CLOSE BATTLE FOR SUMNER AT WAIRARAPA

Just 4.4 seconds separated current New Zealand Rally Champion Dean Sumner from past champion Richard Mason at the end of two days of hard fought rallying at Wairarapa on the weekend.

The final result was determined over 284kms of rallying on difficult county roads and came down to the wire in the last two stages.

Mitsubishi’s dominated the field on Day 1 as Subaru drivers Emma Gilmour and Richard Mason faulted early with mechanical issues. Sumner led the rally early with a win on Special Stage 2, but was soon over taken by fellow Mitsubishi driver Chris West, who continued to set the pace for the remainder of the first leg. Young Rotorua driver Sloan Cox showed that he was serious in the sport by driving fast and disciplined and setting a good time through the technical and slippery Stage 7, sneaking ahead of Sumner to finish 2nd on Day 1 by just 1.4 seconds.

Sunday treated the teams to a sunny but cool Wairarapa day, although the morning was heated for West as his car failed to make the start. This left Cox and Sumner the duties of sweeping the road, providing the now repaired Subaru’s of Gilmour and Mason the chance to charge hard on swept roads.

Sumner set the pace early with another stage win and soon moved ahead of Cox to take the lead in the rally. With Mason just 16 seconds adrift, Sumner concentrated on driving the ITM backed EVO9 to its limit to keep hold of the lead, however this proved difficult as Mason, who on his home turf and in newer machinery slowly but surely closed the gap.

With just one stage to go, Mason had moved ahead of Sumner by 8.8 seconds. Knowing the final 15km test was coated in heavy gravel, and that Mason who was running fourth on the road would have a clean line, Sumner and co-driver Paul Fallon made the call not to risk having another non-finish as they had done three weeks previously in Auckland, and to drive fast and safe to hold onto second place.

Mason however was to make a last minute mistake and hit a bank early in the final stage. He managed to press on and although his stage time was 5 seconds slower than Sumner, took the win by a mere 4.4 seconds.

With Sumner coming home in third for Day 1, second for Day 2 and second overall, the ITM Rally Team have now closed in on third placed Gilmour in the championship by just 11 points.

Round 4 of the Brian Green Properties New Zealand Rally Championship is combined with the International Rally of Whangarei on 16 – 17 July 2011.

2011 NZ Rally Championship Points

1. Richard Mason 302
2. Hayden Paddon 256
3. Emma Gilmour 239
4. Dean Sumner 228
5. Chris West 191
6. Glenn Inkster 185
7. Sloan Cox 161
8. Ben Hunt 151
9. Ben Jagger 133
10. Josh Marston 129
11. Matt Van Tuinen 105
12. Brian Green 82
13. Matt Jansen 66
14. Dave Strong 63
15. Phil Campbell 57