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Rally New Zealand

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Rally New Zealand
StatusActive
GenreMotorsporting event
FrequencyAnnual
Country New Zealand
Inaugurated1969
Websiterallynz.org.nz

The Rally New Zealand is an annual rally race in New Zealand. It was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship in 1977. The race is famous for its fast flowing gravel roads which carry the competitors through forests and alongside the New Zealand coastline.

It was first held in Taupō in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971. Auckland has hosted the majority of Rally New Zealand events. From 2006 to 2008 the event was based in Hamilton, with the service park, parc ferme and the super special stage all being located at the Mystery Creek Events Centre. In 2010 it returned to Auckland.

The WRC teams voted Propecia Rally New Zealand "Rally of the Year" in 2001. The 2007 Rally New Zealand ended with the closest-ever finish in the history of the World Rally Championship. After over 350 competitive kilometres, only 0.3 seconds separated the winner Marcus Grönholm and second-placed Sébastien Loeb.

No event was held between 2013 and 2016. As of 2020, the event is a part of the World Rally Championship, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.

Past winners

2006 post-race celebration with Marcus Grönholm, Mikko Hirvonen and Manfred Stohl.
Season Driver Co-driver Car Event report
1969* New Zealand Grady Thompson Rick Rimmer Holden Monaro
1970* New Zealand Paul Adams Don Fenwick BMW 2002
1971* Australia Bruce Hodgson Mike Mitchell Ford CortinaLotus
1972* United Kingdom Andrew Cowan Jim Scott BLMC Mini 1275 GT
1973* Finland Hannu Mikkola Jim Porter Ford Escort RS1600
1974* Not held
1975* New Zealand Mike Marshall Arthur McWatt Ford Escort RS1800
1976* United Kingdom Andrew Cowan Jim Scott Hillman Avenger
1977 Italy Fulvio Bacchelli Francesco Rossetti Fiat 131 Abarth
1978* United Kingdom Russell Brookes Chris Porter Ford Escort RS1800
1979 Finland Hannu Mikkola Arne Hertz Ford Escort RS1800
1980 Finland Timo Salonen Seppo Harjanne Datsun 160J
1981* New Zealand Jim Donald Kevin Lancaster Ford Escort RS
1982 Sweden Björn Waldegård Hans Thorszelius Toyota Celica
1983 Germany Walter Röhrl Christian Geistdörfer Lancia 037 Rally
1984 Sweden Stig Blomqvist Bjorn Cederberg Audi Quattro
1985 Finland Timo Salonen Seppo Harjanne Peugeot 205 T16 E2
1986 Finland Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen Peugeot 205 T16 E2
1987 Austria Franz Wittman Jorg Pattermann Lancia Delta 4WD
1988 Austria Josef Haider Ferdinand Hinterleitner Opel Kadett GSi 16V
1989 Sweden Ingvar Carlsson Per Carlsson Mazda 323 4WD
1990 Spain Carlos Sainz Luis Moya Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
1991 Spain Carlos Sainz Luis Moya Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
1992 Spain Carlos Sainz Luis Moya Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
1993 Scotland Colin McRae Derek Ringer Subaru Legacy RS
1994 Scotland Colin McRae Derek Ringer Subaru Impreza 555
1995 Scotland Colin McRae Derek Ringer Subaru Impreza 555
1996* United Kingdom Richard Burns Robert Reid Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III
1997 Sweden Kenneth Eriksson Staffan Parmander Subaru Impreza WRC 97
1998 Spain Carlos Sainz Luis Moya Toyota Corolla WRC
1999 FinlandTommi Makinen Risto Mannisenmäki Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI
2000 Finland Marcus Grönholm Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 206 WRC
2001 United Kingdom Richard Burns Robert Reid Subaru Impreza WRC 2001 Report
2002 Finland Marcus Grönholm Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 206 WRC Report
2003 Finland Marcus Grönholm Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 206 WRC Report
2004 Norway Petter Solberg Phil Mills Subaru Impreza WRC 2004 Report
2005 France Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC Report
2006 Finland Marcus Grönholm Timo Rautiainen Ford Focus RS WRC 06 Report
2007 Finland Marcus Grönholm Timo Rautiainen Ford Focus RS WRC 07 Report
2008 France Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC Report
2009* Not held
2010 Finland Jari-Matti Latvala Miikka Anttila Ford Focus RS WRC 09 Report
2011* New Zealand Hayden Paddon John Kennard Subaru Impreza WRX
2012 France Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën DS3 WRC Report
2013

2016*
Not held
2017* New Zealand Hayden Paddon John Kennard Hyundai i20 AP4
2018* New Zealand Hayden Paddon Malcolm Read Hyundai i20 AP4
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
2021* Not held
2022 Finland Kalle Rovanperä Jonne Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Report
2023

Present*
Not held

* denotes years when Rally New Zealand was not part of the World Rally Championship

Multiple winners

Number Driver Years
5 Finland Marcus Grönholm 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007
4 Spain Carlos Sainz 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998
3 France Sébastien Loeb 2005, 2008, 2012
United Kingdom Colin McRae 1993, 1994, 1995
New Zealand Hayden Paddon 2011, 2017, 2018
2 United Kingdom Andrew Cowan 1972, 1976
Finland Hannu Mikkola 1973, 1979
Finland Timo Salonen 1980, 1985
United Kingdom Richard Burns 1996, 2001