Weather causes route adjustment for Repco Rally New Zealand
Weather causes route
adjustment for Repco Rally New Zealand
Storm damage at the end of July has meant organisers for this week's
Repco Rally New Zealand
have had to amend the route for one rally special stage, the Waitomo stage used
twice on Friday 29 August.
Clerk of the course Willard Martin
says organisers have been working closely with roading engineers in all four
districts in which the rally's "rural stages" are run.
"We've been out assessing each and every one of the rally stages in the
Otorohanga, Waitomo, Raglan and Franklin
Districts over the past
few weeks," says Martin. "Naturally, access
for residents takes priority on any roads that require repairs, but we do work
closely with councils to ensure the successful running of our event."
The stage that has been most affected is the rally's longest, Waitomo,
which is run twice on Friday as special stage numbers two and four, or SS2 and
SS4. Starting at Te Rauamoa, inland of Kawhia Harbour,
the stage would normally run for 43.98 km through Kaimango and Hauturu Roads to
meet up with the main Waitomo road a few kilometres from Waitomo itself.
"Eighty metres of road were lost when a large area of farm
land slumped about 50 metres," explains Martin. "The Waitomo Council has been able to
construct a temporary road through this section to provide access for local
farmers and we are very thankful for their considerable efforts.
"The
Waitomo stage will now be run as two stages, part one up to the landslide - a
distance of 25.85 km - and part two starting on the other side for a distance
of 17.36 km."
The
route change has repercussions throughout the rally's organisation. Additional start and finish timing control
points must be created, detailed road books for competitors updated and the
change accommodated in event's results system. However the two spectator points on this stage
are not affected and rally fans wanting to get out and watch New Zealand Rally
Championship and the numerous other local competitors take on the world's best
from the World Rally Championship and Production WRC can still go to the prime
spectator area accessed from Hauturu and the other spectator point at the end
of part two of the stage off Te Anga Road.
"As far as our
internal systems are concerned, SS2 Castrol Waitomo will now be SS2.1 and SS2.2
and SS4 Castrol Waitomo will now be SS4.1 and SS4.2. However the official results system will show
consecutive stage numbering with the regular stage number in brackets," says
Martin.
"Many
other roads are very soft from the rain and we are continuing to assess the
situation."
Repco Rally New Zealand
runs from 28 to 31 August as the 11th round of the 2008 FIA World Rally
Championship. Visit www.rallynz.org.nz for regularly updated
spectator information and full details.
Note: To accommodate this route change, the ISC results system
will be publish stage results as follows. The regular itinerary reference will
appear in all results supplied to the media.
