A Cromwell crew is utilising the age-old combination of family and sponsors to run in the Catlins Coast Rally on August 10.
Corey MacAskill has moved up from his earlier days of driving his Subaru Impreza WRX as the popular event’s zero car and is now entered competitively for the third consecutive year. Sitting alongside him will be up-and-coming co-driver Terri Taylor (19), who is also a member of the Central Otago Motorsport Club.
Her dad Steve, MacAskill’s brother Dion and his mates and sponsors Johno Shaw and Craig Jolly will all pitch in to keep the car going over the 150km, which have been broken into six stages.
‘‘We all work as a family to help each other out,’’MacAskill said.
He had a strong run at the Eastern Southland Car Club’s (ESCC) Reserve Rd Hillclimb last weekend, finishing fifth overall from the 32 drivers who completed the gravel event’s four runs.
‘‘I’m entered in the E class for pre-1996 cars and I’d be quite happy if we got in the top 15 or 20 [overall],’’ MacAskill said.
Balclutha driver Dean Bond blew out any pre-Catlins cobwebs, winning the hillclimb by a two-hundredths of a second over Dunedin’s Emma Gilmour.
By the middle of last week, about 80 entries for the Catlins Rally had been received before they closed on Thursday night.
The event’s organisers have promised that differences ‘‘are afoot this year with changes to the order of stages and some new roads making for an interesting special stage 5 at McNab’s Farm’’.
This year’s rally will open with the 12.89km Cannibal Bay stage, which is the shortest test of the rally. The longest — Romahapa at 35.76km — will run straight afterwards. The 16.5km Puaho is next, followed by Catlins Valley (26.61km). The penultimate 31.84km stage sees the biggest shake-up of the event, offering some new roads and others that have been used in the past, albeit in a different direction. Course clerk Craig Jessop said this fifth stage ‘‘will be telling’’.
‘‘We are lucky to have some private roads to use and we are extremely grateful,’’ he added.
The final stage is 24.10km to Tawanui.
Owaka will be the rally’s hub, with the start taking place at Owaka Motors in Campbell St from 10am, then the service parks are based in the township throughout the day. The first car is due to finish in Campbell St at 3.40pm.
The rally is the fifth and final round of the Mainland Rally Championship and part of the ESCC’s Rally Championship.
- by Catherine Pattison
Photo: Supplied
