Inkster on the pace at Rally NZ

Glenn Inkster has shown strong car speed but ultimately had a tough weekend at Round two of the New Zealand Rally Championship, Rally New Zealand, based at Hampton Downs over the weekend. Inkster made an impressive start to the rally as he set the third fastest stage time on the opening stage, although heavy overnight rain flooded the road in places and one of these sections caused the TransNet Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 to develop a misfire.

After fixing the misfire on the road section, Inkster and co-driver Glenn Goldring received a ten second penalty for arriving late to the start of stage two.

Worse was to come however as the pair rolled off the road in the second stage, heavily damaging the car. After regaining the road, Inkster completed the stage but over five and a half minutes were lost.

With damage including crushed intercooler pipes, Inkster was forced to limp through the remaining two stages before the safety of service. With a further minute and 20 seconds lost, the crew worked their magic on the TransNet Evo and Inkster was able to set the fourth fastest time on stage five.

Stage six, a repeat of stage two, saw the car stopped with a broken gearbox. Eventaully Inkster was able to jam the car into second gear and get out of the stage to limp to the finish to not only collect valuable points for the day, but also be eligible for crucial bonus points at the end of the event.

After the crew pulled an all-night effort to get the car back into shape, Inkster set the sixth fastest time on the opening stage and backed that up with second fastest on the shorter second stage. Fifth fastest through the infamous Whaanga Coast stage left Inkster fifth going into service.

A repeat of Te Hutewai, the mornings second stage, saw Inkster take his first stage win of the weekend and despite the beaten up nature of the car also set the all-time record on the stage for Group N and any New Zealand driver, moving him up to fourth.

With a finish on the podium for day two a very real possibility, Inkster and Goldring set off determined but a puncture with 5 kilometres remaining cost them time dropping them back to sixth spot, although the retirement of Chris West on the road section to the final super special stage at Hampton Downs elevated Inkster to fifth, a position he maintained with fourth fastest on the race circuit stage.

Despite a tough weekend, Inkster still sits fifth in the New Zealand Rally Championship as teams head to round three, Rally Wairarapa, on May 28-29.

Press release by BB Media; Photos courtesy of Euan Cameron