History

Rally NZ History
Rally New Zealand is the longest running World Championship event in the Southern Hemisphere. Rally New Zealand is this country's longest running international event that forms part of a bona fide world championship.

Rally New Zealand, celebrating its 36th year in 2005, was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship back in 1977. Its status has grown internationally, with the 2001 event being awarded the WRC Rally of the Year.

The 2005 Propecia Rally New Zealand is the product of an event that started in 1969 as a marathon of endurance for every one involved. What was a long and involved rally in the 1980s with time to rest, repair and develop tactics on a variety of road surfaces has changed to a sprint event of approximately 400 kms in 17 hours.

The first international event, the Shell Silver Fern Rally organised by the Wellington Car Club in 1969, was won by Grady Thompson and co-driver Rick Rimmer, in a V8 powered Holden Monaro. Of the 33 starters in Taupo, 22 were classed as finishers.

In 1970 the Silver Fern Rally was organised by the Canterbury Car Club and run in the South Island with a total of 67 entries.

The Heatway International Rally in 1971 was the first to be accorded international status and attracted 67 entries, with 15 from outside New Zealand. There was franchise support from New Zealand Motor Corporation, Todd Motors and New Zealand Motor Lines. For the first time an overseas team, Australia's Bruce Hodgson and co-driver Mike Mitchell, scored a narrow victory in their Lotus Cortina from the Holden Torana GTR XU1 of New Zealand's Ralph Emson and co-driver, Wayne Jones.

Three drivers have won the Rally New Zealand on three or more occasions. The first was Carlos Sainz and co-driver Luis Moya of Spain who won for the first time in 1990. Sainz was the first driver to successfully defend his title in 1991 and went on to grab a hat-trick in 1992. All three titles were at the wheel of the Toyota Celica GT-4. The likeable Spaniard became the most successful driver in Rally New Zealand history when he gained his fourth victory in 1998.

Then came the reign of Scotsman, Colin McRae and co-driver, Derek Ringer, and the rise of the Subaru mark. McRae won in 1993 and 1994 before emulating Sainz with a third successive win in 1995. The most recent is Finland's Marcus Gronholm who won in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006 in the powerful Peugeot 206 WRC.

Three drivers have won the New Zealand Rally on two occasions. Finland's Hannu Mikkola (1973 & 1979), his countrymen, Timo Salonen (1980 & 1985), and the internationally recognized Scotsman, Andrew Cowan (1972 & 1976).

New Zealand's Jim Scott, a well-known competitor and administrator, stood on the winners' rostrum on two occasions with Cowan, while Finland's Seppo Harjanne partnered Salonen for their two victories.

The history of New Zealand's international rallies has been recognised by many other distinctions, including the first time a round of the World Rally Championship had been held in the Pacific region.

It has also recognised the first time that British Leyland had scored World Rally Championship points for some 20 years, the first time Toyota won both the Group A and N awards on the same event and the first time the Russian Lada team competed outside Europe.

Compeitors continye to rate the open back-country, gravel roads as a real test of driver ability, and some of the best roads in the World Rally Championship.

2006 Rally New Zealand marked the final year in partnership with major sponsor Merck Sharp & Dohme NZ, the company behind the brand Propecia. The company, which has operated in New Zealand over the past 40 years, regretfully moves on from 6 years of sponsoring Rally New Zealand.

2004 Propecia Rally New Zealand Summary

2004 was the 26th occasion that New Zealand has hosted an FIA World Rally Championship event.

Norway's Petter Solberg took his first win on Propecia Rally New Zealand. The reigning world champion had a battle all the way with Finland's Marcus Gronholm before Solberg took a 5.9 second win on the fourth round of the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship.

Solberg lead after the opening Super Special Stage, but Gronholm took the lead after stage five, but a roll on the following stage cost him 30 seconds and the lead. At the close of leg 1 Solberg held a 5 second lead over fellow Fin Harri Rovanpera.

Solberg claimed day 2 as his own as he extended his lead to 20 seconds at the end of leg 2 over Gronholm, who took fastest time on four of the opening six stages as he mounted a comeback after his roll on day 1.

Day 3 saw a see-saw battle between Solberg and Gronholm as the lead changed several times on the two runs over the 29km Whaanga Coast Stage, with both drivers spinning.

The first New Zealander home was Chris West in a Subaru Impreza WRC STi in twenty second place.

Event: The rally covered 1,398.36km, including 395.50km on 23 special stages including 9 run twice. All stages were on gravel roads closed to the public.

Starters: 58 crews (21 Group A and 37 Group N) started the rally.

Finishers: 35 crews (14 Group A and 21 Group N) finished the rally.

2005 Propecia Rally New Zealand Summary 

2006 Propecia Rally New Zealand Summary