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Rally New Zealand confirms date cars leave Europe

Monday 26 April 2010, 10:35AM

By Rally New Zealand

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Kiwi rally fans will see international competitors in action, such as six-time world champion Sébastien Loeb, during Rally New Zealand with the freight plane from Europe ready to depart on schedule next week.
Kiwi rally fans will see international competitors in action, such as six-time world champion Sébastien Loeb, during Rally New Zealand with the freight plane from Europe ready to depart on schedule next week. Credit: Alan McDonald

Rally New Zealand officials have confirmed that the planes carrying rally cars and team equipment for World Rally Championship competitors are on schedule to depart London and Amsterdam on Wednesday, 28 April, bound for Auckland.

“Certainly the teams have had less time to prepare for Rally New Zealand than originally planned after the delays they experienced returning to their home-bases from Rally Turkey, but the scheduled flights bringing the cars and equipment to Auckland will leave next Wednesday as planned,” says Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr. “Both Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines have confirmed their schedules, and we expect both cars and people to arrive on time.

“At this point this isn’t a lot more to say. We know some of the Production and Super 2000 World Rally Championship competitors who are coming from different parts of Europe are still finalising logistics for the final part of their freight, but most of their equipment is now in New Zealand, and ready to go to Queens Wharf next week.

“There’s no doubt the event will be going ahead as planned.”

Rally New Zealand formally starts with the ceremonial start on Thursday 6 May, but organisers have a number of pre-event promotions lined up, starting with an official rally launch function for guests, media and competitors on Friday 30 April.

Teams set up at the Queens Wharf service park in Auckland on Saturday 1 May before drivers and co-drivers head out for reconnaissance of the rally stages on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 May.

The rally itself takes place over three days, from Friday 7 May to Sunday 9 May, on roads through the Whangarei, Kaipara, Franklin, North Waikato and Kaipara districts, with competitors returning to the event’s home-base at SKYCITY Auckland each evening.

More information is available on the event website, www.rallynz.org.nz.
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