Status loss a blow to New Zealand rally

Press, 20 December 1986, Page 80

Status loss a blow to New Zealand rally

PA Auckland The loss of manufacturer title status for the New Zealand motor rally will downgrade the quality of the event. But Morris Chandler, president of the Motorsport Association of New Zealand and chairman of the rally organising committee, is looking to a new emphasis on the rally to maintain its standing. “We’ve still got drivers of championship status and that means we’ll still get the top drivers from the big manufacturers teams like Lancia and Peugeot,” Chandler said.

“But now instead of a team of two or three cars, we’ll only get one as the manufacturers will send

their top driver only, to ensure he maintains his high ranking in the drivers’ championship.” The New Zealand rally has lost its manufacturers status to the United States Olympus rally in a move expected by Chandler.

It was a decision that he believed was politically motivated rather than a decision based on the quality of the event.

Chandler attended the Olympus rally because of its threat to the New Zealand event and came away knowing the New Zealand rally was better organised and a better race.

“However F.I.S.A. (the world controlling body for rallying) have been trying to get into the States for

quite a while and this was their chance,” he said.

“They’ve bent several rules to allow the American event in and I’m pretty teed of at their attitude. “American manufacturers have already said they are not interested in producing cars to F.I.S.A. standards for the rally and media and public interest in the Olympus event was not very high. “The big European manufacturers probably applied pressure on F.I.S.A. because they want (to get) into the U.S. car market.”

Chandler is still positive despite the loss of manufacturer status for the New Zealand rally.

“This years’ world championship was finally decided on a drivers-championship-only status rally so we will obviously still attract the top drivers,” he said. “We’ll be contacting some of these drivers and offering them incentives Next year’s national rally is scheduled from July 11-14 although Chandler is looking at altering this date.

Finn Juha Kankkunen yesterday became world motor rallying champion when the International Motor Sport Federation (FISA) announced they had excluded the result of the San Remo rally in which his Peugeot team were disqualified.