The rebuild, the Return and Success at Rally New Zealand.

Rebuild

The Auckland Motors Mitsubishi Rally Team had a slow return to the 2016 season while both the car and driver Bryn returned to former glory. Following the rebuild the car has taken on a new look and really stands out from the other cars in the New Zealand Rally Championship. After all repairs had been made and genuine Mitsubishi RS components replaced it was wrapped in its new livery and has been a real head-turner from its first outing. A few things have been revised on the car from the previous season – a more powerful tune through the Motec ECU, a carbon fibre cold air box, more aggressive front and rear differentials, floating front disc brakes, and genuine Group-N 4-pot Brembo items for the rear. Further safety items have also been added including a full in-car and engine bay fire-extinguisher system. This has added to an already well set up car and sees the Auckland Motors Mitsubishi Evo 9 RS returning at its most potent.

Return

The second Bryn had medical clearance to jump in the car again – testing began. A series of private sessions across multiple rally stages were undertaken in ranging conditions while Bryn and his new full time co-driver Andy Beck got some much needed seat time. The car setup and pace notes were adjusted and fine tuned – before long the team was happy with instant pace and the optimistic feeling from inside the car. Over the next few months further testing was conducted at Rallysprints around the North Island and things started to really come together – it was now time for the team to take on their first full rally since the accident. While there is no such thing as an easy rally, the next one on the calendar was one of the more full on rallies the season has to offer. The Rally of Waitomo packs into a single day what most do over two. Known for its ex-WRC roads and incredibly long stages – the Waitomo rally is tough on all competitors. The aim for the Auckland Motors Mitsubishi Rally Team was to maintain a good pace and get to the checkered flag. After the first stage it was clear that this going to be a rally of attrition as several competitors retired after the opening stages. Accidents and mechanical failures were common and it served as a further reminder to stick with the original plan of a smooth and safe run to the finish. By the midday service the Auckland Motors Mitsubishi Rally Team found itself in a good position with the car performing excellently. Stage 4 saw Bryn put in an exceptional drive and posted a time which proved to the field that he was indeed back and capable of good times. For the rest of the afternoon it was decided not to chase further positions and the team cruised to the finish to claim 34th overall and 6th in open 4wd. The objective had been reached – a rally finish and putting the demons of the Tauranga Clubman Rally crash to bed. Immediately the team looked forward to the next and biggest event of the year – the two day Rally of New Zealand.

Success at Rally of New Zealand.

With the goal of driving through the Waitomo Rally and finishing – the last event of the year Rally New Zealand was a chance for the Auckland Motors Mitsubishi Rally Team to set some competitive time and give a taster of their approach for the following season. The event was spread over two days with the first over several ex-WRC roads in raglan – these included world famous stages like Whaanga Coast, Te Hutewai and Te Akau. The following day saw the rally move to Tauranga with a good mix of flowing and technical stages before the finish. During the Recce Bryn and Andy focused on getting their notes adjusted perfectly – the team was going to push. Bryn came out of the blocks at great pace – keeping it tidy but with great momentum stage 1 was finished with a top 3 time for the class and in the top half of the field overall. The next stage was the fabled Whaanga Coast road – the toughest of the event. The searing heat had already become a factor in the day and problems with dust was going to be a real issue. An endurance approach was taken for the stage and even though speed was hampered by large dust clouds Bryn put in a fantastic stage time which saw the team move to 24th overall and retain 3rd in class. With that stage out of the way the team got stuck into the next stage Te Akau South and Bryn posted a time in the top 20 overall and 1st in class. The team reached the lunch service feeling particularly sharp. The afternoon saw these stages repeated and through great determination the team had finished day 1 to sit 21st overall and 2nd in their class.
For day 2 it was decided that the team would keep pushing. Several competitors retired overnight and by midday the team saw itself sitting just outside the top 10 overall and 1st in open 4wd. The goal of the afternoon was to bring the car home and not lose any positions – this wasn’t easily done as everyone was putting in their final push. Bryn dominated class stage times throughout the rest of the day and finished in true style. After the tour back to the official finish the team immediately found itself on the top of the podium – they had achieved 1st in class and 13th overall. This was a massively positive result after coming back from the accident and the Auckland Motors Mitsubishi Rally Team finished the year in true style.

Already looking forward to the 2018 season – the team plans to build upon this success and find further speed. Look for updates after the years first event – the Rally of Otago.