epay Silver Fern Rally Moves Up A Gear

Media Release
5th November 2012 – Immediate release

epay Silver Fern Rally Moves Up A Gear

The epay Silver Fern Rally has moved up another gear, with all of the international cars now unloaded, and rally cars from all over New Zealand in transit to Auckland. The city of sails will be hosting the finest collection of historic and classic cars in the country, as the drivers and crews ready themselves for the start of the 7 day, 3000km epic adventure that is the Silver Fern marathon rally.

However, before the ceremonial start at Botany Town Centre on this Saturday 10th November, most of the competitors will head out from Rally HQ at the Waipuna Hotel to Maramarua Forest for a pre-event shakedown. Co-ordinated by Dale Perry of Rally Drive NZ, this will in effect be a free practice session to clear out any last minute gremlins and get the cars set up to New Zealand conditions. Scheduled for Friday 9th November, the Shakedown course will start off Schumacker Road, and be available from 9am to 3pm.

Once again the Maramarua Forest will ring to the classic sounds of BDA Escorts, Mazda rotarys, Nissans and others, as the fine history of rallying in New Zealand is brought back to life by the Silver Fern Rally.

Certainly the strong kiwi contingent will have fond memories of this venue, as it provides a fitting preliminary stage to the 1000km of competitive driving that is to come on the week long North Island circuit.

Local names such as Allport, Stokes, Fuge, Judd, Buist, Murland, Rawstron, Green, Strong, Taylor, Marston, and the like, provide an exciting mix of current competitors, past NZ Rally Champions, and classic rally exponents, who will be giving the international teams a run for their money on the tighter and twisty North Island roads, as compared to the more open South Island roads of past events.

Leading the international contingent is Geoff Portman from Australia, with fellow countrymen David Hills, and Keith Callinan returning for another crack at the Silver Fern. Not to be outdone, the UK based drivers of Vince Bristow, Peter Smith, and Grant Shand are also repeat visitors to our shores. Other top seeds include Christian Kelders from Luxembourg, California resident Rhys Millen, and Christophe Jacob from Belgium.

In summary, the epay Silver Fern Rally 2012 starts from Auckland’s Botany Town Centre on Saturday November 10th with a Rally Show from 12pm and the cars being flagged away from 3pm. The competitors then set out on over 1000km’s of competitive high speed rally stages, stopping overnight in Rotorua, Gisborne, Napier, Feilding, Ohakune and Taupo before finishing at Hamilton’s Claudeland’s Events Centre on November 17th.

For more information on how you can get out and see this unique event, visit www.silverfernrally.co.nz

2nd Seed Dean Buist showing his sideways style from the last Silver Fern Rally
Photo Credit: Geoff Ridder

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ENDS

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