Mosgiel driver Chris Hey claimed the honours in the two-wheel drive class for a staggering 13th consecutive time at the Ashley Forest Rallysprint held north of Christchurch at the weekend.
He scorched his way up the hill, around the hairpin and down the slope in his Toyota MR220.
His time of 1min 5.82sec was nearly 2sec quicker than Cromwell-based driver Ari Pettigrew, while Waiuku's Nick Speedy — great name for motorsport, that — rounded out the podium in his Subaru Imprezza.
Hey had one of his favourite co-drivers helping out — son Koby (17). Daughter Jorja has also sat in the seat in the past.
Five years ago the father-son combination teamed up to break the long-standing 2WD record. It had stood firm for 29 years, so it was quite an achievement.
Kim Austin had held the record since 1988 with his time of 1min 2.45sec Hey dipped under that with 1min 2.15sec and trimmed more time of his own record in 2019 with a hot run of 1min 0.9sec.
Hey just loves the event and plans to return again next year and defend his crown.
"It is a very iconic event for New Zealand motorsport. The road is probably one of the best roads I’ve ever driven on, and it is great fun coming down that hill," he said when asked why he kept returning year after year.
"I’ve just got to get there every year. It is my favourite event for the year.
"The hill is a lot steeper than it looks on the telly and we get up to about 170kmh coming down. It is pretty quick on gravel, isn’t it?"
Yes. Yes it is.
Fair to say Hey is rather familiar with the course by now. The surface conditions change each year, though.
It was damp this year, which made traction a challenge.
"All the competitors were about three or four seconds slower this year than in previous years."
One of Hey’s competitors knows the track even better. Veteran driver Trevor Crowe, aged 77, has competed in the Ashley Forest Rallysprint since its inception in 1979.
