Rally NZ. who went? post up your pics:

[B1NZ]

Was a great event, Citroen made it 1-2 again, Unfortunately Richard Mason had engine trouble, He was looking really good until that, I think he was in about 12th place overall and the first of the non WRC cars which is quite impressive.

Did anyone see anything exciting happen? We saw a fellow club member hit the Water filled barrier on the first corner of the first stage of the Possum Bourne memorial rally SS stage

We had backstage VIP passes and were guests of the Total Citroen World Rally team: Here are a few pics:



http://file046a.bebo.com/3/large/2008/0 ... 16892l.jpg

http://file046a.bebo.com/3/large/2008/0 ... 17237l.jpg



http://file046a.bebo.com/3/large/2008/0 ... 17207l.jpg

http://file046a.bebo.com/3/large/2008/0 ... 17188l.jpg

http://file046a.bebo.com/3/large/2008/0 ... 17028l.jpg

[Prymal]

Kinda pissed - My goroup A was mean to be on display down there near the repco stand ( i work for repco , repco major sponsors etc , I own a Genuine Group a WRC Celica etc etc ) but a accident involving me having the side of the car damaged , and an emergency trip to australia for family reasons right royally fked plans for it to happen this year ..

Hoping to be back next year with a vengance, at least to go see the special stage

[Mr Revhead]

cor, he's a short arse!

from what i saw on TV, which wasnt much. coverage was CRAP this year! it looked like a good event! though i still want to shove a tyre iron in clint browns gob

yeah bugger about Rich, with the last day WRC attrition he'd have been about 9th!!

[fangsport]

CONGRADULATIONS TO HAYDEN PADDON AND HIS TEAM.

4TH PWRC
1ST KIWI
NZRC CHAMPION
NZRC JUNIOR CHAMPION

[fangsport]

from what i saw on TV, which wasnt much. coverage was CRAP this year! it looked like a good event! though i still want to shove a tyre iron in clint browns gob

and initially i thought tv commentary couldn't get any worse........... then along came Clint!!

yeah bugger about Rich, with the last day WRC attrition he'd have been about 9th!!

would he though??
i know he is a bloody good driver, but after hearing a wee dickie-bird and analysing the results, unsure whether 20 seconds per stage better ???

rumour has it that the DNF was to save face??

[Leon]

would he though??
i know he is a bloody good driver, but after hearing a wee dickie-bird and analysing the results, unsure whether 20 seconds per stage better ???

rumour has it that the DNF was to save face??

What is this? I'd just assumed the car had naffed itself?

[fangsport]

would he though??
i know he is a bloody good driver, but after hearing a wee dickie-bird and analysing the results, unsure whether 20 seconds per stage better ???

rumour has it that the DNF was to save face??

What is this? I'd just assumed the car had naffed itself?

very much 3rd hand gossip, but the basis is there.

Mason was miles behind in NZRC,
RNZ is a 3 day event, first 2 counting to NZRC.
best way to rattle 3 of the 4 guys ahead of you (who had better road position) is to come out of the blocks super quick and force them into mistakes trying to keep up.??
if both Westy and Paddon DNFed on first day, the championship would be still acheivable
Westy had issues early, but Taylor and Paddon remainded focused and consistant, and continued to pile on points.
'IF' the car had finished the event as group N winner, it would have been subject to technical inspection, whereas a car that did not would not have been checked.??
the points were only for Friday and Saturday, therefore winning Sunday wasn't part of the equation, as a technical inspection may have found 'something'???
seemingly, the car sounded fine when it returned to service???

all questionable, but with some grounding???

[Mr Revhead]

rich was the first of non WRC cars, and was ahead of a couple of them. the two Fords going out day three would have put him at leats 10th.

however, thats what some call IF and BUT rallying...
IF the engine lasted he'd have been in top ten. BUT it didnt....

not sure what you mean save face? he was rather a long way ahead of the next N4 car. westie should be thinking about saving face!

now, i just hope that the years break wont hamper things too much

[Mr Revhead]

'IF' the car had finished the event as group N winner, it would have been subject to technical inspection, whereas a car that did not would not have been checked.??
the points were only for Friday and Saturday, therefore winning Sunday wasn't part of the equation, as a technical inspection may have found 'something'???
seemingly, the car sounded fine when it returned to service???

all questionable, but with some grounding???

i doubt very much dwight would go for that. or rich, or bnt!

theres always numerous rumours flying around the NZRC paddock.
and many of them pretty baseless! sounds like ome of those ones to me just too much to lose if you get caught.

[fangsport]

come from an informed spectator, not from service park.

[Leon]

But, if that were true, then Mason would have had to have started really fast, "made" the other NZRC entrants crash.

Then, finished back in the field so the car wasn't given a technical inspection, thus getting him not many points.

Nah, all sounds a bit like one of those paddock gossip things to me, and sounds totally and utterly out of character for Mason as well.

[TRD Man]

Leon, the point Joe is making (and I must admit I'm surprised he's brought this unfounded rumour up in a public forum) is that with no technical inspection Saturday night, and as the Tech Dept did not apply seals pre-event, unless the car was plucked off the finish ramp on Sunday there's no way of knowing what was in it.

The whole purpose of the sport employing a tech dept, at some considerable cost, is to not only maintain the integrity of the competition but also that of it's competitors and to avoid this very kind of nonsense.

The speed with which this rumour has spread since Sunday evening is unfortunate and it would be sad if it were to take the gloss off what was a magnificent drive.

[Mr Revhead]

are you saying the NZRC cars were running without seals at all?
as thats the only way you could get away with it.

[TRD Man]

are you saying the NZRC cars were running without seals at all?

I'm saying that is part of the basis for this 'rumour'.

[Leon]

with no technical inspection Saturday night, and as the Tech Dept did not apply seals pre-event

I found it remarkably easy to fact check this.

Yes, the Mason car had all championship seals fitted for the rally, as did all the spares.

Your source appears to have lead you astray.

[TRD Man]

Leon, I'm actually not generally lead anywhere. Which is why I don't buy into rumours such as Joe has posted here, and why I attempt to choose my words very carefully.

I would far rather celebrate the achievements of our champions as it would appear media are rightly doing with Richard & Sara's wonderful performance.

People I consider 'sources', as apposed to rumour mongers, are generally right in the thick of things and whose word I know I can trust implicitly.

[Leon]

no technical inspection Saturday night, and as the Tech Dept did not apply seals pre-event, unless the car was plucked off the finish ramp on Sunday there's no way of knowing what was in it.

The whole purpose of the sport employing a tech dept, at some considerable cost, is to not only maintain the integrity of the competition but also that of it's competitors and to avoid this very kind of nonsense.

Might be worth removing the part where you bag the hell out of the technical department then?

[darkwolf]

Here,

http://picasaweb.google.com/DarkWolf9008/WRCNZ

more to come.

I've got 500+ photos and nearly 100 videos

[Mr Revhead]

ok... this is getting off topic! but....

so the normal procedure for any car taking part in an NZRC round is to have wire seals on the engine, gearbox and i think diffs before starting the event.
the seals are placed there by MSNZ officials and the serial numbers recorded. if any of those seals are broken and/or removed with out MSNZ approval then you lose the points for the events those numbers are recored as being on that car (just ask chris west about that)
those seals are checked and noted at the pre event scrutineering.


Bruce, are you saying that didnt happen at rally nz?
that would be a fairly substantial anomoly.

[Leon]

Bruce, are you saying that didnt happen at rally nz?

In an earlier post which is now edited, he said that was the case from what a current NZRC competitor had told him.

I figured I might as well simply ask the MSNZ technical department, and was advised that seals were fitted to the vehicle for the event.

Edit ... please note, my earlier post where I got carried away and said "championship seals" that should be amended to "seals". Same bit of wire, but has a slightly different meaning for those particularly technically inclined