Maybe he came in a little hot on turn 12, maybe it was just bad luck.
Either way, Indian rally driver Gaurav Gill ended up skidding off a forestry road at Flagstaff, near Dunedin, yesterday, during a practice session for the 2024 Central Machine Hire Otago Rally, which starts tomorrow.
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The three-time Asia-Pacific Rally champion and seven-time Indian Rally champion was driving former world and New Zealand rally champion Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20N Rally2 car — the same car that won last year’s Otago Rally.
Gill is hiring the car for the rally.
Rally spokesman Roger Oakley said the car came around a bend and hit loose gravel, befoe hitting a tree stump and a rock.
Fortunately, Gill and his co-driver were not injured, but the crash badly damaged the car’s rear and front suspension.
"I don’t think there’s ever really any worry about the people in the car because they’re so well protected.
"But there’s always an anxious pause until you can see if the car’s all fixable."
"Over the next two days, the drivers will be cruising around doing what’s called ‘reconnaissance’ on the rally routes, and the mechanics will have that time to do whatever they need to do.
"We expect it will be ready again on Friday."
