FAMOUS STAGES: THE MOTU Ross Dunkerton splashes his way through the Motu in the 1991 WRC round. from the Motu! The first one is the fact it was my very first competitive rally stage. After having a go at zero car in Otago in 2002 we decided to enter Rally Rotorua as my first rally. I kept catching the Japanese driver in front, but I was hugely relieved to make the finish line of the Motu. I think it was the following year when, nearing the end of the stage, the newly painted front wheels had a bad vibration. We stopped to check and as we did the front wheel carried on along the road and disappeared over a bank. My co-driver, Glenn Macneall, said he’d jump in the boot of the Evo 3 to relieve the weight off the front and told me to drive out of the stage slowly. As I took off and was about to hook third gear there was a lot of banging on the roof - in my inexperience I didn’t know what slow was!! We ended up retiring at the end of the stage anyway as we couldn’t get the studs out of the hub. The following year I broke the steering on my Evo 6 when my turned wheel clipped a hidden outcrop of rock not too far from the finish.” Peter Whitten (Editor, RallySport Magazine) “As iconic as the Col de Turini in Monte Carlo and Ouninpohja in Finland, New Zealand’s Motu stage conjures up memories of some of the best rally drivers in the world, on the best rally roads in the world. Aside from Colin McRae’s dominance 36 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2016 of the stage, my favourite memory of the Motu comes from 1994 when the great Ari Vatanen was driving the Ford Escort RS Cosworth. While Colin McRae dominated the stage, Vatanen had the power steering fail on his Escort, and had to drive the majority of the stage unassisted, and the strain was clearly evident. Typically, it was a freezing cold morning as we waited at the end of the marathon 44.80km stage, but as the Flying Finn arrived at the finish control, it was clear that everything was not well Glenn Macneall takes in the Motu from the boot of Emma Gilmour’s Lancer in the 2002 Rotorua Rally. inside the Escort. The windows had begun to fog up, and as Ari opened the door to talk to journalists, I can clearly remember the steam rising from his steaming driving gloves as he battled to catch his breath and recover from what must surely have been a superhuman effort. Ari’s time was slow, but his effort to get the car to finish control rates, in my mind, just as impressively as Colin’s. Later that day I drove the stage in a hire car, marvelling at the number of corners and the unique camber of the
oad. After heavy rain, just keeping the hire car on the road was a challenge - I could only imagine what it must have been like at speed. Eventually, we reached the midstage water splash where we were eagerly awaiting the second running of the stage, only for it to be cancelled because the road conditions had deteriorated so much since the morning’s running of the Motu. My own efforts in the hire car had, it seemed, been almost as impressive as those of Ari and Colin - at least in my mind …..” Ari Vatanen battled power steering failure in his Ford Escort Cosworth through the Motu in 1994. John Kennard (co-driver to Hayden Paddon) “I think my abiding memory of any time I competed on it was that it seemed, no matter what car you were in, you never seemed to have the right gear ratios in it! I remember Malcolm Stewart cursing almost all the way up it in the Group A Audi Quattro in the pouring rain in the 1988 Rally NZ, as each time he managed to grab a higher gear and gain a fraction of speed, it ran out of revs and he had to bang it back down for the next demented twist in the road, which seemed to go on forever. Probably the funniest story though, came while checking the 1990 Silver Fern route pre rally with Brent Rawstron, when a large hare ran almost 4km down the road in front of us, able to stay ahead because the tightness of the twists and turns. He was far better suited to getting down it quickly than we were, even having time to stop and grab a breath occasionally, until we caught up!” Ed Ordynski “Coming from South Australia, where the roads are generally flat and high speed, it’s hard to imagine a more fearsome and extreme stage than Motu. It was difficult even on recce! Motu has every element that a true rally competitor craves. It’s an enormous challenge, a feat just to make it through unscathed. It was daunting and a huge test of mental toughness for both driver and co-driver. I doubt if anyone could ever say they’ve had a clean run through Motu. In Group N cars, which thrived on fast, flowing roads, and required a smooth, raceline, driving style, Motu’s relentless, tight corners and changes of surface meant you just had to take one corner at a time and hope you got most of it right. If you fooled yourself for a moment you’d got into a good rhythm, something unseen would tip you the wrong way for the next corner. The other big issue with Motu was that Whakarau, a fast open stage, followed it with little liaison time between. I always planned to try for a good time on Motu (even as I write this I realise what a ridiculous statement that is), but keep the car nice for a blistering run on Whakarau (even more ridiculous). I think I only managed that once! I did try to keep momentum up in a Group N car, using as much of the road as possible, letting it slide out to the edges and so on. Since retiring from rallying I’ve taken a road car over Motu and stopped to look at things closely where we used to push the limits. I would advise anyone still competing, AUGUST 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 37
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
The April 2017 issue of RallySport Magazine features: Latest news: * Devastated Dalton to miss NZRC rounds * New AP4 Mini absent from Forest Rally * Dylan Turner unveils Audi AP4 plans * Mikkelsen set to drive fourth Hyundai i20 WRC Feature stories: * Molly Taylor column * Inside Force Motorsport - NZ’s AP4 workshop * Spectator view of the Otago Rally * 5 minutes with Norman Oakley * Ari Vatanen, Rothmans Escorts and UK’s Rally Show * The magic of French rallying * Devious Donald and the famous BP Rally * Turbogate - Toyota’s darkest hour in the WRC Interviews: * 1983 World Rally Champion Hannu Mikkola * New Zealand co-driving veteran Fleur Pedersen Event reports: * Eureka Rally - ARC 1 * Otago Rally - NZRC 1 * International Otago Classic Rally * Rally of Mexico * Tour de Corse
The March 2017 issue of RallySport Magazine features: Latest news: * Rally of Queensland shock ARC / APRC exit * National Capital Rally steps up * Six rounds for AMSAG series * Markko Martin confirmed for Otago Rally * Three drivers for factory Hyundai NZ rally team * Preview: Eureka Rally, ARC 1 Feature stories: * Molly Taylor column * Hayden Paddon column * Famous stages: Rally Australia’s Langley Park * Renault Alpine A110: quirky and quick * Project Holden Barina AP4 * From Panamericana it started * The almost forgotten German * Girls strutting their stuff on the stages Interviews: * Former Rally Australia boss Garry Connelly * Long-time Australian co-driver Glenn Macneall * 5 Minutes With: Errol Bailey * Travel tips with DMACK driver Elfyn Evans Event reports: * 2017 Rally of Sweden * Leadfoot Festival New Zealand * Rallycross Australia round one
The February 2017 issue of RallySport Magazine features: Latest news: * MRF awarded ARC control tyre contract * ARC-winning Subaru WRX finds new home * Simon Evans to contest Otago Rally * FIA finalise new R4 kit car formula * Eli Evans aims for ARC title in new AP4 Mini * Targa North West attracts strong field Feature stories: * Power Stage reflections from Gary Boyd * Hayden Paddon column * Retrospective: the mighty Peugeot 205 T16 * 2016’s Australian state champions profiled * Gemini mission - Col Fletcher’s classic Holden * The challenge of designing a World Rally Car Interviews: * Mr Nice Guy - Belgium’s Stephane Prevot * 5 minutes with Mark Pedder * Where are they now? Adrian “Mozza” Morrisby * DMack tyre guru Fiorenzo Brivio talks about rally tyres Event reports: * 2017 Monte Carlo Rally
Updated with interviews from Toyota's World Rally Championship launch. *Full 2016 Rally Australia coverage Latest news: * New AP4 Mini Cooper for Eli Evans * Subaru back for more in 2017 ARC * Quantock wins Paddon scholarship * Mixed news for top ARC crews * Ogier, Tanak confirmed at M-Sport Feature stories: * Frank Kelly - the mad Irish Escort star, Part 2 * We drive a one-make series Ford Fiesta * Remembering the PNG Safari * Travelling man: Hayden Paddon * The history of pace notes explained * Hayden Paddon column * The Inside Line with Martin Holmes Interviews: * 5 minutes with Molly Taylor * Hyundai’s Michel Nanden Event reports: * Kennards Hire Rally Australia * Rally of India APRC * Classic Adelaide Rally * Begonia Rally * Silver Fern Rally * NSW Rally Championship * Southern Cross Rally
RallySport Magazine December 2016, featuring: Full 2016 Rally Australia coverage Latest news: * New AP4 Mini Cooper for Eli Evans * Subaru back for more in 2017 ARC * Quantock wins Paddon scholarship * Mixed news for top ARC crews * Ogier, Tanak confirmed at M-Sport Feature stories: * Frank Kelly - the mad Irish Escort star, Part 2 * We drive a one-make series Ford Fiesta * Remembering the PNG Safari * Travelling man: Hayden Paddon * The history of pace notes explained * Hayden Paddon column * The Inside Line with Martin Holmes Interviews: * 5 minutes with Molly Taylor * Hyundai’s Michel Nanden Event reports: * Kennards Hire Rally Australia * Rally of India APRC * Classic Adelaide Rally * Begonia Rally * Silver Fern Rally * NSW Rally Championship * Southern Cross Rally
The November 2016 issue of RallySport Magazine. Included in this issue: - 16-page Kennards Hire Rally Australia preview Latest news: * VW drivers in WRC lotto * One make series likely for ARC * 4 engines, 1000 horsepower from an electric rally car * Fiesta series taking shape * Paddon selects Hyundai scholarship drivers * Aussie new APRC vice president * Positive future for Targa Feature stories: * Australia’s top 10 rally drivers of all time * The ex-TTE Celica GT-Four now in Adelaide * Frank Kelly - the mad Irish Escort star Interviews: * 5 minutes with Gary Boyd * NZ Rally Championship’s Simon Bell * Young co-driver Kirra Penny * What next for Jari-Matti Latvala Event reports: * Targa High Country * Targa New Zealand * Catalunya Rally * Wales Rally GB * Malaysian Rally * Akademos Rally
The October 2016 issue of RallySport Magazine, featuring the latest rally news, features and interviews from Australia, New Zealand and the World Rally Championship.
The September issue of RallySport Magazine features the latest rallying news form Australia and New Zealand, including coverage of the World Rally Championship.
The August 2016 issue of RallySport Magazine is now available, and includes: Latest news: * Dowel backs rallycross to be bigger than V8 Supercars * Quinn’s Rally Australia WRC car bid falls short * New WRX STi could be Rally America bound * Up to 10 AP4 cars for 2017 NZRC * Skoda R5 for Mark Pedder at Rally Australia Feature stories: * Famous stages - New Zealand’s Motu * A close look at the Skoda Fabia AP4+ * Group B Mitsubishi Starion 4WD remembered * Budget rallying - Hyundai Excel * Where are they now - Wayne Bell * Hayden Paddon column * Vale: Steve Ashton Interviews: * Molly Taylor - Subaru factory driver * David Holder - NZ Rally Champion * Col Trinder - Chairman of ARCom * Emma Gilmour - NZ’s fastest lady Event reports: * Rally of Finland * APRC - China Rally * Catalans Coast Rally * NZ’s Northern Rallysprint Series * Walky 100 Rally, SARC
The July 2016 issue of RallySport Magazine, featuring news, interviews and features from Australia, New Zealand and the World Rally Championship.
June 2016 issue of RallySport Magazine, covering rallying in Australia, New Zealand and the WRC.
The first digital issue of RallySport Magazine, featuring rally news from Australia, New Zealand and the WRC.
The May 2017 issue of RallySport Magazine features: News / Regulars: * National Capital Rally preview * Vale: Timo Makinen * Five minutes with - Ross Tapper * Martin Holmes column * Photo of the month Feature stories: * Molly Taylor column * Head and neck safety * Subaru’s RS Challenge - a look back * Audi Magic - Dylan Turner’s Quattro S1 AP4 * A Kiwi in Argentina * A WRC hijacking in Sanremo Event reports: * WA Forest Rally - ARC 2 * Rally of Whangarei - NZRC 2 * Southern Rally - SARC 1 * Rally of Argentina - WRC 5 * Rally of Portugal - WRC 6 * Mitta Mountain Rally