to take forward into the final three rounds which begin with Rally Hokkaido at the beginning of September.

“Day 1 at Kamuy was steady as we again got used to a new experience, surface with the car. But throughout the day we improved - especially in the afternoon loop after some setup changes at the service. We finished with two stage wins to finish the day in second overall, 30 seconds behind the leader but a minute ahead of third.

“Overnight, we evaluated our chances for the championship and risk assessed what was possible. In the morning we got the word to push hard on Day 2 and apply some pressure to the leader to try to force a mistake. The first stage of that second day was actually the first time we could drive the car the way we wanted to, with the nature of the road a bit more what we were used to.

“It was all looking great on a familiar surface, but with two corners to go we unfortunately took a small cut which pushed us wide out in the grass half a wheel width too wide. Hidden in the grass was a concrete drain that hit the rear left which kicked us up and into the drain channel itself which we drove in for 100m trying to get out before getting stuck.

“To make matters worse, we later heard we had been catching the lead car and it had a very similar moment at the exact same spot, but got away with it. Through our calculations, we were also on track to take 10 seconds out of them, reducing the gap down to just 20 seconds.”

Jones and Thomson remain second in the points but now trail leaders Otake Nao and Hashimoto Misaki by 73 points.

Mathematically it’s is still possible to take the title, but Zeal is focussing on producing three more solid results from the final three events, and hopefully that elusive first win.

“We certainly feel that if everything comes together we now have enough knowledge to push for that first win and at least keep the pressure on the top contenders in the championship.

"We are the top car in the Cusco team so that’s a positive as well, but I think we have to focus on making that next step up in terms of performance and in terms of results, so that’s how we will approach the final three weekends.”

“The team again are motivated knowing a win is within striking distance with more testing scheduled before the next event, Rally Hokkaido 5-7 September. Rest assured we will be fully focussed on taking that first win.”

The Morizo Challenge Cup is a new category run as a class within the All Japan Rally Championship. All crews compete in Toyota’s GR Yaris, where tight rules and limited modifications put the focus on driver skill and teamwork.

All drivers must be under 25 years old and the objective of the championship is to provide a stepping stone to higher rallying categories for Japan’s rising rally stars. With a Japanese mother, Jones’ entry into the championship was welcomed. 

Rally driver Jack Stokes has been announced as the winner of the Bruce McLaren Trophy for 2025 awarded to the top-performing athlete from the Elite MotorSport Academy of New Zealand camp.

Stokes, 23, from Rangiora, emerged as the standout performer across a demanding week of training, workshops, and challenges held in Dunedin. The annual Academy, run in partnership with the Otago Academy of Sport, puts selected young drivers through a rigorous development programme covering fitness, nutrition, mental skills, media training, sponsorship, and team building. Performance is measured throughout the week, with the top-ranked athlete awarded the prestigious Bruce McLaren Trophy. Stokes consistently demonstrated excellence across all areas of the camp, showing determination, leadership, and a strong willingness to learn, all key attributes of a future motorsport star.

“It’s a real honour, to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Stokes.

“The week’s been really challenging but also really rewarding. We’ve had a lot of different activities, workshops, from lots of different facets of being an athlete.

“The group of boys that I’m training with, learning with, but also competing against, are really talented, quality young men. So, it’s been a real honour.

“I think my biggest takeaway this week has just been becoming an all-round athlete. And there’s so many other facets that will contribute to the driving performance. It’s not just about how fast you can put your right foot down and how fast you can go around the corner.”

MotorSport New Zealand President Deborah Day congratulated Stokes on his achievement.

“Jack epitomises what the Elite Motorsport Academy is all about, said Day.

“His work ethic, attitude, and all-round performance during the camp week made him a worthy recipient of the Bruce McLaren Trophy. We look forward to seeing his continued progression in the sport.”

Stokes was joined on the podium by circuit racers Cameron Hill, who finished second, and Corban Sprague, who claimed third. All three impressed across the week with their professionalism, growth, and performance in both practical and theoretical components.

As part of the Academy programme, all graduates will now embark on a tailored 12-month follow-up programme designed to further support their development and career progression. Their progress will be assessed throughout the year, with the overall Elite Motorsport Academy Class of 2025 winner to be announced at the MotorSport New Zealand Awards Evening in May next year.

Quentin Palmer (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) continued to stamp his mark on the 2025 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series (NIRS) after winning every stage of the SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac one-day rally held on Saturday and taking overall victory.  Second NIRS competitor home was William Menzies/Doug Dolan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) ahead of Bradley Stewart/Oliver Drake (Subaru Impreza).  

“Definitely thrilled to take the win,” commented Palmer. “With Cameron (Ross) and David (Rogers) as (overall) favourites I didn’t expect to do well, so was surprised to find I won the opening stage ahead of them.”  

With two Special Stages cancelled (SS 3 and 5) Palmer and co-driver Dayna Kiekebosch went on to win all seven other competitive stages finishing 1min 34 sec ahead of Marcus van Klink/Matt Richards (Mazda RX8).  

Competing in his first tarmac rally, Menzies came home a solid second in the NIRS standings and third overall. He was also awarded the “Driver of the Day” trophy.  

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Menzies.  “It was completely different as my car is set up quite tight for gravel.  I was on rally tyres which worked out in the end.  I heard rain falling in the middle of the night so was confident it was going to work.    

“There were a couple of dry stages where the car was moving around.  Other than that, it felt great as it was quite wet at times, so it worked out.  Thrilled with the result and really encouraged by it.”  

The competition for the final podium position was close between Stewart and Charlie Evans (Mazda RX7).  The latter was holding on to third until he suffered a rally-ending mechanical with one Special Stage to complete, handing the place to Stewart.  

Fourth were Chris Ramsay/Amy Hudson (Toyota Corolla APR2) ahead of Ben Huband/Corinne Watson (Subaru Impreza).  

The SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac Rally incorporated the second round of the NIRS which saw Palmer extend his lead to 34-points over Huband and Menzies who sit second equal with Dave Strong in fourth followed by Stewart and Phil Campbell.  

“We must have got the (tarmac) setup right,” said Palmer who moved up to the Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo car this season.  

“We got some good advice heading into the rally and I’m feeling more comfortable in the car, although there is plenty more to learn.  It is my first rally win so thrilled to have achieved that.”  

In the Class results, John Whooley (Honda Civic) has extended his lead in Class C (2WD 1601-2000) while in Class D (2WD 2001 and over), Charlie Evans’ (Mazda RX7) retirement saw Ramsay take maximum points while Jeff Torkington (Toyota MR2) retains his lead.  

In the Classic Class E, 18-year-old novice and recipient of the RallyDrive New Zealand full day testing voucher, Kyle Percival (Ford Escort Mk2), also extends his lead over Nick Flanagan.  

Palmer continues to lead Class F (4WD 1601-2000) while Ben Huband (Subaru Impreza) has had his lead narrowed to just three-points over Menzies in Class G (4WD 2001 and over). Bradley Stewart (Subaru Impreza) moves to 13-points ahead of Chris Burke in Class I (4WD Pre 1996).  

Both drivers and teams take a break before the third round of the Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series on Saturday 23 August 2025 at the Dayle ITM Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel.