In the wake of the decision forced on them by the Covid-19 pandemic to cancel the NZ round of the WRC in September, Rally New Zealand organisers have announced two new events, the City of Auckland Rally, and the Battle of Jack’s Ridge to be staged in November.
The City of Auckland Rally will be held on Saturday 14 November and include stages in the Kaipara Hills, Puhoi and Riverhead Forest originally part of the planned WRC event.
The day after, the weekend will conclude with a standalone ‘Battle of Jack’s Ridge’ rally sprint event on a 6.2km section of the ‘Jack’s Ridge’ road near Whitford.
“Clearly we had planned to spotlight these stages at the FIA World Rally Championship event in September,” said Rally New Zealand Chairman, Peter Johnston.
“We were so pleased with the route that was coming together for Rally New Zealand, and now we want to share the Auckland-based stages with rally drivers and our fans.
“There are some incredible rally stages north and west of the city which are fan-friendly and on Auckland’s doorstep.”
Meanwhile, the Jack’s Ridge rally sprint road, purpose-built by well-known rally driver Andrew Hawkeswood, was earmarked as the power stage for Rally New Zealand.
“Building Jack’s Ridge was all about using the lay of the land to create a stage that drivers would love combined with safe and prime spectating opportunities,” explained rally veteran Hawkeswood.
“It’s something that’s been bubbling away for a little while, but the World Rally Championship returning was the perfect motivation to make it happen.”
The two events follow on from the recent cancellation of Rally New Zealand from the 2020 World Rally Championship calendar, with organisers remaining optimistic that these iconic roads will feature in the 2021 WRC schedule.
“The FIA and WRC Promoter are aware that we have invested significantly into the return of Rally New Zealand,” says Johnston.
“We believe when fans get the chance to check out Jack’s Ridge, they will get a sense of the excitement and magnitude of hosting the World Rally Championship which we hope will be included on the 2021 calendar.”
