Silver Fern Rally
July 1st, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
After three rallies in the South Island, NZ Silver Fern Rally organisers have decided to move the week long motorsport event to the North Island for 2012. It will also be the first time that two wheel drive cars only, will be eligible to take part.
“With the event held bi-annually and growing in local as well as international popularity, we surveyed the events past competitors, and they responded with the majority sending us a strong message indicating a need for a fresh look, and to make this a truly New Zealand event” said rally chairman, Hamilton’s Gary Smith. “Yes the North Island will bring a whole load of new challenges, but nothing our small but dedicated organising team feel can’t be overcome. We started from nothing in 2006 down south, and have built up a great team of can-do people who want the event to succeed.”
Organisers will now begin the process of planning the rally route and overnight stops. This will entail meeting with, and working closely with, Car Clubs, Local Councils, land owners and community groups. Read the rest of this entry »
April 8th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Hamilton’s Gary Smith, chairman of the Silver Fern Rallies, is the latest of the “old school” drivers to return to competition in the New Zealand National Rally Championship this year.
Smith is making his return to the Brain Green Property Group / Neil Allport Motorsport sponsored series in the same Ford Escort RS 1800 MKII BDG that he and his sons built, and that he drove in last year’s Silver Fern Marathon Rally.
“Now that I’ve got this car I guess I might as well get some use out of it before I retire again” Smith said, adding “the only trouble is I actually have two cars, and the one I drove in the 2008 Silver Fern, a 2 litre BDG powered MKI RS1600, I really need to sell if I want to have the budget to continue to compete”.
While he plans to do each event as it comes, Smith who has son Troy alongside reading the pace notes, has committed to the series, and is looking forward to competing in the National Championship Historic category (part of the 42 car International Classic Event) at this weekend’s opening round the Drivesouth Rally of Otago.
“There are a few guys older than me, and in fact most of the “Otago Classic” Historic field is made up of us old fella’s, but to be able to compete against ex World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen in a similar car will be a great experience. I had just starting competing when Vatanen had his storming drive here back in 1977” Smith said. Read the rest of this entry »
November 22nd, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Jeff Judd of Christchurch has won the week long epay Silver Fern marathon rally for historic cars, which finished in Queenstown yesterday afternoon.
With co-driver Mark Smith, Judd led home Paraparaumu’s Shane Murland by two minutes 34 seconds after 1060 kms of high speed special stages since the start in Christchurch last Sunday.
The pair, both driving Escort RS1800s battled right to the last stage, with Murland attempting to pressure Judd into a mistake, but not 
making any inroads into the leader’s advantage.
Murland had led the event from the Christchurch start, but slid off the road late on Wednesday in the Berwick Forest south of Dunedin, surrendering the lead to Judd.
Murland lost a final chance to pressure Judd, when organisers cancelled the last stage down Duffers Saddle, the highest public road in New Zealand, in the Nevis Valley near Lake Whakatipu. With large drops off unprotected corners, the stage was considered too dangerous after the narrow track had become very slippery with the heavy rain that drivers had to contend with today
Australian Geoff Portman claimed third in his Holden Commodore, the only one of the top seeds, not using a Ford Escort. The former double champion’s bigger car was no match for the more nimble Escorts in the twisty stages and the Fords were just as quick on the faster stages.
In the Challenge event for more highly modified cars, the final stage saw the second and third placed cars change positions. Australian Brad Goldsbrough (Datsun 1600) had a slow time up the Duffers Saddle while Alexandra’s Andrew Hawkeswood in a Mazda RX7 was over four minutes faster, taking over the runner-up position in the class by 73 seconds.
Read the rest of this entry »
November 11th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
If you were a gambler, you’d only get short odds on a Ford Escort winning the week long epay Silver Fern marathon rally which starts in Christchurch this Sunday.
Half the field, including nine of the top ten seeded drivers are using various versions of the ubiquitous Ford in the event for historic rally cars which finishes in Queenstown on Saturday 20 November.
The most popular two wheel drive rally car of the 1970s and the early ‘80s before 4WD cars came to the fore is still the most popular car in historic events.
South African Geoff Bell in an Escort RS1800 will lead the field away from the Cathedral Square start. This year he has already finished third in both the Portugal and Morocco historic events. He will be followed by local Christchurch driver Jeff Judd who was a front runner two years ago until he was slowed by mechanical problems.
Englishman Simon Tysoe is third away in another RS1800, having risen to the top echelon of historic rallying in Britain in a relatively short time. Wellington’s Shane Murland is the fourth seed and was a top local competitor in the halcyon days of two wheel drive rallying.
Australian double champion in 1981 and ’82, Geoff Portman is the only non Escort driver in the top ten, starting fifth in a Holden Commodore. Since his comeback to the sport across the Tasman he has won events against much more modern machinery.
Apart from the Historic event for cars manufactured before 1986, there is also another event running alongside it for vehicles with greater modifications.
Christchurch’s Brian Stokes, the 1985 national champion, who won the inaugural Silver Fern Rally in 2006, is the top seed in an Escort with a 2.5 litre motor and six speed sequential gearbox, technology that he did not have in his 1985 championship winning car!
His closest competition is likely to come from the Mazda RX7 of Andrew Hawkeswood and Deane Buist in another Escort.
While the event is about speed on the closed road special stages, it is also about endurance. Drivers will face 1060 kms of stages over the seven days — much longer than any modern World Rally Championship event.
And several of the stages are much longer too, including a 100 kms monster from Millers Flat on the Clutha River up into Central Otago over the Lammerlaw Range and down the Old Dunstan Rd.
Twenty of the 55 competing crews are from Australia, Britain, Austria and South Africa.
A brief overview of the route is.-
Sunday 14 November — Christchurch to Christchurch with stages on the Banks peninsula
Monday 15 November — Christchurch to Timaru with stages in the foothills of the Southern Alps
Tuesday 16 November — Timaru to Dunedin with stages in the McKenzie Country and North Otago
Wednesday 17 November — Dunedin to Dunedin with stages in South and Central Otago
Thursday 18 November — Dunedin to Invercargill with stages in South Otago and the Catlins
Friday 19 November — Invercargill to Alexandra with stages in Central Southland and Central Otago
Saturday 20 November — Alexandra to Queenstown with stages in the Maniatoto and Central Otago
November 5th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
With just over a week to go until the competitors in the epay Silver Fern Rally 2010 begin their international marathon rally, organisers have struck a deal with the Central Otago District Council that has allowed them to again run their iconic 100km Lake Onslow stage.
Rally Manager Carl Rabbidge said “we are very grateful that between the affected land owner and ourselves, we were able to come to a suitable compromise that has resulted in a satisfactory solution for everyone concerned. Our signature special stage is back in the event and it is this spirit of co-operation like this that makes it possible for us to bring our premier motorsport event to the local community.”
Rabbidge paid special thanks to the Council’s roading engineers and all the local area councillors, who still had the final say, but have today agreed to the compromise deal and have signed off on the road closures, allowing the stage back in the event.
Organisers still have some paperwork to do as the stage will now be split into three parts, firstly running for 15kms from Minzion Rd up to the top of Mt Teviot, where the cars will stop competing and tour for 7kms down past the affected land owners property to Lake Onslow. They will then commence competition again over the remaining 78km of the 100km stage.
The changes to the stage mean competitors will now get to truly experience the incredibly varied landscape that this area of Central Otago has to offer, as well as the real challenge of driving on these roads which form part of the events longest competitive stage
Read the rest of this entry »
October 13th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
The first International entry registrations have been received for the 2010 NZ Silver Fern International Marathon Rally, one coming from across the Tasman and the other from Europe.
With still over a year till the event takes place, popular Australian’s Keith & Mary-Anne Callinan, who now regularly compete here, will be bringing back their impressive, crowd pleasing 1968 V8 Holden Monaro for its second appearance in a Silver Fern Marathon event.
For the last Silver Fern event in 2008, the Cullinan’s competed in a Ford Escort, running well in the top 10 until experiencing mechanical problems near the end. Previous to that in the 2006 event they had used their V8 Monaro.
Keith said “while the big V8 Monaro used plenty of rubber, especially on the longer stages of the marathon event, we have decided driving the big beast sideways, making a noise and pleasing the crowd is more our style”.
From their Holden dealership at Mackay on the North Queensland coast of Australia, the
Callinan’s have used the Monaro all over the world in marathon events, including twice doing London to Sydney Rallies.
The first European entry comes from Austria and the MSC Gamma racing teams Porsche 911 SC, which will be driven by Willi Polesznig and Peter Stark.
Their Porsche was built new in 2006 to comply with the FIA Historic rules, and has competed in a number of gravel marathon events with Willi and Peter finishing 1st overall in the Shield of Africa in 1998, and 2nd overall in the Abu Dhabi Historic Rallye in 2007.
Relaxed about their “first time way down-under” Peter Stark told organisers they “plan to participate in rallyes all over the world in most exotic places.”
2010 event organising committee chairman Hamilton’s Gary Smith said “it is pleasing to see these early entries from overseas, we are now getting many inquiries from Europe, and hope they translate into entries to make the event truly International.”
Smith added “Our philosophy to modify the event to provide two rallies within the one event is giving the Historic (Classic) vehicles more incentive to come from Europe and compete against our counterparts down here on an equal footing.”
Starting in Christchurch, on November 14th 2010, the seven day event finishes in Queenstown, and will incorporate The NZ Silver Fern Historic Trophy and The NZ Silver Fern Challenge, effectively two major rallies within the one event. In addition a short Baby Fern event will run over the first three competition days.
For more information on the Silver Fern Rally 2010 click here
August 5th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Organisers of the 2006 and 2008 NZ Silver Fern International Marathon Rallies, have made some changes to their 2010 event, and will next week release preliminary information and event registration details, to intending competitors.
The most significant change to the event for 2010 will be the separation of the competing vehicles, with two new sections to better define the event in the eyes of the competitors and the public.
“The NZ Silver Fern Historic Trophy” and “The NZ Silver Fern Challenge”, will effectively become two major rallies within the one event.
The “true” Historic (classic) cars will now compete against themselves, while the Challenge (all-comers) competitors will do the same, with both having an overall winner. Added to this mix will also be the mini “Baby Fern” event taking in the first three days of competition.
“We want this to be our best so far, and we are continuing to listen to, and work with what the competitors want from our event” said Rally Chairman Hamilton’s Gary Smith. He added “the European competitors are much more traditional with their “Historic” competition vehicles, and if we want to continue to grow our event as a true International Marathon Rally, then we need to refine our event with these changes.”
The changes will also benefit the local competitors, many of whom want to be part of the adventure, but have found the expense of complying with the “true” Historic rules, too much. They can now use their Historic (classic) looking car, and fit more modern and cost effective components and still be part of the fun in the “Challenge” event.
The event has also had a minor date change, to better fit into the local motorsport calendar, and avoid clashes with the Westland Rally and the NZ Premier Race Championship meeting in early November, and to allow the Rally to be incorporated into Christchurch’s Show week.
Only a week later than originally proposed, the rally will now take place between November 14th and 20th 2010.
As proposed the marathon distance event will take place in the lower South Island, of New Zealand with around a 1060kms of all gravel special stages, and will include one monster stage of around 80kms in length.
Starting in Christchurch, the 2010 event will incorporate some of the popular 2008 stages in reverse, some exciting new roads, and some roads not used since the 1976 Heatway Rally, before finishing this time in Queenstown.
To find out more click here to visit the Silver Fern Rally website.
April 29th, 2009 by NZ Classic Car
Organisers of the 2006 and 2008 NZ Silver Fern International Marathon Rallies, have just announced their plans for a proposed event in 2010.
The proposal is to stage the event in the lower South Island, with around 1000kms of special stages, to be held between November 6th and 13th in 2010.
As with the previous two rallies, the marathon distance event will be an all gravel road affair, and will include one monster stage around 80kms in length.
Starting in Christchurch, the proposed 2010 event will incorporate some of the popular 2008 stages in reverse, as well as some exciting new roads, before finishing in Queenstown after 6 days of competition.
Despite the economic slowdown, organisers have made the positive decision to get on with planning a proposed event. Rally chairman Gary Smith said “without the competitors however, the event cannot happen, so we will be seeking their early indications of support for the proposed event.”
Past and prospective competitors can expect to receive an “invitation to compete”, with an associated early-bird entry fee, at a significantly reduced amount. The proposed 2010 event will also feature a shorter “Baby-Fern” event covering just the first 3 days of competition.
For more information on the NZ Silver Fern International Marathon Rallies visit www.silverfernrally.co.nz.
