Masterton's Richard and Sara Mason comprehensively won the final round of the 2008 New Zealand Rally Championship, the Rally of Nelson, by 43.8sec over Mitsubishi's Chris West and co-driver Garry Cowan.
The final of six rounds in the national series, yesterday's nine stages - encompassing 199km through forests south of Nelson - were dominated by the Subaru husband-and-wife team. They won four stages and placed second in the other five.
"We've had a few DNFs [did not finish] this year, which has made life a little bit challenging," Richard Mason said.
"It's good to get the BNT car back on the top of the ramp. Nice to do it down here at Nelson at the end of the year."
Christchurch driver West wound up the season in third. Hamilton's Emma Gilmour and co-driver/partner Glenn Macneall stormed through to end the series on a high, claiming third place for the event, 1min 24sec behind the leader.
Finishing every stage in the top six, Gilmour rounded off the day in speedy style, finishing second in the final two stages.
Local driver Kieran Hall, of Nelson, had a lightning-fast run, powering his Mitsubishi Evo 5 into fourth overall, only 3.6sec behind Gilmour. The result meant he led the Xtreme Challenge field home by 1min 15sec, followed by Hawera's Glenn Smith.
Hall described the first half of the day as hard and fast. "In parts we were on the rev limiter in top gear doing 210kmh," he said.
He dedicated his result to the family dog, Flash, which died the day before the rally.
The only Dunedin competitor, Mike Hosken, overcame a boost leak and a flu-ridden co-driver (Carson Read) to finish 40th overall.
The conditions were testing, with a foggy start, dusty, rock-ridden roads and rainy finish taking their toll.
Among the 13 DNFs were national championship contender Brett Martin, who broke a wheel rim on stage four, replaced it and then punctured the spare.
Christchurch's Deane Buist had a fuel surge in stage two and missed two stages getting it fixed.
