Gore driver Andrew Graves was the pace-setter at the Venlaw Rally Sprint, posting blistering times to take the winner's medal and top Class D in his Mitsubishi Evo 3.
The 2007 Laird Motorsport Southern Rally Series winner was chased hard by Dunedin's Steve Wellington (20.07min), also in an Evo 3, but his best three runs from five, saw him take an 11sec lead overall.
Wellington's brother Mike in his Evo 6 was not far behind in third (20.21min), a second ahead of GSR driver Paul Cross, of Gore.
Balclutha's Barry Mills won Class B in his Hillman Avenger, while Derek Ayson (Ford Escort), of Clinton, took out Class C. Fellow Southlander David Scoles, driving a Toyota Starlet, headed Class A home.
The class winners were joined by 24 other drivers and their co-drivers, pitting themselves over the 9.2km gravel sprint on forestry roads, near Wyndham, on Saturday.
Ayson, the event organiser and Eastern Southland Car Club's president, described it as a "mini rally,'' which offered competitors good value for money, as they could clock up nearly 60km of race pace driving over the day.
He thanked Rayonier Forestry Limited and local residents for their assistance.
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