Waitomo’s roads should prove decisive as this year’s North Island rally series closes in on its final destination.
All going well, Taumarunui’s Quentin Palmer will wrap up the series at Rally Waitomo on September 21 with a round to spare.
“I’m going in with the same attitude as I’ve had so far – to finish and collect as many points as I can,” he told the News. “I’m reasonably confident but I won’t take anything for granted.”
Having three podium placings under his seatbelt, the Waimiha-based driver could secure the series even if he fails to finish.
“I can still win, even if I don’t finish, as long as I then finish the last round, Rally Bay of Plenty,” said Palmer. “I think we’ll be on the same road as the year before last, but as we get no notes, we’ll just have to take it as it comes.”
Ordinarily, a good co-driver is worth their weight – literally. However, Waitomo is a clubman’s round. Consequently, Palmer and his co-driver, Michael Goudie, will be driving blind, event organiser and veteran driver Charlie Evans said.
“It’s called a clubman’s rally because it’s intended to introduce new drivers and co-drivers to the sport so they can get the feel of how a rally operates,” said Evans. “We’re not allowed any pace notes, so we have to drive the road as we see it.”
Although familiarity with the area will give the likes of Palmer and Evans an inside track, home ground advantage can backfire too.
“I plotted the course a couple of years ago but I avoid doing any recon, just to make it fair,” Evans said. “Knowing the lay of the land helps, but a little knowledge can be worse than none – you might be more careful, thinking that there’s a shit of a corner coming up when there’s not. It can be better just to find the corners and deal with them when you do.”
Running east of Piopio, the Waitomo course is no sprint but it won’t require a marathon effort either.
“Because the route flows nicely – it’s not too tight and winding – drivers will be clocking some fairly good speeds,” said Evans.
Four-wheel drives will dominate, but there’s fun to be had across the classes.
“Two-wheel drives aren’t as fast as the four-wheel drives because exit speed out of corners is slower. Having said that, my Mazda is quite light, so it can be more nimble and a little bit quicker on open roads.”
Despite being a defending champion in his two-wheel-drive class, Evans will be playing for pride.
“I’m out of the running this year because I elected not to do two of the rounds and I didn’t finish one due to a mechanical issue, but I’ll still be giving it a good go.”
Three rounds down and Palmer is, almost, a dead cert to win the series, Evans said.
“Quentin’s now leading by a long way – he won the first two rounds and he was second in the third, so he just has to maintain. If he does all right in Waitomo, he has it won.”
