1979 rally in N.I.

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 36

1979 rally in N.I.

By

JOHN FRIDD

South Islanders will again be deprived of the opportunity to see top international' irally stars in action with thei ') announcement this week) (that the 1979 Motogard 1 Rally will be held in the (North Island. ) The 1977 Radio New Zea-) Hand Rally saw Fiat and Ford works cars battling for) (world championship points) ion a tough North Island] | route, and this year’s in-) (augural Motogard Rally, | I won by Russell Brookes, the! >Englishman who was third! in the recent RAC rally ini Britain, was also in the! (north. ) Hopes were high that next) (year’s event would be runs (around the top half of the! South Island, but. the Motor-) ispecs-backed Motogard con>ipany has specified that once (again the rally must run | through the North Island. This is probably because it ) is easier to gain specialstage sponsorship in the] north — with the 1979 rally!

I the sixth round of the 12-1 I round world championship 11 for manufacturers, it will]. - not be cheap to run. 11 The rally co-ordinator, Mr, : Murray O’Donnell, said from! : Auckland yesterday that I I next year’s event would] ■jstart in Auckland on SaturIday, July 14, and take the! •jcars on a testing 3000 km I I; route — using roads never! •before traversed by rally: i {cars — through Tauranga,]< IfTaupo and New Plymouth,| ( ■lending back in Auckland, J , I Manufacturers in Japan 1 hand Europe have already ■ I II made preliminary inquiries |- 11 about sending works-backed | I teams to contest the rally, ]< ‘which could bring out ' drivers like Finland’s Hannu < iJMikkola, probably the < ■‘world’s best rally driver at t ■ present. s Private teams from Aus- ' ‘ tralia. New Caledonia and I the Philippines are also j interested in contesting the s rally. “The 1980 rally will deft- c initely be held in the South 1 ‘lsland,” said Mr O’Donnell, j