Reigning national champion Ben Hunt has won a thrilling final stage battle at the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally to make the perfect start to the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.

Hunt came out on top of an epic three-way battle on Sunday by 3.7 seconds in his Skoda New Zealand Fabia Rally2 evo.

The Pukekohe racer and Robbie Stokes were separated by just 0.1 second heading into the final 15km stage – the iconic Kuri Bush.

Stokes gave it his all in the Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo but had to settle for second place for the second year running.

Stokes did win the day points on Sunday.

His younger brother Jack Stokes had been fighting for the rally lead throughout but cruelly was taken out when he got a stick through the radiator of his Stokes Motorsport Ford Fiesta AP4 late in stage 12.

Jack Hawkeswood stormed back to grab the final place on the podium in his Force Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris – just pipping Josh Marston (RDL Holden Barina AP4) by 2.8 seconds.

Emma Gilmour was fifth in the Vantage New Zealand Citroen C3 Rally2.

Bryn Jones managed to hold off Tim Mackersy in a battle of the Ford Fiesta Rally4 cars in the NZRC 2WD class. Fuyahika Takahashi (Ford Fiesta) was third in the class.

Veteran driver Dave Strong (Honda Jazz) took out the Open 2WD class as the only finisher.

Deane Buist was the quickest 2WD competitor which also produced a comprehensive win in the Historic 2WD class in his Ford Escort ahead of Stephen Gill (Ford Escort) and Pat Norris (Toyota AE86).

The championship heads north to South Canterbury Hydraulics Rally South Canterbury next month.

Reigning national champion Ben Hunt holds a narrow 10.5 second lead after the opening day of the first event on the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.

Hunt, in his Skoda New Zealand Fabia Rally2 evo, edged the two Stokes brothers – Robbie and Jack – after a thrilling back-and-forth battle that lasted throughout the day at the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally.

Robbie Stokes, debuting his Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo, was second at the end of the opening leg.

Jack Stokes [Stokes Motorsport Ford Fiesta AP4], in his first ever Open 4WD rally, grabbed the early lead after winning the first stage of the day and finished the day 14 seconds behind Hunt, and 3.5s behind his brother.

Josh Marston made a welcome return to the championship to hold fourth in his RDL Holden Barina while Jack Hawkeswood [Force Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris] was fifth and Emma Gilmour sixth in the Vantage New Zealand Citroen C3 Rally2.

Gilmour cruelly suffered a puncture on the opening stage to drop over a minute.

Bryn Jones fought back from an early deficit to lead in the NZRC 2WD class, 28 seconds ahead of Tim Mackersy in the battle of identical Ford Fiestas.

Dave Strong topped the Open 2WD standings in his Honda Jazz RS ahead of Paul Cross (Toyota Corolla).

In the historic 2WD class, Deane Buist was first at the end of the day in his Ford Escort in his return to the championship.

He led home Stephen Gill (Ford Escort) and Pat Norris (Toyota Corolla).

Caleb MacDonald took out the one-day Rally Challenge 4WD class in his Mitsubishi Evo 6, beating home Gavin Feast (Subaru WRX) and Ben Huband (Subaru Impreza).

Thomas Paul (Honda Civic) won the Rally Challenge 2WD class – holding off Charlie Evans (Mazda RX7) and Ian Warren (Nissan Pulsar).

Kevin Laird took out the Group A Challenge ahead of Glenn Alcorn and Josh Keighley – all three in Subaru Impreza H6s.

The rally continues on Sunday.

The 2025 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship gets underway this weekend at the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally with the most open title race in recent history.

WRC star Hayden Paddon will not contest all rounds of the championship for a second successive year, paving the way for the best domestic competitors to go all out for the Gold Star.

Defending champion Ben Hunt starts as favourite in his Skoda New Zealand Fabia Rally2 evo but a number of other contenders are set to mount a valid challenge of the three-time national champion.

The Battle

Hunt has proven to be fast and consistent in recent years, rarely making mistakes. That should see him start the season as the clear favourite but a number of others can put up a compelling case.

Jack Hawkeswood is the most recent round winner on the entry list, having topped the podium at Otago Rally in 2024 and returns with his Hawkeswood Mining Toyota Yaris AP4 aiming to repeat that performance.

Cantabrian Robbie Stokes demonstrated speed and a maturity in driving over the first half of the 2024 campaign and he returns this year with a factory-built Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo car of his own, that should immediately catapult him into title consideration.

Younger brother Jack Stokes – who impressed in NZRC 2WD last year – will take over the steering wheel of the Stokes Motorsport Ford Fiesta AP4 and should not be discounted.

Dunedin local Emma Gilmour’s second half form in 2024 should see her enter the campaign with her best shot at winning a national title in her more than two-decade long career. The Vantage New Zealand Citroen driver showcased renewed speed as she got more seat time in the car and will be desperate to put on a good showing at her home event.

Josh Marston returns to the championship after a season off and should immediately find himself in the mix in his RDL Holden Barina AP4.

Kingsley Jones is another to make a return to the championship, piloting his Auckland Denture Clinic Skoda Fabia R5 car that nephew Zeal Jones did so well in last year.

Auckland’s Haydn Mackenzie is another dark horse – he is set for a full campaign in the Albany Toyota Yaris AP4.

Other Classes

Caleb MacDonald (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) felt the heartbreak rallying can produce last year as he saw a terrific campaign come unstuck with titles on the line. He will start 2025 as a favourite in the Rally Challenge 4WD class on familiar roads.

He’ll be pushed by the likes of Gavin Feast (Subaru WRX), Ben Huband (Subaru Impreza) and Vanuatu driver Julien Lenglet (Subaru Impreza). Others to watch for in the class are Josh Keighley, Glenn Alcorn and Kevin Laird, who are all competing in H6 Subarus, and Terri Taylor in her Subaru Impreza.

Ian Warren (Nissan Pulsar) and Thomas Paul (Honda Civic) will start as the favourites in the Rally Challenge 2WD class while Charlie Evans (Mazda RX7) and Kyle Percival (Ford Escort) will keep them honest.

Bryn Jones (Rally4) heads a trio of Ford Fiestas in the NZRC 2WD class as he chases a title in 2025, but will face stiff competition from Tim Mackersy (Rally4) and Japanese driver Fuyuhiko Takahashi (R2).

Dave Strong’s wild mid-engined Honda Jazz RS is the leading contender in the Open 2WD, but will face plenty of competition from the Toyota Corolla of Paul Cross.

Keep a close eye on

The Historic 2WD class is rejuvenated this year with a number of entrants returning to the sport and creating a very competitive class.

Headlining the Class are three returning champions, Paul Fraser (2024, Nissan 240RS), Deane Buist (2013, Ford Escort) and Mike Cameron (2009, Mitsubishi Lancer). The trio will be kept honest by a pair of Ford Escorts for Stephen Gill and Andy Martin as well as the Toyota AE86 of Pat Norris.

Best Spectating

For those who just want an easy opportunity to see the cars up close, you can’t beat the Ceremonial Opening in the Octagon on Friday night or the Super Special Stage that ends the opening day on Saturday afternoon. Both are easy to access – the ceremonial opening sees all cars lined up in the Octagon where drivers will sign autographs or pose for photos. Saturday afternoon’s stage sees competitors blast around a short stage in downtown Dunedin – you can’t win the rally on the stage but you can mess it up. The other great spot to watch is a half hour drive south of the city on Sunday – the iconic Kuri Bush stage. Renowned as one of the favourites of drivers, Kuri Bush is a lightning-fast piece of road with blind crests and commands full commitment from drivers. There are easy access points for spectators to get to see a stage that delivers drama year in and year out.              

Reigning Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship champion Ben Hunt knows he will have his work cut out trying to defend his crown when the season begins this weekend.

Hunt [Skoda New Zealand Fabia Rally2 evo] won a third national title in 2024 and returns as the favourite to repeat in 2025 but will have plenty of competitors breathing down his neck over the six-round championship.

Cantabrian Robbie Stokes [Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo] will find himself in the same machinery as Hunt and has already proven to be very fast while Dunedin’s Emma Gilmour [Vantage New Zealand Citroen C3 Rally2] enjoyed a brilliant finish to the 2024 championship that gives her encouragement she can take it to Hunt this year.

Jack Hawkeswood won at Otago last year and looms as a genuine threat in his Force Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris.

Throw in the return of the consistently quick Josh Marston [RDL Holden Barina] and the promotion of youngster Jack Stokes [Stokes Motorsport Ford Fiesta AP4] into the top class and Hunt will have a very competitive chasing pack.

“I know it won’t be easy starting the year as the defending champion and everyone will be out to beat me,” Hunt said.

“But Tony [co-driver Tony Rawstorn] and I will just get out there and do our thing and enjoy ourselves. I love driving the car and it will be great to get back on those awesome Otago roads.”

Hunt has traditionally taken the first day at Otago to find his best form – he fell behind youngsters Robbie Stokes and Jack Hawkeswood last year on the first day before reeling them in on the Sunday.

“We don’t usually do as much as many of our rivals leading into the start of the season so it might take me a bit of time to get back into it,” Hunt said.

“Having said that, we have done a little bit more this year so hopefully that will help us get onto the pace quickly.”

The Central Machine Hire Otago Rally begins with a ceremonial start in the Octagon on Friday night before two days of flat out competition on Saturday and Sunday.

Dunedin local Emma Gilmour has renewed optimism heading into the 2025 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship season and feels she is long overdue for a good result at home.

Gilmour has struggled with car reliability over the past few years, missed time due to her McLaren works drive and struggled with speed early last year as she got to grips with a new car.

But the second half of the 2024 season showcased the talent that has made her one of the leading drivers of the past 20 years, finishing the season third in the standings.

As she counts down to her home event that has been particularly cruel to the Vantage New Zealand Citroen C3 driver in recent years, Gilmour is daring to dream.

“That would be my dream come true to win my home rally,” Gilmour said. “I couldn’t tell you the last time I was on the podium – I think it was 2012. I was going to be on the podium in 2017, but I got a puncture on the last stage.

“It has been a very long time, and it would be very special.

“As we all know it is a long rally and a tough rally and anything can happen. I am feeling confident and looking forward to it, but you never count your chickens.”

You can see the confidence has returned to Gilmour after a string of good results last year.

“This season has quite a different feel to it – having the whole season in the car versus just one event last year when I started plus just feeling a lot healthier than I was a year ago. I was still really recovering from a concussion,” Gilmour explained.

“Having that consistency with Ben [co-driver Ben Searcy] – we did one event last season but knowing we have a whole season together is awesome. Having that consistency with Malcolm [Read] in the second half of the season was really good.”

Read stepped in to replace Searcy for the final three rounds with Searcy being unavailable but he is locked in for a full campaign in 2025.

Defending champion Ben Hunt starts the season as title favourite but the likes of Robbie Stokes and Gilmour should feel they have reason to like their chances this year.

“Back in my Subaru days I probably had a pretty good shot,” Gilmour said. “In recent years it is definitely my best shot at the title.

“It is always such a challenge when there are not that many of us, so you need that consistency. Anything can happen but I do think we have a good shot at it this year.”

Internationally renowned rally journalist and presenter, Colin Clark, will return as a special guest of the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally in April.

Known the world over as ‘The Voice of Rally’, the Scotsman has a large fan base on various forms of social media, and will bring a worldwide audience to the Dunedin based event.

While Clark is most known for his work in the World Rally Championship, he has increasingly travelled the world to visit some of rallying’s most iconic events. Having gone to university in Melbourne, this part of the world holds a special place in his heart.

“I love the rally scene down under.  The Kiwis, and their Australian cousins, know what the sport is all about,” Clark said.  

“Fantastic roads, lots of competitive kilometres, great camaraderie, and great competition in a wide range of cars.  I can’t wait to be back!”

Similarly, organisers of the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally are excited for what Clark will add to the event, in front of the camera, and across all forms of media.  

“We’re delighted that Colin is able to return,” event promotions manager, Roger Oakley, said. “He uplifts everyone with his enthusiasm, and his journalism brings the sport to life. 

“Colin will join a large media contingent, including Australia’s renowned RallySport Magazine, that has been a regular at the rally since 2003.”

The 2025 Central Machine Hire Otago Rally is the opening round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, and also includes the International Otago Classic Rally.

Former WRC star, Kris Meeke, will be the headline driver at the rally for the second year in succession, going head-to-head in the Classic Rally against New Zealand star, Hayden Paddon.

The event is grateful to the Dunedin City Council for Premier Event funding.

Brotherly love will go out the window this year with Jack Stokes joining older brother Robbie in the Open 4WD class of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.

In a major off-season shake-up of the Stokes Motorsport Team, the two brothers will run cars in the main class – Robbie acquiring a Skoda Fabia Rally 2 evo and Jack piloting the Ford Fiesta AP4 previously run by his brother.

On the surface, it appears a smart decision from the team with Robbie having a clear desire to just drive as fast as he can in a reliable car and having a genuine crack at winning a championship.

Jack on the other hand will be making his first foray into the top class and has a passion for the development side of rallying.

“The decision to get the Skoda Fabia Rally 2 evo was a lengthy one,” Robbie Stokes said. “We were looking for a while after the season last year and this car came up. It was a good deal and the people we dealt with were very professional.

“The Rally 2 comes with a very good track record for reliability which was a huge point for acquiring it.

“Jack has been getting itchy feet to step up to the top class and knows the AP4 mechanically very well, so it made sense for him to jump into the AP4.”

The older Stokes has no qualms about competing against his brother but he also knows he will get some genuine competition from him at the same time.

“It will be great competing with Jack, he has proved his speed in the R2 so I have no doubt he will be on the pace.”

The season opens next weekend with the traditional Otago Rally set to kick-off a gripping six-round calendar.

Find out more about the championship by visiting www.nzrallychamps.co.nz.

A bumper entry of over 100 cars will start next month’s Central Machine Hire Otago Rally, the opening round of the New Zealand Rally Championship.

To be based in Dunedin from April 4-6, the rally has attracted an impressive 21 international teams from all around the world, as well as some of rallying’s biggest names.

Local star, and reigning two-time European Rally Champion, Hayden Paddon, will compete in the Classic Rally field for the first time since 2015.

Paddon will drive an Escort RS1800 as he goes up against last year’s Classic winner, Northern Ireland’s Kris Meeke, in a similar car.

The top-end of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship is also looking strong as well, headed by last year’s winner Jack Hawkeswood in a Toyota GR Yaris AP4.

The fight for the national title looks like being at least a five-way battle, with the favourite again likely to be last year’s championship winner, Ben Hunt, in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo.

Moving from a Ford to a new Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo also puts Robbie Stokes right in contention as well, while Dunedin’s own Emma Gilmour will also be eyeing off the title in her Citroen C3 Rally2.

The 2025 Central Machine Hire Otago Rally begins with a rally show and ceremonial start in Dunedin’s Octagon on Friday, April 4, ahead of two days and 15 stages in Central Otago.

Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard worked hard to win the first day of the Rally of Canberra on 22 March in their Hyundai i20N Rally2 car. However, coming across a mob of kangaroo at high speed on the opening stage of day two took the pair out of contention for the overall win.  

Paddon and Kennard, from Cromwell and Blenheim respectively, are competing in the 2025 Australian Rally Championship for the first time. The six-round championship kicked off on 21 March with a well-attended rally show in Canberra before crews headed for high speed forestry roads west of the city for the first day’s action. The second day’s special stages were all to the east, with about 223 km of competitive action in total for the ARC’s opening round.  

An interesting feature of the ARC is that the top three seeded drivers participate in a ballot to determine their running order for both days. Rally of Canberra is one of the sprint rounds which means competitors can earn points each day depending on their classification for that day.  

“We drew number one in the road position ballot which put us slightly on the back foot from the outset,” says Paddon. “Having to sweep the roads combined with me making the wrong choice of tyres yesterday morning meant we were struggling a bit for speed against local competitors who set a hot pace.”  

Paddon and Kennard finished Saturday morning’s four stages with a narrow lead overall of 11.6 seconds to Lewis Bates, with defending ARC champion Harry Bates temporarily out of the overall running following an offroad incident.  

“Once we corrected the tyres for the afternoon loop, the car was much better and we were able to be back on stage winning pace,” says Paddon who recorded his first three stage wins of his debut ARC season and ended the day 29.7 seconds ahead of Lewis Bates. “To win the day yesterday was a good bonus considering it wasn’t our best performance. We were pleased to get a solid result and start the championship banking some points by winning the first day.”  

However the second day in Canberra didn’t go to plan for Paddon.  

“We encountered a mob of kangaroos on Sunday morning’s first stage. At 160km/h over a crest, there was absolutely nothing we could do to avoid one of them in the middle of the road. We’re okay, the car is repairable, but we weren’t able to rejoin for later in the day to try and recoup some points on the final, double-points power stage as the rules state you must complete 65 per cent of the day to be classified as a finisher and claim any points. It’s just one of those unfortunate things that sometimes happens in motorsport. We have to take it on the chin, reset, and go again for the next round which is in Western Australia in May.”  

Kiwi fans can follow Paddon and Kennard during all six ARC events thanks to the championship organisers providing a mix of on-stage action, interviews and analysis via live streams broadcast on the ARC’s Facebook and YouTube channels.  

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre and TrialLite.

Auckland driver Jack Hawkeswood, currently resident in Millers Flat in Central Otago, set a scorching time on the last run of the day to seal his second consecutive Eastern Southland Car Club Crossroads Clinton Popotunoa Rallysprint in South Otago on Saturday.

Hawkeswood, in his Toyota GR Yaris, and Dunedin driver Emma Gilmour had a massive battle throughout, with Gilmour in her Citroen C3 leading after the three runs through Leg 1, her best time a 5 minute 10.26 seconds placing her ahead of Hawkeswood prior to Leg 2 which was the same piece of road traversed in the opposite direction.

Hawkeswood grabbed the lead after the first run through Leg 2 before Gilmour regained it on the second run. Hawkeswood then produced a time of 4.47.59 on his final run. Gilmour also set her best time of Leg 2 on that final run with a 4.52.18 but when each driver’s best time from each leg were tallied, it was Hawkeswood with an elapsed time of 9.59.02 who took the victory, just ahead of Gilmour on 10.02.78. Hawkeswood’s last run of the day also set a new record for Leg 2 of the event.

Sixth seed James Worker of Mossburn in a Mitsubishi EVO 6 was third with his young son Sam in the co-driver seat while Carter Strang of Wallacetown (EVO 10) was fourth followed by Caleb MacDonald of Queenstown in his EVO 6 and Kingsley Jones of Pukekohe in his Skoda Fabia R5.

Derek Ayson of Gore was seventh overall and first 2-wheel-drive car home and the winner of Class C in his Opel Manta 400 while Ian Warren of Dunedin in his Nissan Pulsar VZR took the Class B honours in eighth, one spot ahead of Class B runner-up Thomas Paul of Cromwell in his Honda Civic.

Class A was taken out by Jak Elliott of Glenavy in a Toyota Echo from Kevin Brockie of Dunedin in a Toyota Vitz.

Other class placegetters were Paul Cross of Gore in his Toyota Corolla AE86, third in Class B behind Warren and Paul, and Tim Mackersy of Dunedin, third in Class C behind Ayson and Gill. With the top three overall not eligible for class prizes Strang took out Class D from MacDonald and Jones.

Three competitors did not finish the event, Gore drivers Damian Vincent and David Kirk plus Jake Thomas of Mosgiel all succumbing to driveline issues.

Event Secretary, Roger Laird of the Eastern Southland Car Club, said “we were very lucky with the weather and the event was very well received by competitors and the landowners with many favourable comments received. Thank you to the competitors, landowners, volunteers and Crossroads Clinton for their support of the event. A special mention to Kingsley Jones who made the big trek south from Pukekohe for the event.”