Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Rally New Zealand (2012)

Justa Jim · Jun 11, 2012

I just had a funny thought. The co-driver, while running the Dragon, would be talking so fast, nobody would be able to understand him. :lol:

Jim

Crashton · Jun 11, 2012

I think you are right Jim. It would have to drive the co-driver bonkers. :crazy:

Steve · Jun 4, 2012

The WRC skipped New Zealand last year, here's an on-board clip from 2010.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_svs1azBW6Y]WRC Onboards: New Zealand 2010: Latvala SS04 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jun 4, 2012

Dani Sordo in New Zealand (2008):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU03P9awLpo]New Zealand 2008 Dani Sordo SS10 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jun 11, 2012

:fingerscrossed: Lone ranger Sordo set to shine in NZ (WRC.com)

11 Jun 12

The Prodrive WRC Team's single-car entry on Brother Rally New Zealand won't hinder Dani Sordo's bid for a second podium finish in this year's FIA World Rally Championship according to the British squad's principal Dave Wilcock.

Sordo will be back on board a MINI John Cooper Works WRC for the first time since his Power Stage triumph on Vodafone Rally de Portugal back in April when he tackles the Auckland-based event from 21-24 June.

The Spaniard will pilot Prodriveâ€™s sole revamped MINI in New Zealand, which Wilcock says can only benefit the former Junior world champion, who finished second on Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.

â€œOf course with two drivers they can feed off each other and you can compare like for like but weâ€™re in a position where we can give Dani 110 per cent focus and for a driver thatâ€™s something very powerful to have,â€ said Wilcock. â€œThey can see that all the effort from the team on event and back in the factory is with one driver in mind and that will play to Daniâ€™s strengths.â€

Although Prodrive will be restricted to one car in New Zealand, the MINI challenge in the Southern Hemisphere will be bolstered by Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre, who will compete for the WRC Team MINI Portugal operation, which benefits from Prodriveâ€™s engineering support.

Visit WRC.com later this week to find out why Wilcock believes Sordo will be a contender for a podium finish in New Zealand.
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Steve · Jun 14, 2012

Mini 1276 GT - The Victorious Ancestor From New Zealand. (MiniMotorsport.com)

14 June 2012

Dani Sordo and three MINI John Cooper Works WRCs will take on the Rally New Zealand from 22nd to 24th June. The event will mark the 40th anniversary of a legendary win for the Mini 1276 GT.

40 years and still as loud as ever: in 1972, an underdog produced a huge shock at the Rally New Zealand â€“ the Mini 1275GT Clubman. The event consisted of 48 timed stages over the course of a six-day route from Auckland to Wellington. Andrew Cowan and Jim Scott celebrated a legendary win with the nimble car, taking on and defeating the bigger, works-supported teams. The 2012 Rally New Zealand will be the scene of a reunion.

A victory on the same scale as the legendary performances of the Mini Cooper S at the Rally Monte Carlo: Cowan/Scott, at the wheel of the 95-hp Mini 1275 GT Clubman, were not content with playing a bit part in the big show, they wanted the star role. At the same time, the sister car of the â€œGC3â€, the Mini 1275 GT Clubman â€œGC4â€ of Angus Hyslop and Mike Langley, also caused a stir by finishing fifth.

British engineering for New Zealand

The two Mini Clubmans were prepared for the New Zealand Motor Company in the workshops of British Leyland Abingdon in Great Britain, in accordance with Group 2 regulations, to be used at the â€œHeatway International Motor Rallyâ€ â€“ todayâ€™s Rally New Zealand. New Zealandâ€™s Peter Levet, who worked as a technical consultant for the New Zealand Motor Company, was responsible for coordinating the assembly and was also involved in designing the cars. At the heart of the two Mini Clubmans was a Cooper S engine, which generated 95 hp with a 1,293 cm3 capacity.

A legendary battle of attrition

The unconditional and uncompromising preparation of the Mini, coupled with a meticulous service, developed into a crucial factor in the success at the 1972 Rally New Zealand. That and the internationally experienced Scot Andrew Cowan, who had already won the marathon London-Sydney Rally, played into the hands of the two Minis. The narrow, winding route was also typical Mini terrain: the majority of the stage wins went to Mini. A seven-day battle of attrition developed between the competitors and the 4000-kilometre rally, which featured 2079 kilometres of special stage. Even the pair of Minis did not always emerge unscathed. The opening evening, on which only a one-hour service is permitted, saw the eventual winner, the Mini â€œGC3â€, struggle with overheating problems. However, the engineers stepped up to the mark and installed a homologated auxiliary fan to cure the problem once and for all within the permitted time. The Mini ran like clockwork from then until the finish. Mini dominated the rally and eventually won comfortably 39 minutes ahead of the second-placed car â€“ a legend was born.

Star, even 40 years down the line

Even today the Mini 1275 GT Clubman has lost none of its appeal. The â€œGC4â€, sister car to the Rally New Zealand winner from back then, will be on display in the MINI exhibition area during the rally around Auckland. New Zealander Jim Scott, a rally legend since his win in 1972, is bound to be following the progress of his successors in the MINI closely.
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Steve · Jun 15, 2012

Sordo gunning for victory in New Zealand (WRC.com)

12 Jun 12

Dani Sordo reckons Prodrive WRC Team chief Dave Wilock is underplaying the performance potential of the British firm's John Cooper Works WRC on Brother Rally New Zealand next week.

Wilock has tipped the Spanish ace for a podium finish on the spectacular gravel event but Sordo says there is no reason why he canâ€™t win outright and claim his maiden victory in the FIA World Rally Championship.

â€œI really like this rally,â€ said Sordo. â€œIt is not my favourite but I enjoy racing in those fast and spectacular stages, the country is magic. As always, I will give my all and my goal is to win. I think we can get it.â€

However, Sordo concedes the opposition will be tough with WRC title leader Sebastien Loeb set to be particularly hard to beat in his factory Citroen DS3 WRC.

â€œLoeb is very strong and [Mikko] Hirvonen is progressing very quickly with the Citroen DS3,â€ said Sordo. â€œThe Ford drivers [Jari-Matti] Latvala and [Petter] Solberg will not be happy with anything else than a victory.â€

Wilcock said Prodrive picked New Zealand for one of its remaining events with Sordo - it has also committed to ADAC Rallye Deutschland and Wales Rally GB and will add one further event later in the year - because of the likelihood of a strong result there.

â€œItâ€™s a rally we know very well as a team and we really believe the car can perform well on high-speed technical stages,â€ said Wilcock. â€œDani believes the car has taken a big step forward [following the launch of the evolution model in Portugal], his confidence levels have taken a step up and thereâ€™s no reason why he canâ€™t compete fo a podium.â€
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Steve · Jun 18, 2012

Wintry weather adds to NZ challenge (WRC.com)

18 Jun 12

Ford World Rally Team drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg will be keeping an eye on the weather when New Zealand hosts round seven of the FIA World Rally Championship this week.

Itâ€™s winter in the Southern Hemisphere with ambient temperatures unlikely to exceed 15 degrees centigrade, while rain is also expected.

Solberg, who like Latvala is a previous New Zealand winner, admits tyre selection could therefore be key to success on the gravel event. Tyre firm Michelin, which supplies the bulk of the leading crews, has nominated its hard compound tyre with 10 soft compound tyres available for use in wet and muddy conditions as the option. In total, crews are restricted to a total of 35 covers.

â€œThereâ€™s a good chance the temperatures will be low and rain is likely,â€ said the Norwegian former world champion. â€œThat will make it hard to generate heat into the hard compound tyres, which will be our primary option for the rally. Itâ€™s the same for everyone and thereâ€™s nothing we can do about it, but the other side of the coin is that the Fiesta RS WRC works well with hard compound rubber.â€

Tyre wear is rarely an issue in New Zealand due to the smooth nature of the farmland roads. However, if the weather is particularly bad the stage surface could deteriorate and supplies of Michelinâ€™s soft compound tyre could soon be depleted.

There will be no such problems for Ford privateer Jari Ketomaa. He will use DMACK tyres in New Zealand and will have an ample supply of soft compound rubber available after the Anglo-Chinese firm nominated the soft version of its new DMG+2 tyre as its primary option for the event from 21-24 June.
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Steve · Jun 20, 2012

MINI Trio in Lord of the Rings Territory. (MiniMotorsport.com)

20 June 2012

Sordo, Araujo, Nobre is the MINI line-up for the Rally New Zealand. However, even before the first stage gets underway on Friday, MINI has already stirred up quite a storm down under.

It is four decades since Andrew Cowan put the opposition to the sword in a Mini Clubman at the 1972 "Heatway International Motor Rally" â€“ the predecessor to todayâ€™s Rally New Zealand. The sister car of the winning car from back then is currently on display in the MINI exhibition area in Auckland, where it is stirring up memories of the sensational success that followed on seamlessly from MINIâ€™s victories at the Rally Monte Carlo in the 1960s. At the start of the rally week, over 150 MINI fans from all over the world gathered in their classic Minis and new MINIs for an â€œItalian Jobâ€ MINI parade through the streets of Auckland. The procession was another tribute to the huge success of the Mini Clubman 40 years ago, and was organised by MINI New Zealand and the "Mini Car Club of Auckland". Representatives of the current MINI WRC Team were joined on the 70-kilometre route by Jim Scott, Andrew Cowanâ€™s co-driver in the victorious Mini back in 1972.

The representatives of the 2012 MINI at the Rally New Zealand will be following in historic footsteps when the seventh round of the World Rally Championship gets underway on Friday. Dani Sordo, Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre is the MINI line-up that will take on the 22 special stages, which feature almost 414 timed kilometres and take the teams over a total distance of more than 1600 kilometres. Unfortunately the MINI trio will have no time to take in the luscious greenery, sensational coastlines and idyllic villages that formed the backdrop to the â€œLord of the Ringsâ€ trilogy. The rally route, which features a mixture of gravel and asphalt sections, often takes its competitors on a rollercoaster ride and requires maximum attention.

Waiting for Dani Sordo.

MINI fans are already looking forward to the appearance of Dani Sordo, who last lined up in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC at the WRC event in Portugal and recently shone in Corsica, where he claimed overall victory in the MINI WRC in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC). Rally fans are now hoping Dani can carry his success over to New Zealand. "The MINI had very good pace in Portugal and I got a really good feel for the new car," said Dani. "The MINI is particularly good in the flowing high speed sections and I think it will be very well suited to the stages in New Zealand."

However, the weather â€“ it is currently winter in the southern hemisphere â€“ and the starting position in the field of drivers will also play a role in determining who emerges successful in New Zealand. The starting order will be determined in the Qualifying Stage on Thursday. One thing is already certain: the first drivers out on the gravel roads will find it more difficult than the following teams. The early starters will have the unenviable task of removing the loose gravel from the route â€“ something from which all the subsequent drivers usually benefit. Friday will be particularly challenging. With almost 210 timed kilometres, almost half of all the special stages will be completed on day one of the rally.

Armindo Araujo optimistic about the Rally New Zealand.

While Dani has already started four times in the WRC in New Zealand, Armindo Araujo has been in action there twice. His latest appearance â€œdown underâ€ came four years ago. "Back then I was in a different car, so this is my debut in a WRC car and in a MINI and I can't wait,â€ said Armindo. He agrees with Dani that the Rally New Zealand route ought to suit the MINI WRC. Armindo: "The roads in New Zealand are very nice, they are fast with a smooth surface, so very good for rallying and I think they will suit the MINI well and I'm feeling very optimistic about the event."

Come Friday morning at 08:22 local time (CEST +10) it will be â€˜Go, Mini, goâ€™, as the first special stage of the Rally New Zealand gets underway. The cars will warm up over 11.18 kilometres, before they take on a further seven special stages. As always, you can find all the latest information on the MINI teams at the Rally New Zealand at Twitter.com/MINImotorsport and Facebook.com/MINImotorsport.
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Steve · Jun 20, 2012

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDNmzfUHD8c]Ford WRC New Zealand Teaser 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jun 20, 2012

The versatile MINI Rallyman:

A few shots from the NZ Mini Parade:

Crashton · Jun 20, 2012

Nice video Ford has there. I'd be very happy to see one of the Ford team win. Yep maybe even a Countryguy win.... :wink:

Steve · Jun 20, 2012

Brother Rally New Zealand: five reasons to get excited (WRC.com)

20 Jun 12

The FIA World Rally Championship returns to the Southern Hemisphere for Brother Rally New Zealand this week. WRC.com has highlighted five reasons why the Auckland-based round will be one of the highlights of 2012.

1: Ken Block returns

The Gymkhana internet sensation has been absent from the WRC since Rally Guanajuato Mexico in early March. But heâ€™s back for Brother Rally New Zealand and ready to put on a show for his legion of fans in his Monster World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

2: Close finish expected

New Zealand has a habit of staging close finishes: Marcus Gronholm sensationally beat Sebastien Loeb to victory by 0.3s in 2007. Loebâ€™s current Citroen team-mate, Mikko Hirvonen says he can see no reason why this yearâ€™s rally wonâ€™t be just as close.

3: McRae name is back in the WRC

Alister McRae, the younger brother of rallying legend Colin, will be chasing Super 2000 world championship honours in his PROTON Satria-Neo. The Scot has previous experience of competing in New Zealand and come close to winning the Group N category back in 2007.

4: Home hero set to shine

While overall honours will elude Hayden Paddon in his Super 2000-specification Skoda Fabia, the Kiwi hero will be a favourite to win the SWRC and could even get amongst the top-10 battlers in his Skoda Fabia.

5: Spectacular stages will thrill

Rally New Zealandâ€™s rollercoaster gravel roads are famous throughout the world. Perhaps the most famous stage of them all is Whaanga Coast, which will be used twice on Friday. Overlooking the Tasman coastline, the stage provides spectacular views, not to mention a strong likelihood of drama if 2010 is anything to go by. Thatâ€™s when the rally was decided on the final run through the stage as Sebastien Ogier and Petter Solberg both hit trouble when on course to win the event outright, handing Jari-Matti Latvala a last-gasp win.

Photo: McKlein
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Steve · Jun 20, 2012

Q&A: Dani Sordo (WRC.com)

12 Jun 12

Dani Sordo is back on duty in the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship with the MINI WRC Team this week for the first time since Vodafone Rally de Portugal back in March. The Spaniard will take on Brother Rally New Zealand at the wheel of a MINI John Cooper Works WRC.

Hi Dani, welcome back to the WRC! How does it feel to be back behind the wheel of a MINI John Cooper Works WRC?

â€œIt feels good, very good! Rally New Zealand is a special rally as itâ€™s so fast. Itâ€™s a lot like Finland but the roads have more loose gravel on top. The gravel can be very slippery but at the same time it is good to drive in the MINI - the car is suited to fast road conditions very well. The stages over here are similar to one another, Iâ€™ve been three times now and they donâ€™t change too much from one to the next. The new stages are very nice so I think Saturday will be the most enjoyable for me. I am just very happy to be back.â€

What is your target on this rally?

â€œWe will try to finish on the podium. Our target is also to fight against Ford and Citroen as much as we can and to continue to apply some pressure. That is what we are here for, to add pressure and to finish with as good a result as possible.â€

Last time we saw you in the WRC, you were filling in for Jari-Matti Latvala at the Ford World Rally Team. Will the extra seat time help you in New Zealand?

â€œWell, the Ford Fiesta RS WRC and the MINI are very different. But it is always good to drive, and of course to be on a rally rather than at home! Both cars are really nice to drive but the MINI John Cooper Works WRC feels a little bit more like karting. The engine works in different places too. The MINI engine works better at lower revs, and the Ford works better at high revs. Both are different cars, and work in different ways but both are very competitive.â€

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

â€œSo I will be competing in Germany, Spain and Great Britain. We have some marketing work with Red Bull but our main focus will be on podium results in the remaining rallies. It will be nice to finish the season with Spain in November. Maybe it will rain at that time of the year so it could produce an interesting end to the season. I have tried for many years to win my home rally and I will certainly be trying again this year. Maybe this year it will be my turn.€
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Steve · Jun 21, 2012

Latvala opts for lowly start position on day one (WRC.com)

21 Jun 12

Ford and Citroen have selected contrasting starting positions ahead of tomorrowâ€™s opening day of Brother Rally New Zealand, round seven of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship.

Jari-Matti Latvala was permitted to select his starting position first after going quickest on the Qualifying Stage this morning. In front of a large crowd of fans gathered in the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland Harbour, the Finn opted to run 13th on the road to benefit from what he believes is a huge amount on gravel on the roads.

â€œWeâ€™re heading south tomorrow where there is more loose gravel on the roads than I have seen before. Iâ€™m aware that itâ€™s a long day and the road will clean as the day goes on but we want to be further back to try to benefit from the road-cleaning as much as possible at the start of the day,â€ explained 27-year-old Latvala.

Finlandâ€™s Mikko Hirvonen was second to choose his position and has opted to run at the head of the field for the Citroen Total World Rally Team. Eight-time world champion Sebastien Loeb starts third in his Citroen DS3 WRC, one place behind Ford World Rally Teamâ€™s Petter Solberg. Rally New Zealand debutant Ott Tanak has chosen to run fourth.

MINI WRC Teamâ€™s Dani Sordo has opted to run fifth on the road, one place ahead of Jari Ketomaa who will run sixth at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

The full start position selection is as follows:

1: Mikko Hirvonen (Citroen DS3 WRC)

2: Petter Solberg (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

3: Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3 WRC)

4: Ott Tanak (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

5: Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

6: Jari Ketomaa (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

7: Evgeny Novikov (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

8: Manfred Stohl (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

9: Ken Block (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

10: Armindo Araujo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

11: Paulo Nobre (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

12: Thierry Neuville (Citroen DS3 WRC)

13: Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
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Steve · Jun 21, 2012

Friday midday wrap: Hirvonen has early edge (WRC.com)

22 Jun 12

The weather gamble worked out in Citroen's favour by the end of a tense opening morning of Brother Rally New Zealand, with Mikko Hirvonen holding a narrow lead over his team-mate Sebastien Loeb after stage four.

Citroen had been adamant rain would arrive on day one so sent its cars out early in the running order - a decision that would have consigned them to a day of cleaning loose gravel for those behind had the weather been dry.

In the event, although Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala was quickest on stage one, conditions turned more in Citroen's favour thereafter.

Hirvonen has led since stage two, but Loeb has been the man to watch of late. Two consecutive stage wins for the world champion saw him take nearly eight seconds out of Hirvonen's lead, with the gap now down to 3.9s. As he did so, Latvala was dropping back, falling 16s off the lead by the end of the day.

The rest of the field is already a long way behind. M-Sport Ford duo Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak are closely matched in fourth and fifth, but both had been trailing Qatar Citroen's Thierry Neuville until the Belgian had a spin on stage three.

Latvala is the only factory Ford in the hunt for victory, as a decision to take hard tyres left Petter Solberg struggling badly for pace all morning. Down in seventh place, he is already a minute and a half from the front. Dani Sordo - back with the Prodrive WRC Team - also went for hard rubber and had his difficulties compounded by some gearbox oddities, leaving him eighth ahead of Armindo Araujo's Portugal Mini.
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Steve · Jun 22, 2012

Need Tyres, the Right Ones. (MiniMotorsport.com)

22 June 2012

A real tyre gamble, but without an ace up its sleeve for the MINI crews: Day One on the Rally New Zealand demands the correct decision.

Need tyres â€“ the battle cry ahead of every round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Need tyres - but which ones? The Rally New Zealand again posed this vexing question; this time, though, immediately before the first of a total of 22 special stages. Incipient rain turned the decision-making process into a real gamble, with only a select few having a full hand.

An opening quartet of stages, but without interim service point â€“ and thus the opportunity of correcting a decision â€“ initially offered muddy going on the Kiwi rallyâ€™s gravel roads before conditions later dried out. The choice: hard rubber, durable enough to master the conditions to the end? Soft tyres? Better under slippery conditions, but less durable.

Softies an advantage: The question is soft or hard.

Dani Sordo in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC went for hard tyres. The logic: Lose a bit of time initially, then later â€“ in the dry â€“ more than make it up. However, the weather favoured the courageous six who had settled for softs, handing them the coup of the day as the slippery conditions became the talk, dominating Friday in New Zealand.

â€œThe hard tyres were not a good decision,â€ rued Dani, whose disadvantage during the opening stages gradually grew to more than 1:50 minutes to net him seventh place overall. â€œOn the muddy stages we had almost no grip, and our hopes for drier conditions were not granted.â€

The gravel stages Te Hutewai and Whaanga Coast, plus the two Te Akau South and North tests, did not dry out until the afternoon passes, when they were run again as Stages five to eight with a total distance of over 100 kilometres. Tyre choice once again proved crucial, although all front-runners settled for the soft option.

Lord of the Kings â€“ Dani Sordo best MINI representative.

However, although Dani was not alone in showing fighting spirit in the land of the Lord of the Rings, the performance of the trio of MINI crews was somewhat cloudy: Position 7 for Dani, with the extremely cheerful Armindo Araujo in eighth after delivering a superb performance to end the opening day right behind his fellow MINI competitor. â€œI am really happy after the first run of stages, the way the team worked together,â€ said Armindo. â€œThey prepared a very good car. I am thoroughly enjoying this rally. It is going well for us, and I am looking forward to the days ahead.â€

His team-mate in the WRC Team MINI Portugal, Paulo Nobre, ended the opening day on the Rally New Zealand in 20th place. â€œIn the afternoon the roads had been swept clean, but still offered the same fun,â€ related Paulo. â€œTo drive a rally here is a great feeling.â€

Day One offered an XXL dose: A total competitive distance of 209,60 was on Fridayâ€™s agenda, thus crews covered more than half the overall stage distance of 413,94 kilometres. Day Two starts with the ninth test, namely the Batley stage, at 09:13 local time (Friday, 23:13 CEST). Once gain the battle cry for all three MINI crews will be: Need tyres, the right ones.

Results after Day 1:

1. #1 S. Loeb, 2h 07m 35.0s
2. #2 M. Hirvonen +4.0s
3. #6 E. Novikov, +1m 31.0s
...
7. #37 D. Sordo +2m 34.3s
8. #12 A. Araujo +4m 36.9s
20. #14 P. Nobre +18m 00.5s
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Steve · Jun 22, 2012

Friday wrap: Loeb tops New Zealand leaderboard (WRC.com)

22 Jun 12

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb leads his Citroen Total World Rally team-mate Mikko Hirvonen by 4s in a Citroen DS3 WRC following the first full day of action at Brother Rally New Zealand, round seven of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship.

Ford World Rally Teamâ€™s Jari-Matti Latvala was lying third until the Finnish driver collided with a fence on stage 7 and lost over four minutes trying to get his Ford Fiesta RS WRC back on the road. The incident saw Latvala drop back to ninth.

â€œIâ€™m really, really disappointed. I canâ€™t remember being this disappointed for a long time,â€ explained a disheartened Latvala.

â€œIt was a combination left-right corner, but everyone had been cutting there so I went for the cut as well and the cars in front must have made a hole on the inside and the front-right wheel touched the hole and spun the car into a wire fence. The wire went into the front wheel and we couldnâ€™t move anywhere. We had to wait until the farmer came with some side cutters but by that time I had lost four minutes," added the 27-year-old.

Team-mate Petter Solberg had an equally troubled day after the Norwegian lost over a minute this morning after opting for hard compound Michelin tyres. He finishes the day fourth overall.

â€œThe soft tyre choice was definitely the best for this morning, and my choice to run second on the road seemed to work well given the road conditions,â€ explained rally leader Loeb. â€œBut there is still a long way to go and tomorrowâ€™s stages are more technical than today. The long stage tomorrow [Girls High School] has a lot of camber, and it is high speed. This is not an easy rally but we will see what happens tomorrow.â€

After a trouble-free day in an M-Sport run Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Russiaâ€™s Evgeny Novikov is third. Team-mate Ott Tanak is fifth in a similar car, 7.7s adrift of Solberg in fourth.

Competing in New Zealand for the first time, Thierry Neuville is sixth for the Citroen Junior World Rally Team. The Belgian driver reported problems with his pacenotes led to a spin during stage 3 but a drama-free afternoon saw Neuville finish the day 31s behind Estoniaâ€™s Tanak.

MINI WRC Teamâ€™s Dani Sordo struggled to find grip after a wrong decision to use hard compound tyres on the opening loop, but a clear afternoon pass saw the driver move up into seventh.

Another driver to fall foul of the wrong tyre choice was Americaâ€™s Ken Block. Block was disappointed with the choice, and struggled further being out of the Ford Fiesta RS WRC since Rally Mexico. But a change to soft compound tyres for the afternoon loop saw the American win a day-long battle for 10th place with Austriaâ€™s Manfred Stohl.

Tomorrowâ€™s action will commence at 09:13hrs local time with the 17.61-kilometre Batley stage.
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Steve · Jun 22, 2012

Pics from NZ:

Steve · Jun 22, 2012

Saturday midday wrap: Loeb fends off Hirvonen (WRC.com)

23 Jun 12

Citroen team-mates Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen remain locked in battle at the head of the Brother Rally New Zealand field at the halfway point of leg two.

Loeb initially looked like he had the speed to pull away and swiftly put an end to the lead fight, as after only two stages on Saturday morning his advantage had grown to eight seconds.

But it took just one strong stage time from Hirvonen to wipe out almost all of that lead again, as the Finn's pace on the final stage of the morning loop brought him back to within 1.7s of Loeb.

The squabbling Citroens are still nearly a minute and a half clear of the leading Ford, which is now the recovering Petter Solberg in third place. The Norwegian has been firmly on the pace this morning, quickly claiming third from Evgeny Novikov and then edging away a little. Novikov's main task will now be keeping his M-Sport Ford team-mate Ott Tanak behind him.

It has been an uneventful day so far for Thierry Neuville (Qatar Citroen) and Dani Sordo (Prodrive Mini) in sixth and seventh places. Jari-Matti Latvala has been flying in eighth place, yet seems to be too far behind to catch any of the drivers ahead, with a gap of two minutes even to Sordo.

A damper problem cost Armindo Araujo time and saw his Mini start to come under a hint of pressure from the increasingly confident Ken Block's Monster Ford.
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