27 May 2006

 

Attention Sports Editors

 

Crocker holds off Kiwi challenge in Hella Rally of Rotorua

 

Australian champion Cody Crocker fought off driving rain and a torrid trans-tasman battle to grab the lead after the first day of the Hella International Rally of Rotorua today.

Crocker (Subaru) edged ahead in the penultimate stage of the day and will take a 13 second buffer into the final six special stages tomorrow, ahead of a bevy of Kiwi challengers led by national champion Richard Mason.

Competitors faced continual and heavy rain throughout the day as they completed six stages in eastern Bay of Plenty and Eastland in the third round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championships that doubles as the second round of the Parker Enzed New Zealand Rally Championships.

Mason (Masterton) took it to the internationals this morning gaining fastest times in the first two stages and holding off Crocker who was fastest in his first stint through the iconic 48km Motu stage. The Australian bided his time to be quickest in the final two special stages to edge ahead of the Kiwi flier in what will be a two-horse race for the major honours tomorrow.
”It was very slippery and the times were slower. But fortunately we got Mason in the final two stages,” Crocker said. “The main thing for us is the eight minute lead we have in the Asia Pacific. I am really happy because it was a fierce pace and I was pushing myself trying to beat the system on every stage.”

Mason, pipped in the first round of the national championship by just 0.2 seconds by 2004 champion Chris West, was strong through much of the day but had issues in the final two stages.

“We were not quite good enough to get the overall lead,” Mason said. “Crocker beat us. Why? Because he has a car that is five years more modern than ours and had factory tyres. Our turbo is still not great but overall it was a pretty strong day and I am looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

West (Auckland) looked set to join in the chase for top honours until a blown turbo in the final stage of the day ended his hopes. He did have the kudos of a record in stage four, the 32.68km stage at Whakarau near Matawai but a spin in the next stage proved costly before his mechanical problems.

Subarus dominated today with Palmerston North driver Sam Murray third overall nearly seven minutes behind Crocker, and Hamilton’s Todd Bawden in fourth a further six seconds adrift in his comeback season. It was a strong fightback from Murray who punctured in the Motu and lost considerable time.

Malaysia’s Rifat Sungkar is the next best behind Crocker of the Asia Pacific drivers in fifth place overall, but already more than 10 minutes behind the leader.

“The tyres were not working. The brakes were locking up and we were struggling today. The engine is okay. We lost more time and we were too slow,” Sungkar said

There was considerable credit for the efforts of talent Auckland driver Mark Tapper. He finished sixth overall 10min 31sec behind the leader in his debut performance in the pint-sized new Ford Fiesta – a smaller capacity, two-wheel drive car.

The conditions proved challenging with more than one third of the 70-strong field forced out today.

 

Results after day 1:

Provisional Results after first day:

Cody Crocker-Ben Atkinson (Australia, Subaru) 2:08.31, 1; Richard Mason – Sara Randall (Masterton, Subaru) at 13.1s, 2; Sam Murray-Rob Ryan (Palmerston North, Subaru) at 6m 56s, 3; Todd Bawden – Damon McLachlan (Hamilton, Subaru) at 7:02, 4; Rifat Sungkar-Herkusuna Mohamad (Indonesia, Mitsubishi) at 10:04, 5; Brett Martin – Raymond Bennett (Turangi, Mitsubishi) at 10:04, 6; Mark Tapper – Jeff Cress (Auckland, Ford Fiesta) 10:31, 7; Stewart Taylor – Warwick Searle (Hastings) Mitsubishi at 10:40, 8; Jean-Louis Leyraud – Rob Scott (New Caledonia, Subaru) 10:57, 9; Glenn Smith-Colin Smith (Hawera, Subaru) at 11:38, 10.

 

For further information:

Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianh