Cunningham looks at what might have been
Clint Cunningham has come away from the final round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship,
the Trusthouse Racetech Rally Wairarapa, thinking about what might have been after a tough season finished with a strong
result.
Cunningham made the late decision to enter the event and a bad tyre call, combined with lingering dust on the opening
stages, he and co-driver Greg Ruka struggled to sit 15th overall after three stages.
But when confidence grew, so did the stage times and Cunningham piloted the RCK Contractors Mitsubishi Evo 4 to a string
of top ten stage times, charging forwards with results that put him in front of more experienced drivers with more
modern machinery.
Finishing off the day with two seventh fastest stage times, Cunningham and Ruka moved inside the top ten to eventually
claim a close fought ninth place, within 15 seconds of a career best seventh.
The result also ensured that Cunningham came home third in the rookie driver standings for the season, but the West
Aucklander was left wondering what might have been had every event been as trouble free as the season finale.
“I can’t help but think what might have been if we had had a clean run this season, but it was certainly really good to
have a trouble free event and show what we could do in Wairarapa,” said Cunningham.
With his debut season in the NZRC now under his belt, Cunningham is now considering options to come back bigger and
better for the 2014 season.
ENDS