4 days ago
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Queenstowner claims Wyndham Rally win
Queenstown-based driver Caleb Macdonald and his Australian co-driver Larisa Biggar powered home in their Mitsubishi EVO 6 to win the 2025 Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally in difficult conditions on Saturday.
It was a special day for Macdonald as he notched up his first outright rally victory.
Macdonald won the opening stage before Tim Smith, of Christchurch, took the lead in his Subaru Impreza H6 after winning the second. Smith retained the lead after Stage 3 which was the first of three in a row won by James Worker, of Mossburn, in his EVO 6. However, Worker was pushing hard to overcome a time deficit after problems early on, so Macdonald reclaimed the overall lead after finishing third in Stage 3 and second in Stage 4. He took the final Special Stage from Worker to claim the overall rally victory by 39.5 seconds from the impressive Tim Smith/Ben Trevelyan with Worker/Campbell Tannock third, just 3.5 seconds behind Smith.
Smith was awarded the Class H win after his performance.
Top seed Andrew Graves went out early after finishing fourth in the opening stage with a fogging windscreen and he was off the road and out of the event in Stage 2. "I was a bit frustrated and pushing hard after Stage 1.
"We are OK and it is a minor fix, just a shame for my sponsors, family and friends that we were out early on."
Second seed, Robbie Stokes, of Canterbury, was fifth going into the final stage but a puncture plummeted him down the order.
Carter Strang, of Wallacetown, finished fourth overall and won Class D with David Clearwater, of Christchurch, followed by Deane Buist, of Christchurch, who was sixth as well as the first two-wheel-drive car home and the winner of Class C. Derek Ayson, of Gore, was seventh taking out Class G in his Opel Manta while Josh Keighley, of Christchurch, in a Subaru H6 was eighth. Jeff Judd in another H6 Subaru and his son Taylor Judd (Toyota Corolla) rounded out the top ten.
Other class winners were Paul Preston, of Te Anau, who won Class E after finishing 12th and Ian Warren, of Dunedin, who took 15th place to win Class B.
Warren also claimed the Glen Shirlaw Memorial Trophy for the first Otago Sports Car Club driver home. Paul Cross, of Gore, who finished 18th overall won Class F and Josh Silcock of Rangiora took out Class A in 27th place.
Macdonald said winning the event, "was a very special moment. To win the Barry Robinson Memorial Trophy on the occasion of the Eastern Southland Car Club's 50th Anniversary with family watching was very special".
Macdonald has ties to the area, having previously come from Gore. He also thanked co-driver Larisa, the club and his service crew.
"We struggled early, there was torrential rain in Stage 1 and we pirouetted down the road backwards at 120kmh in Stage 2. I gave myself a stern talking to after that!"
Anna Robinson won the Barry Robinson Memorial Challenge Trophy for the first Central Otago Motorsport Club member home in 26th place as co-driver to Chris Lange in a Ford Escort MK2. Robinson is a daughter of the late Barry Robinson after whom the trophy was named.
Stage 2 also claimed Craig Abernethy, of Gore, with mechanical troubles and both Tony Aimers, of Wellington, and Harri Silcock, of Rangiora, with broken axles. In Stage 3. Australian Richard Galley went off the road and out of the rally, while Rhys Dunsmuire, of Christchurch, retired with overheating. Winton's Steve Gill went out with mechanical troubles one stage later. Brody Cattermole, of Temuka, had mechanical problems in Stage 1 and rejoined only to fall afoul of more problems and retire in Stage 6. Cattermole won the Zestino Tyres NZ Special Award as it was his first rally.
Lauren Mackersy, of Dunedin, won the Gore Flooring Xtra Colourplus Novice Driver Challenge while Anton Montgomerie, Paul Garlick and Konrad Ward took the novice co-driver awards.
Craig Jessop, clerk of the course for the event, said his team would have preferred sunshine but "you have to play the hand you are dealt. The marshalls and set-up crews did a fantastic job in atrocious conditions. Every stage went on time.
"The competitors loved the stages and the new combination of roads."
By Lindsay Beer
