Rally fans have got their wish, with World Rally Championship star, Mads Østberg, confirmed as the international guest at next year’s Otago Classic Rally.

For the second year running, Østberg will drive a Rossendale Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800 as he attempts to win the coveted event for the first time.

The Norwegian has just completed a hugely successful season for the factory Citroen Racing squad in the WRC.

Despite only a limited program, 31-year old Østberg outperformed his team-mates to finish as the team’s leading ...    more...

Winning this year’s NZ Silver Fern Rally – and doing so in such emphatic style – was like completing unfinished business for top British Historic rally driver Matthew Robinson and co-driver Sam Collis.

The pair crossed the official finish line of the eight-day 3,571km marathon from Hamilton to Rotorua this afternoon (Sat Dec 01) just over four minutes ahead of fellow Ford Escort Mk2 pair Roger Chilman and Max Freeman with a third British par, Roger Tysoe and co-driver Paul Morris, locking out the podium for Ford in third place,

Robinson and Collis started ...    more...

A late event charge on Thursday saw UK historic marathon rally specialist Roger Tysoe and co-driver Paul Morris wrest the final podium spot in this year’s NZ Silver Fern Rally off Kiwi pair Brent Rawstron and Ian McKee on.

But any hope Tysoe had of further closing the gap on event leader Matthew Robinson and co-driver Sam Collis, and multiple Thursday stage winner Roger Chilman and his co-driver Max Freeman who are currently running first and second were – if not dashed, at least put on hold until tomorrow – through the final stage today, ...    more...

A hard-charging Roger Chilman and co-driver Max Freeman (Ford Escort Mk 2) dominated the sixth day of 2018 NZ Silver Fern Rally action in the northern Wairarapa and southern Hawke’s Bay today.

Yet, after topping the time sheets in five of the six stages, the pair managed to take less than two minutes out of the handsome 10 minute-plus lead compatriots – and fellow Ford Escort pair – Matthew Robinson and his co-driver Sam Collis enjoyed at the start of the day.

Harrogate, Yorkshire, pair Robinson and Collis, won the day’s first stage – ...    more...

Day five of this year’s NZ Silver Fern Rally might have been the shortest in terms of special stages – three – and stage kilometres – just 84 – but it packed a serous punch.

For a start, overnight leader Roger Chilman and co-driver Max Freeman (Ford Escort RS1800) from Great Britain broke an axle in the first stage – the 38.81km Beaconsfield Valley Road - and had to be towed out, handing their hard-won and very short-term lead back to compatriots Matthew Robinson and Sam Colllis in their Ford Escort RS 1800.

That was ...    more...