Although Hayden Paddon stole the show with a record winning margin in the Drivesouth Rally of Otago, Ben Hunt's brand new Subaru WRX STi had a promising debut, finishing second yesterday.
After a seesaw battle with Mount Maunganui's David Holder (Mitsubishi Evo 8) and co-driver Jason Farmer, who were second after leg one's eight stages, Hunt emerged 18sec ahead at the end of leg two's nine stages.
For the Auckland-based driver, and his navigator Tony Rawstorn, it was the ideal way to begin their national rally championship title defence.
"Our goal was to get to the finish and we exceeded that,'' Hunt said.
Holder was thankful to hang in there for the third podium spot, despite a spin and "a big moment where we just about clipped a culvert'', he said.
"I made some mistakes and struggled to get a rhythm.''
Tauranga's Phil Campbell and his co-driver Venita Fabbro wound up fourth and felt they were lacking a little speed after smashing up the rear end of their Mitsubishi Evo 9 in a recent hillclimb.
"After a big crash last weekend, we just made sure we finished. We did that so we were happy,'' Campbell said.
Aucklander Andrew Hawkeswood was fifth in his new Mazda 2 AP4 car.
It was Otago heartbreak again for Dunedin's local lady Emma Gilmour, who retired on stage 15 after the turbo broke in her Suzuki Swift Maxi.
She was running in second place for leg two at the time and was disappointed that the DNF makes victory in the five-round championship "a lot harder'', she said.
Deane Buist, of Christchurch, won the Allcomers category after a storming drive in his Ford Escort.
It completed his trifecta of victories at this event as he won it overall in 1992 and won the classic section in 2007.
