Historic rally heaven on New Zealand’s Silver Fern special stages

Rally Yorkshire, September 

Here, I was in my own Hillman Avenger. We were 58th overall and third in the 1600cc class, with young journalist Ryan Standen co-driving. The poor lad, his baptism of fire for his first rally was Dalby Forest in the dark. To be fair, he held it all together – and it was me who stuck it on a bank for five minutes. My fault.

HRDC Silverstone, October

I drove Austin ‘HMS’ Westminster, with a 3-litre Healey engine and overdrive, in the Jack Sears Trophy. It was an absolute treat stretching its legs on the Grand Prix track. It’s Ben Colburn’s car and he did the first stint because it’s always best that way to ensure the owner definitely gets to race. We finished 16th overall – which was second in the Leston class.

Silver Fern Rally, November

The three big special stage historic rallies are the Classic Safari, the Roger Albert Clark and the Silver Fern – which is in New Zealand. They are all equally tough. The Silver Fern this year had an international entry of 90 cars, 60 of them historic, for seven days and 52 special stages over a 1800-mile route through ‘rally heaven’ in the South Island.

We ran a Toyota Corolla which won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 1984 with Brian Stokes. The team was very quick to tell me every day this car has not been on its roof, and to look after it.

It’s so remote and beautiful, and their gravel roads are like motorways but with lots of crests. We’d fly through stages of meadowlands and rolling hills, then suddenly you’d see the mountains. You’d go up these passes and over the top, picking your way through rock-strewn rivers.

I got stuck in a ford, up to my knees trying to dig out boulders. My Australian co-driver Duncan Jordan fell in and we were soaking wet for the rest of the day. After everything, we were 21st overall, second in the 1600cc class – and chuffed as hell

Your top events this month

IMSA – Daytona 24 Hours

Daytona, Florida, US, January 23-26 So Aston Martin’s Valkyrie AMR-LMH won’t be making its debut at Daytona but America’s racing-season opener will have its fair share of GTP/Hypercar power – plus LMP2s and GTs. Visitors will also notice a bright disc overhead. That’s the sun. Tickets from £85.

WRC – Monte Carlo rally

Gap, France, January 23-26 Bobble hats at the ready for WRC’s round one, which, say organisers, will be even tougher this year over its 18 stages. Gap, 160 miles north-west from Monaco, is the rally’s HQ. It’s a long season, finishing in November at the new Saudi Arabia Rally.

VSCC New Year Driving tests

Brooklands Museum, Kent, January 26 Pre-war cars following a fixed route while trying not to clip markers – all in the surroundings of Brooklands, including the Members’ Banking. 10am-4pm, £24 entry, ticket gives free admission to the on-site London Bus Museum (which is wonderful).

Historic – Rally Monte Carlo Historique

Monte Carlo, Bad Homburg, Reims, Turin, Valence, et al, January 29-February 5 Can’t get excited about the hatchbacks in WRC? Four days after the finish of the Monte is this, for models that raced from 1911-83. Last year’s winners were in an Opel Ascona 400; there were nine different makes in the top 10.

BRCA – Round 4: Stafford 

Stafford Radio Control Model Car Club, Cannock, Staffordshire, February 2 The British Radio Car Association’s GT National Series arrives at Stafford RCMCC’s Hednesford Indoor Raceway (What3words: about.delighted.thread) for round four of the six-round electric-only 2024/25 championship. There’s space for spectators – or why not take part? All abilities are welcome.

More events

Jan 10-12 24H Series – Dubai 24 Hours
Feb 2 NASCAR – Bowman Gray Stadium
Feb 8 Circuit Rally – Snetteron Stage Rally