After five seasons absent, the iconic tight and twisty gravel roads of the Coromandel Peninsula were officially back with Whitianga playing host to the 4th round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship last Saturday.
A healthy field of fifty cars were entered which included the elite drivers and co-drivers of the rally scene in New Zealand along with a host of other competitors competing in numerous categories that cater for those with a similar passion for the sport but who in comparison, run on somewhat limited budgets.
As in the past, the Rally HQ and the Service Park was based at the Mercury Bay Sports Multi-Sport Park.
A total of six rounds make up the championship with events taking place from Otago in the South to Whangarei in the far North.
Olivia McGregor, Event Manager Rally NZ was thrilled to see the one-day Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally of Coromandel back on the championship calendar for 2025. “We have had the full support and blessing of Thames-Coromandel District Council leading up to the rally which is huge for us, plus everyone connected with the rally loves coming to this beautiful and scenic part of the country to experience the wider Coromandel coastal beauty and hospitality as much as the rally itself.”
Proceedings got underway on the Friday evening when cars, drivers and crew were showcased to the general public in Blacksmith Lane. The championship then got underway proper on Saturday morning when teams faced seven gruelling special stages over multiple timed gravel sections at Port Charles, local forestry and the nearby 309 and Tapu-Coroglen roads. In total distance, the rally covered approximately 400 kilometres of driving with the timed gravel sections totalling around 125 kilometres which all added up to a big and tiring day out for drivers and crew.
To bring the event to a close, a timed short and fast tarmac sprint designed more for spectator entertainment than anything else took place around a tight loop of Dakota Drive, Abrahamson Drive and Moewai Road before vehicles headed back into town for the award ceremony.
Ben Hunt (Auckland), along with co-driver Tony Rawsorn, in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo kept his hold on the overall championship lead with the narrowest of wins (10.5 seconds) over South Islander Robbie Stokes and co-driver Shayne Reynolds also piloting a Skoda Fabia2 evo (called Queen of the Rally). In third place was Todd Bawden and co-pilot Katrina Renshaw in a Ford Fiesta MK11R5.
Local interest centred on three teams from Whitianga all of whom made it to the finish line and in great spirits. Longtime local motorsport enthusiast, Darren Hartley, led the way in terms of machinery taking out runner-up spot in the Rookie Class1 category in his 1990 Toyota Celica GT4. Sitting alongside Darren was co-pilot Brandon Barnett. Miles McElwain and co-pilot Mike Bunyard finished in 30th place overall in their 1984 Toyota Corolla AE86 and winning the 2WD category. Mike Vicent and his co-pilot Darryn Todd proved you don’t need to have the best in machinery to participate in a national rally championship by finishing a credible 36th overall and 2nd in their class piloting their trusty 1975 Hillman Avenger.
There were nine teams, some of whom were big players on the local rally scene, who did not finish the rally which made the three local efforts a little more special.
Judging by the public turnout, the rally was a welcome return to the Coromandel after a long absence and with literally hundreds of visitors involved in the event in town, their presence provided a timely and much appreciated financial boost for many local businesses. Hopefully the Dayle ITM Goldrush Rally Coromandel will return in 2026.
A BIG THANK YOU TO DAYLE ITM
With three locations in the North Island – Avondale, East Tamaki, and Kopu and providers of exceptional service and support for every building project, no matter the size. Their focus is on serving the trade industry and serious DIY enthusiasts, offering a wide range of high-quality building products and services. The East Tamaki and Kopu locations have been recently added to the Dayle ITM family, with 12 trucks servicing the region and three prenail and truss plants,
Dayle ITM in Kopu near Thames, services the Coromandel Peninsula, Hauraki Plains and North Waikato regions.
The travelling roadshow’s next stop is the Battery Town Rally of Bay of Plenty in six weeks.
The Hughes family love motorsport, particularly rally racing.
