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Millen again masters 'his' mountain
- Details
- Category: Local
- Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 14:37
- Written by Robin Curtis
Multiple NZ Rally Champion and former Pikes Peak record holder, Rod Millen - now semi-retired from open competition - again won the annual hill climb event at his retirement 145-acre property at Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsular, this three day event being called the Leadfoot Festival.
First run as a private 60th birthday celebration for Rod three years ago, it was so successful that Rod and his wife Shelley decided to make it an annual event open to the public, the first Festival being held in March 2012.
For 2013, Millen and his team again spent many hours and dollars improving the whole general public area of the 1.6km sealed road, the main driveway to the Millen house.
Alonso takes home GP win
- Details
- Category: Formula1
- Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 08:07
- Written by Blair Bartels
Fernando Alonso has taken a hugely popular win in front of his home crowd in the Spanish Grand Prix overnight in dominant fashion, coming home almost 10 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, while Felipe Massa bought the second Ferrari home in third.
In a race where tyre wear was high, Alonso took the bull by the horns and charged, his four-stop strategy leaving him on fresher tyres to pounce past Raikkonen, who was running a three-stop strategy, before the final round of pit-stops, sending his home fans into a frenzy.
It was Mercedes who had the qualifying speed as they locked out the front row, with Nico Rosberg claiming his second pole position of the season to edge out Lewis Hamilton, but it was the third starting Sebastien Vettel who took the race lead into turn one after splitting the Mercedes from the line.
Tough weekend for Evans in Spain
- Details
- Category: International
- Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 08:05
- Written by Blair Bartels
It was a tough return to Europe and familiar tracks for New Zealand GP2 star Mitch Evans, who came away from round three in Barcelona over the weekend with no points.
Evans qualified in a disappointing 19th place and left bewildered by the lack of pace that resulted in his worst qualifying effort to date, which would eventually see him caught up in amongst the mayhem of GP2 racing, with contact hampering his progress in each of the two races.
After making a good start in the opening race, Evans was forced off the outside of turn two and dropped back to 20th position and hampered by a damaged front wing. Despite not being at 100%, Evans still made his way back through the field to finish 12th and was confident that without the incident on lap one, that he would have been able to climb into a points paying position.
Tragedy at Hamner Springs Rally
- Details
- Category: Rally
- Published on Sunday, 12 May 2013 21:44
- Written by Blair Bartels
The New Zealand Rallying community is in mourning after a fatal accident on Saturday’s Hamner Springs Rally, only the second fatal accident in 46 years of rallying in New Zealand.
54-year old Royce Watson was killed when his Ford Escort left the road and struck a tree after the flying finish of a special stage, while his co-driver, 23-year old Steven Watson, was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition after receiving head and back injuries.
Royce Watson was a well-liked competitor, service-crew member and scrutineer who has inspired many drivers rallying careers including 2011 Production World Rally Champion Hayden Paddon, 2004 New Zealand Rally Champion Chris West and 2012 NZRC Historic champion Marcus van Klink.
Hopper takes Targa Rotorua win
- Details
- Category: Local
- Published on Sunday, 12 May 2013 21:42
- Written by Blair Bartels
Leigh Hopper has pedalled his Subaru Impreza to a second Targa Rotorua win in three years after an event-long battle with Tony Quinn went in Hopper’s favour.
Friday’s two stages saw the pair sitting equal into the overnight break and while Quinn was able to open a lead on Saturday’s eight special stages, technical problems for the Australian meant Hopper was able to make a late surge and claim a well-deserved victory. The ever-consistent Jason Gill took third place in his Mitsubishi Evo 9.
For Quinn it was a case of what might have been. Having had his new Nissan R35 GT-R delayed from leaving Australia, the petfood giant was able to use Clark Proctor’s Metalman backed GT-R for the event, but a seemingly inconsequential off-road excursion after overshooting a junction upset a sensor on the Japanese supercar, leaving Quinn and co-driver Naomi Tillett with only two-wheel drive for the final four and a half stages. It was at that point that Hopper and Simon Kirkpatrick made their move and turned a 25 second deficit into a 43 second lead by the end of the event.
