Brendo to return to Rally Whangarei

Brendo will return to New Zealand next month to contest Rally Whangarei, round three of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

After competing in the event last year in a Ford Fiesta as part of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy, Brendo will use Emma Gilmour’s Subaru STI this time round, the car that is currently sitting third outright in the NZ championship, as Emma will be driving the MotorImage Subaru 08 STI.

Joining Brendo once again as co-driver, will be Glen Weston.  The pair had a successful outing earlier this month in Rally Queensland, round two of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, and as regular co-driver, Rhianon Smyth, will once again be sitting alongside Emma as part of her APRC commitments, Brendo was more than happy to invite Glen to call the notes again.

“I had a ball on the Whangarei roads last year and that was in a 2 wheel drive Fiesta,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out there in an all wheel drive Subaru!”

Brendo was clearly the quickest of the Fiestas in last year’s event, winning seven of the eight stages run on Day 1. A puncture and a battery fault on Day 2 sidelined the pair for three stages, but once the problems were fixed, they re-joined the rally and were again the fastest Fiesta over the last three stages of the day.

Rally Whangarei 2008 was Brendo’s first international event and he proved that the New Zealand roads were to his liking.  He is looking forward to returning to the popular North Island rally and to be competing against some of the Asia Pacific’s best rally drivers.

Brendo will use the event as a lead up to the round of the World Rally Championship in Australia, where he will be competing to win the Pirelli Rally Star Driver. Brendo believes the roads in NZ will be somewhat similar to that of the WRC, and hopes this will lead him into some great form for the WRC event in September.

Rally Whangarei will be held on June 5 – 7.