Rally New Zealand

Kiwi Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen has committed to entering the Battle of Jacks Ridge in November and will take on the best rally drivers in the country at their own game.

The 2016 Supercars champion has been one of the most successful drivers of the past decade and is renowned for his unique ability to drive any kind of car on any kind of event competitively.

While circuit racing is clearly the 31-year-old’s forte, Van Gisbergen started out in speedway, motocross and karts while he’s enjoyed plenty of success drifting in recent years.

His father Robert was a well-known and talented rally driver and Shane has often expressed an interest in competing on gravel.

With the unique situation COVID-19 has forced upon the sport, Van Gisbergen will be able to return to New Zealand after this year’s Bathurst 1000 race, quarantine for 14 days before tackling the Battle of Jacks Ridge.

“It is pretty cool and something I grew up with,” Van Gisbergen said. “I remember playing in the mud at Dad’s rallies and at rally sprints and stuff and always watching and loving it.

“It was something I never really got the chance to do when I was young – I did a lot of gymkhana and sprints and stuff but never really did a proper rally so it is pretty exciting that our season finishes early so I can come to New Zealand and do some cool events.

“It was a shame Rally New Zealand didn’t happen for all these reasons going on in the world at the moment but the alternative we have got in the City of Auckland Rally and Battle of Jacks Ridge is pretty special and I am looking forward to getting there.”

The Red Bull Holden racer grew up just down the road from the purpose-built Jacks Ridge stage on 2017 national champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s Whitford property.

He has yet to see the exact layout but knows the countryside well having learned to drive on father Robert’s farm a couple of kilometres away.

“I have run past it and run past the quarry where he is developing it but I haven’t been there,” the 31-year-old said. 

“I have seen what has come out in the media the last few months – it looks pretty awesome.

“There are some good jumps and cool corners and I think it will be a good show for spectators with some great spots to watch.”

The opportunity to go rallying is something Van Gisbergen has long pondered. While the stars have aligned to allow him to take part in this event, he admits there is a temptation to do more rallying in the coming years.

“I have no expectations on how it is going to go but for sure when the helmet comes on and I’m at the start line I will have a good go at it,” Van Gisbergen said.

“At the same time I will stick within my limits – it is a bit different to anything I have ever done.

“At least you get a few goes at it to learn the track limits.

“For sure I would love to keep doing it. I am sure I will enjoy it and we will see if anything comes of it.

“I just want to go there and have some fun and have a play around back at home.

“It is something we have tried to do for a few years – I’ve had a few tests in AP4 cars and things like that.

“Hopefully I can do some more in the future but this will be a good start point.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge on Sunday November 15 is attracting a phenomenal field of drivers and the event will be broadcast live on Sky Sport.

With technical corners, full commitment jumps and stunning spectator viewing, the Battle of Jacks Ridge promises to be the best domestic rally event ever staged in New Zealand.

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Targa New Zealand winner Hadyn Mackenzie will compete at November’s Battle of Jacks Ridge in Auckland as he looks to transition to full-time rally driving.

The Aucklander has been renowned more for his circuit racing exploits until now but will make a fulltime switch to gravel and will tackle the purpose-built Jacks Ridge rally sprint and City of Auckland Rally.

Former national rally champion Andrew Hawkeswood constructed the stage on his Whitford farm initially to use as a key piece of the Rally New Zealand World Rally Championship event that had been set down for September before COVID-19 interrupted.

With the Battle of Jacks Ridge created as a pseudo-replacement this year, Mackenzie jumped at the opportunity to bring his car out to play and take on the biggest rally names in the country.

“I am pretty new to rallying,” Mackenzie said. “I was looking forward to doing the WRC event like everyone else but my goal is to complete the whole NZRC next year so this is a good stepping stone.

“I think it will be cool to go up against all the top guys and see where you come out.

“I am about seven or eight events in now on gravel and definitely finding it a bit more challenging learning just how much grip there is on gravel – there is a surprising amount of grip – but it is just learning how far you can push it or how late you can brake.

“It is going to take me a bit of time and I am quite happy with how I am sitting so far given how little time I’ve had behind the wheel of a gravel car.”

The Jacks Ridge stage has been created to test the best rally drivers in the world while also providing the best possible spectating and Mackenzie is excited by the small amount of what he’s seen.

“I haven’t seen it in person. I watched all the press days when Jack [Hawkeswood] and others have been on the track – from what I have seen it looks to be a bit of fun.”

Mackenzie dominated the Targa field in his Mitsubishi EVO X but will use a different car for the one-day City of Auckland Rally on Saturday November 14.

He is considering whether to use the same car for the Battle of Jacks Ridge or whether to set the EVO X up in hill climb spec.

“The EVO IX is a car that was built for Brian Green,” Mackenzie explained. “It went overseas to New Caledonia I think it was. Then it came back into New Zealand. Phil Campbell had the car and then it went to Raana Horan and I bought it from Raana.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge will be broadcast live on Sky Sport.

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New Zealand’s most famous speedway driver has entered November’s Battle of Jacks Ridge and will take on the best rally drivers in the country over the spectacular 3km-long purpose-built stage in Auckland.

Eight-time national champion Michael Pickens has established himself as the country’s best speedway driver and has enjoyed international success with regular visits to the United States in recent years.

But he will swap the oval circuit for a chance to test himself in a foreign environment as he tackles the stage designed specifically for the World Rally Championship on former national champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s farm in Whitford, Auckland.

The speedway star first showed interest in competing in rallying through a random post on social media, which led to him confirming his entry for the Battle of Jacks Ridge in a cross kart.

“I met Tony Gosling ironically through Hayden Paddon’s Facebook page,” Pickens explained. “I made a smart ass comment asking if anyone would ever be stupid enough to put me in a rally car and Tony got in touch with me and asked me if I was serious.

“I told him I was dead serious and that’s how the conversation started. Tony is making all this happen with the cross kart.”
While obviously very much at home on dirt tracks Pickens admits he has no real experience when it comes to rallying however and he will be an absolute rookie.

“Zero really as far as rally or off-road driving goes. I’m keen to learn and I obviously have a lot of respect for the likes of Paddon and Hawkeswood and co,” he said.

“I am just keen to learn off those guys as quick as I can.
“I don’t know if much of my skill set will naturally transfer over or not. I am going to find out pretty quick.

“It is just another car at the end of the day and another skillset you have to learn.”

And while Pickens has never been to Jacks Ridge before or knows much about what to expect, he is looking forward to media day at the venue next week, where he will look to do as much reconnaissance as possible.

“I have watched a short little clip a few months back but that is all I have seen so far. My first experience will be the media day next week.

“Hopefully I can jump in someone’s car and they can show me what it looks like at speed.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge takes place Sunday November 15 with live coverage on Sky Sport. Head to www.rallynz.org.nz/ for more and to sign up to the free Gravel newsletter.

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Young gun Robbie Stokes has committed to competing in November’s Battle of Jacks Ridge and will be one of the competition’s dark horses.

The 24-year old Cantabrian is one of a number of up-and-coming stars of New Zealand rallying and will contest the Auckland-based rally sprint in his Ford Fiesta AP4.

Stokes turned heads in 2019 with some phenomenal drives in a 2WD Ford Fiesta, beating some much more powerful cars and drivers with bigger reputations to underline his potential.

Now with the more powerful 4WD AP4 car beneath him and Stokes will have the weaponry to take it to his rivals.

“I have only seen a little bit of the stage on TV but it looks like a lot of fun to go up there and see how we go against all the top New Zealand drivers, because they will all be there,” Stokes said.
“It will be cool to be a part of that.

“It will be good to get back in the car – it won’t have been since Catlins and we didn’t get too far at Catlins so really looking forward to just driving the car more and getting some miles under the belt.

“I love driving it – it is such a cool machine to be behind the wheel of.”

The stage at Jacks Ridge has been created by former national champion Andrew Hawkeswood on his farm and he has taken care to ensure it challenges drivers while giving spectators the best possible viewing.

The initial plan was for the stage to be a central part of Rally New Zealand in September when the World Rally Championship was set to return to these shores for the first time since 2012. Unfortunately COVID-19 forced its cancellation but the Battle of Jacks Ridge was born as a result.

With high-speed blind crests and beautifully cambered gravel roads drivers will need plenty of commitment to set fast times and Stokes is renowned for his aggressive driving.

“I think we’ll have a look at the jumps before we hit them too fast,” he said cautiously. “But I think you have to go fast to get faster and if you’re not going fast enough, you are going to get left behind.

“I think commitment is a big thing and I do commit but you have to be sure of it though.”

Stokes was set for his first assault on the national championship in 2020 as he made the move to the AP4 Fiesta but once again COVID-19 ruined that.

“It is a major setback but everyone is in the same boat so we can’t get too down about it,” he said philosophically. “We need to keep moving forward and trying to be positive.

“I think the Battle of Jacks Ridge and City of Auckland Rally [held a day earlier] will be a great step for us.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge will take place on Sunday November 15 with live coverage on Sky Sport.

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Rally New Zealand has attained the two-star level in the FIA Environmental Accreditation Framework which means the City of Auckland Rally and Battle of Jacks Ridge this November will be the most environmentally friendly motorsport events in the country’s history.

The FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme is aimed at helping motor sport stakeholders worldwide to measure and enhance their environmental performance. By introducing clear and consistent environmental management into motorsport, it provides stakeholders with a three-level framework against which to accredit their activities.

Rally New Zealand is committed to improving sustainability across all areas of the business, including running events in an environmentally conscious way

The organisation has an environmental management system in place, with many activities planned for the November events, including a focus on waste minimisation, measuring fuel emissions, and plans underway for a native tree planting project at Jacks Ridge in Whitford.

The November 14-15 weekend of rallying action in and around Auckland is set to be a big hit with fans thanks to the proximity to Auckland, the quality of the field and the spectacular purpose-built super special stage at Jacks Ridge providing high speed and close-up spectating with the Hauraki Gulf and Auckland cityscape as a backdrop.

The City of Auckland Rally will encompass some iconic stages used in previous Rally New Zealand events in and around Auckland before a pass through the Jacks Ridge stage in Whitford to complete the event.

The Battle of Jacks Ridge a day later sees competitors tackle a 2km-long section of Jacks Ridge with a number of spectacular jumps, tight and challenging corners and some high-speed gravel roads. The event will bring out some of New Zealand’s most renowned motorsport personalities and some unique and awesome machinery. Rally New Zealand’s environmental policy and more information can be found on their website www.rallynewzealand.com/sustainability.

South Auckland local and leading New Zealand Rally Championship figure Dylan Turner has confirmed his entry into the Battle of Jacks Ridge and will loom as a major contender in his Audi S1 AP4.

Pukekohe-based Turner has proven to be a major player at the front of NZRC events in recent seasons with his full commitment seeing him battle the country’s best over the past couple of years.

He will look to take that raw speed and full-on attitude into the Battle of Jacks Ridge – the purpose-built stage on former New Zealand champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s Whitford farm.

Turner thinks the event will be a massive hit and believes it will be the perfect fit for the country’s largest city.

“For me it was exciting that we finally have a facility where we can go race nice and close to Auckland,” he said. “We used to have that super stage at Manukau but, for me, to have a purpose-built rally stage built by a rally driver – it was a no-brainer about whether you’d want to do it or not.

“It is going to be nicely cambered corners, there will be jumps, there will be speed – everything we love about rallying and it is going to be contained within a 3km stage.

“Rallying is about jumping cars and going sideways at 150km per hour and you get that at this stage.”

Turner had a small taste of the 3km-long when he featured in a media day a few weeks ago. While it won’t be much of an advantage it has at least given him a glimpse of what lies in store.

“It is special – it really is,” the LJ Hooker realtor said. “The jumps are nicely designed and properly designed – you need to have a good landing area to be confident in jumping the car.

“Then the speed you can come into the corner is just unreal because the exit doesn’t have a pine tree or a drain so you know you can attack the corner hard.

“Even if you come in too hot that camber is going to keep you on the road – it might be a bit slower but it will keep you on the road.
“It really is a driver’s course but it is also a spectator’s course too. The spectators will have an awesome day out.

“In fact if WRC had come I think I would have not entered and just watched the cars go over it – it is that cool.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge will be broadcast live on Sky Sport on November 15.

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Leading New Zealand Rally Championship contender Emma Gilmour will line-up for the Battle of Jacks Ridge in November with her Suzuki.

The NZRC event winner will make the trek north from her Dunedin base to take part in the City of Auckland Rally on November 14 before tackling the purpose-built Jacks Ridge stage a day later along with a stellar field where she should be right in the mix.

Former national champion Andrew Hawkeswood constructed the world class stage on his property in Whitford with the World Rally Championship returning with Rally New Zealand in 2020. The stage was going to be a focal point of that event in September but the COVID-19 outbreak forced its cancellation.

When the Battle of Jacks Ridge was announced, Gilmour immediately knew she had to be part of it.

“Andrew took me for a drive around it when it was still in the finishing stages when they were working towards having it done for Rally New Zealand and it just blew me away,” she said.

“I sort of thought it was a rally sprint track in someone’s back yard but it is amazing. It is a quarter of a rally stage. It has everything in it and a lot of thought has gone into it.

“The elevation changes and the jumps and the blind brows – I think it is going to be a wonderful spectacle.

Gilmour has competed in WRC events when they stopped in New Zealand previously and has high expectations that the Battle of Jacks Ridge will be run with that kind of feel to it.

“I think it is pretty exciting to have an event that is going to have the feeling of a bigger international event yet being local,” she said.

“After such an unusual year I think it is going to be great to compete and hopefully have a big crowd there.
“It reminds you of what the WRC would have been or what it has been in the past.”

Gilmour has endured a torrid run over the past couple of seasons as mechanical failures have plagued her Suzuki but a stack of work has been put in during the past few months and she hopes to showcase her speed and be battling at the pointy end of the field.

“I dug deep – it is still what I love to do and I knew I still have the potential so I drew on all my reserves of resilience and invested in the car,” Gilmour explained. “We have upgraded the engine package, and we were ready to go for this season.

“Obviously COVID has happened so we have basically parked it up ready to rally.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge will be broadcast live on Sky Sport and will see the best drivers in the country taking part in a knock-out style format.

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Papakura’s Kingsley Jones is the latest leading New Zealand Rally Championship contender to commit to November’s Battle of Jacks Ridge in Auckland.

Former national champion Andrew Hawkeswood built the stage on his Whitford property to initially be the centrepiece of the World Rally Championship Rally New Zealand event that had been set to run in September, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

While the full stage is over 6km long the Battle of Jacks Ridge takes place on just half that with high speed cambered gravel roads, spectacular jumps and technical corners set to test drivers.

Jones will see the event as a bit of a local rally given his close proximity to the Whitford farm where the Battle of Jacks Ridge will take place and is chomping at the bit to get his Skoda Fabian R5 out to take on his rivals.

“Being an Auckland rally, which are few and far between, it is good to get out and do something that is local,” he said. “The advantage is that you get to bring the family out and have the kids there.

“Traditionally Coromandel was the closest we came to Auckland, which wasn’t too bad for mates to shoot down but it is still an hour and a half’s drive and a night’s accommodation whereas being Auckland based makes it a lot more open for friends and family and sponsors and things like that.

“The South Island has a really strong rally community with events on their backdoor and so that really helps them out.

“I think the event is absolutely amazing – it is going to be good for spectators to watch and we will try and put on a show really.”

Jones was a big improver last season as he got more familiar with his Skoda through the course of the year. By the final round at Waitomo, he managed a podium by finishing runner-up to Raana Horan.

While he doesn’t expect to win the Battle of Jacks Ridge, he does hope to make it to the final runs.

“I’m not there to flap around – I am going to try my best,” Jones insisted.

“I think if I can make the top eight I would be extremely happy. We are running it in full rally trim.

“If I can be in or around Ben [Hunt], Jack [Hawkeswood] and Dylan [Turner] I will be pretty happy.”

The Battle of Jacks Ridge will be broadcast live on Sky Sport on November 15.

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New Zealand’s top rally drivers will have a custom-built quad bike piloted by renowned rider Ian Ffitch nipping at their heels at November’s Battle of Jacks Ridge.

While World Rally Championship star Hayden Paddon, event host Jack Hawkeswood and reigning New Zealand Rally champion Ben Hunt loom as obvious contenders at the November 15 event in Auckland, Ffitch could well be a dark horse on his hill climb special.

“It is called the BRM1000 that was created way back in 2003 for Race to the Sky,” Ffitch explained. “It is powered by V6R1000 road bike engine.

“Ninety percent of it is custom-built around that engine. It started off as an original 500CC two-stroke frame that we grafted the engine into.

“It is something that was specifically built for Race to the Sky and I have been fortunate to do a few other hill climbs in it over the years like Ashley Forest, the Leadfoot Festival and Hayden Paddon’s Ben Nevis Station event earlier in the year.”

Like most competitors the purpose-built Jacks Ridge stage will be something of a mystery to begin with. The stage has been constructed on 2017 NZRC champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s farm in Whitford, 20 minutes from downtown Auckland.

It contains 6km of gravel special stage designed to host the WRC Rally of New Zealand before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the event.

The Battle of Jacks Ridge will use 3km of that stage and will feature some technical corners, some high-commitment jumps and brilliant spectator viewing – not that Ffitch knows anything about it.

“I know nothing. I know zero. I don’t know anything about it,” he admitted.

“It is exciting. I have dealt with Andrew as far as competing against him at hill climbs and Race to the Sky and Leadfoot and stuff. When I heard it was Andrew putting it together I figured he would know what would be good and spectacular so I am excited by the thought of it.”

Ffitch impressed with a top 10 finish at Paddon’s Ben Nevis Golden 1200 near Cromwell earlier in the year but he hasn’t been able to ride the bike again since.

“It just isn’t suited to any other form of racing,” he said. “Any time I can get it out is great

“I would be stoked if I made the top four and I would be gutted if I didn’t make the top eight. Not knowing the competition and how many specialist vehicles are in it I would be disappointed if I couldn’t make the top eight.

“If you make that top eight – everything from there is the next step.

“It depends how fast the stage is too of course but the competitor in me means I wouldn’t be happy with anything less than a top eight finish.”

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Defending national rally champion Ben Hunt will contest the Battle of Jacks Ridge in November in his Subaru WRX.

The two-time national champion was nearly untouchable during the 2019 season – winning five of the six rounds and leading the sixth event by a large margin before mechanical trouble ended his bid for a perfect season.

He will look to carry that form into a battle with World Rally Championship star Hayden Paddon and the who’s who of New Zealand rallying in what promises to be an epic showdown on the purpose-built stage in Whitford on Sunday November 15.

Constructed on 2017 national champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s farm, the Jacks Ridge stage was designed to test the very best. It mixes typical New Zealand gravel roads with undulating rolling farmland that will provide a test for the drivers, a thrilling watch for spectators and a beautiful Auckland City backdrop all within 20 minutes of the CBD.

“Andrew has wrecked everyone else’s roads around the place over the years so it would be worthwhile going up there and having a play on his,” Hunt laughed.

“I haven’t been up there for a while, but I did have a look a few months ago in one of Andrew’s old utes. It is an awesome bit of farmland and a cool bit of road so it will be awesome to get the chance to go for a skid through there in a rally car.”

While Hunt is likely to feature at the pointy end of the field, he is hosing down talk that he will be one to beat.

“The Subaru is more designed for rally and in my career, I can count on one hand how many rally sprints or hill climbs I have done so it is not something that normally draws my attention.

“With the who’s who of New Zealand motorsport coming and a fun weekend it should be a good event.

“The Subaru will be competitive but maybe not the one to beat.”
More leading figures are likely to be announced in the coming days.

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