New Zealand Rally Championship

The New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) is New Zealand's leading off-road motor rally competition. A multi-event national championship has been held each year since 1975. Today the championship is held for a variety of classes based on engine capacity and further split by four or two wheel drive. The top class for a number of years has been the international Group N technical regulations and has been dominated by drivers of turbo-charged four wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancers and Subaru Imprezas.

New Zealand Rally Championship
CategoryRallying
CountryNew Zealand
Inaugural season1975
Drivers' champion Ben Hunt (2019)
Official websitenzrallychampionship.co.nz

The New Zealand Rally Championship has been a launching pad for the career of many New Zealand drivers. Rod Millen and Possum Bourne being the most notable. Recently Hayden Paddon has used the series as a springboard to international competition, competing in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship before moving on to the Production and Super 2000 World Rally Championships.

The championship was formed around the then newly created Rally New Zealand when it joined the World Rally Championship in 1977. Since then Rally New Zealand has frequently been the starring event of the NZRC and the event is current based in Auckland. The International Rally of Whangarei is also a round of the NZRC as well as being a round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. The current six round championship also takes in events based in Otago and Canterbury regions with two events based at Wairarapa.

Champions

Sourced from:[1]

Wins Driver Vehicle
1975 Rod Millen Mazda RX-3
1976 Rod Millen Mazda RX-3
1977 Rod Millen Mazda RX-3
1978 Blair Robson Ford Escort RS1800
1979 Paul Adams Ford Escort RS1800
1980 Jim Donald Ford Escort RS1800
1981 Jim Donald Ford Escort RS1800
1982 Tony Teesdale Ford Escort RS1800
1983 Malcolm Stewart Ford Escort RS1800
1984 Tony Teesdale Nissan 240RS
1985 Brian Stokes Ford Escort RS
1986 Neil Allport Mazda RX-7
1987 Tony Teesdale MG Metro 6R4
1988 Brian Stokes Ford Sierra 4x4
1989 Neil Allport Mazda 323 4WD
1990 David Ayling Mazda 323 4WD
1991 Possum Bourne Subaru Legacy
1992 Neil Allport Mazda 323 GTX
1993 Joe McAndrew Subaru Legacy
1994 Joe McAndrew Subaru Legacy
1995 Reece Jones Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
1996 Joe McAndrew Subaru Legacy
1997 Reece Jones Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
1998 Geoff Argyle Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
1999 Geoff Argyle Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
2000 Bruce Herbert Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
2001 Bruce Herbert Subaru Impreza WRX
2002 Bruce Herbert Subaru Impreza WRX
2003 Bruce Herbert Subaru Impreza WRX
2004 Chris West Subaru Impreza WRX
2005 Richard Mason Subaru Impreza WRX
2006 Richard Mason Subaru Impreza WRX
2007 Sam Murray Subaru Impreza WRX
2008 Hayden Paddon Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
2009 Hayden Paddon Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
2010 Dean Sumner Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
2011 Richard Mason Subaru Impreza WRX
2012 Richard Mason Subaru Impreza WRX
2013 Hayden Paddon Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2014 Richard Mason Subaru Impreza WRX
2015 Ben Hunt Subaru Impreza WRX
2016 David Holder Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2017 Andrew Hawkeswood Mazda 2 AP4+
2018 Hayden Paddon Hyundai i20 AP4+
2019 Ben Hunt Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2020 No 2020 Championship

References

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