Ben Hunt wins indescribable Otago Rally Trophy

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After more than a decade of attempt, Ben Hunt, from Auckland, can finally add the indescribable Otago Rally trophy to his office.

Driver Skoda Fabia Rally 2 has been keeping an eye on this particular piece of cutlery since 2013 and he and the longtime co-pilot Tony Raws has come close many times. Their victory over Robbie Stokes, from Waikuku, and her new Shane Reynolds browser fell as one of the closest finishes in the history of Otago Rally, with only 2.7 seconds separating them at the end of 15 stages and 280 kilometers of high-speed gravel action over the weekend.

Hunt said it was “amazing finally winning Otago.”

“I was the second so many times. I’ve been close – when we had fights like this over the years – to win and be the second, so it’s good to be on the other side of the bat. I can retire now that I finally won Otago,” he said, laughing.

He compared the feeling to win the entire championship.

“I have always been lucky here and we lead so many times and we lost. With how close it was with Robbie and Jack [Stokes] Over the weekend, it was even more special, because we really had to work for it. ”

Hunt had a close lead of 10.5 seconds about Robbie Stokes after the eight stages of Saturday and, after finishing second last year, Stokes was in charge of changing this yesterday.

“I took the pace very fast to get into a good pace and we did it and we took the lead. I knew these final stages Ben did so many times and he had so much experience that we would need a gap and the gap was not enough,” said Stokes.

However, he was thrilled with his fastest time during Kuri Bush’s iconic final stage, in what was his first event in his newcomer Skoda Fabia Rally 2.

Yesterday Started Out Looking Like it might be a fairytale finish for the stokes family, with the Two Brothers Locked in an epic sibling soush and in 1-2 position for stages 10 and 11. A Puncture and Remirement for Jack and Co-Driver Hayden Beans in Stage 12 Put an end an end to defa Dream Result, But with Four Stage Wins in Hist Debut Event Driving The Ford Fiesta Ap4 Previous Belonging to His Brother, Jack Looks To Be A Top Contender For a Rally’s Rally Victory Rally Championship Resting Five Sounds.

Defending Otago Victor, Millers-based Jack Hawkeswood, still managed to spray champagne at Brighton’s finishing ceremony yesterday, although it was the third-placed bottle for him and co-pilot Jason Farmer. Hawkeswood’s debut in NZRC’s victory last year saw him contest the rally as the first car of the national championship, which contributed to “a few difficult days,” he said.

“I had to sweep the road and that has been a learning experience for me.”

Returning to meet after a season off, Josh Marston, from Christchurs, was at the rhythm of his Holden Barina Ap4. Joining the Gore co-pilot, Andrew Graves, he finished fourth in a mere 2.8 seconds of the podium.

Dunedin’s Emma Gilmour had her hope of a victory in the city of a hometown ran early when a puncture in the first stage dropped her in a minute. A brake problem with its Citroen C3 on the second day also decreased its speed and Australian co-pilot Ben Searcy. Consistency is its goal for this season, and with the first five times of stage regular throughout the day, including four times faster, Gilmour has shown that it is a border for general glory.

Mossburn driver James Worker had a strong walk on his Mitsubishi Evo 6 to end sixth place and was more than three minutes ahead of the seventh place, Queenstown driver Caleb MacDonald on the same Mitsubishi model.

NZRC’s second round, South Canterbury’s demonstration on May 10 will be based on Timaru.

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