End of Season Wrap Up from the Stokes Motorsport Team

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21/11/2024

The 2024 NZRC season will be one to remember!

As the national rally season comes to a close we can reflect on the achievements from all involved in the Stokes Motorsport team. While the results in the North Island rounds didn't come as easy as the South, we have seen significant improvements from previous seasons!

Both Robbie & Jack showed excellent speed and composure from the get go this season; banking valuable championship points through the first half of the season. Unfortunately in the latter half of the season the team encountered some challenges with mechanical issues and a couple off-roads.

Despite the results from the end of the season Robbie & Jack have driven maturely all year and performed at the top of the championship!

As a team we are extremely proud of the program we have been able to execute in 2024. We have had many new faces in the team and everyone has played an important role in our accomplishments!

Daybreaker Rally

Our first trip to the North Island for 2024 and unfortunately we didn't get the result we were after. The Daybreaker is historically famous for rallying through the night and this year was no different! With alarms going off at 3am on Saturday morning it was time to go rallying in the dark! Robbie & Ally struck issues early with an electrical problem. They limped to the first service for the crew to try and remedy the car but ultimately the pair had to retire at the end of stage 9.

Jack & Sarah decided to write their own pace notes for the first time at this event, rather than using the ones provided. This is a skill many drivers develop over years, so a step in the right direction for Jack! For their first rally in the North Island together the pair tackled the day maturely and strategically resulting in 3rd place Cat 2!

Rally Bay of Plenty

Hoping to get the season back on track for Robbie in Tauranga it was disappointing to have mechanical issues dampen the day. A crack in the exhaust manifold required some extra time in service to replace resulting in a lateness penalty that dropped Robbie & Ally from 4th to 11th overall. Despite this they headed out for the afternoon stages with the rain looming and no wipers on the car!

Jack & Sarah had a cracking start to the day with a CAT 2 stage win on stage two, but their luck ran out in stage 5 on a fast left hand corner that caught them out ending off road in the bushes with a damaged windscreen and radiator. The silver lining from the crash of the R2 is that the crew were able to remove the wipers to place on the Ford Fiesta AP4 at the final service to help Robbie to finish 9th overall and 5th NZRC.

International Rally of Whangarei

The final round of the NZRC also acted as the Asia Pacific Rally Championship Final. Rally Whangarei is an event the Stokes Motorsport team know well. While the chances of winning the NZRC for Robbie were slim, mathematically they were still possible. It seemed the odds were stacked against the team before the event had even started. It started Thursday night with Brian & James going down with sickness, followed by Robbie & Ally on Friday during recce. Anne was hit on Saturday evening while Sarah luckily managed to get through the rally before succumbing to the illness on Sunday afternoon.

After some attention from St Johns, Robbie & Ally started the rally on Saturday morning; struggling with very little energy and a lot of nausea they managed a 4th and 2nd fastest stage times in the first 2 stages respectively. However it was all over on stage 3 with a crash on a narrow stretch of road. Not the ideal way to end the year after a glimpse of some impressive stage times.

Jack & Sarah had a solid rally and were able to finish off the year with another podium finish, coming home 2nd in Cat 2. It was a challnging two days in the heat and abrasive roads making the tyre wear significant. The pair got well rehearsed in changing tyres, taking two spares to change between stages for most of the event.

Final NZRC Standing

1. Ben Hunt (168)
2. Hayden Paddon (164)
3. Emma Gilmour (126)
4. Dylan Thomson (109)
5. Robbie Stokes (105) & Zeal John (105)
6. Jack Stokes (71)

NZRC CAT 1

1. Ben Hunt (168)
2. Hayden Paddon (164)
3. Emma Gilmour (126)
4. Zeal Jones (107)
5. Robbie Stokes (105)

NZRC Cat 2

1. Dylan Thompson (164)
2. Jack Stokes (140)
3. Bryn Jones (125)
4. Tim Mackersy (124)
5. James Worker (45)

Manufacturers

1. Ford (137)
2. Skoda (126)
3. Hyundai (125)

Junior

1. Zeal Jones (119)
2. Jack Stokes (104)
3. Jared Parker (99)
4. Bryn Jones (85)
5. Jack Hawkeswood (50)

As we reflect on 2024 and start planning for 2025 we want to thank all those involved in making this years NZRC campaign our most successful yet! Rallying is a sport based on speed and precision, with every stage the driver and co-driver strive for perfection to get the quickest line or latest braking point, with the ultimate goal of carrying as much speed as possible round every corner.

Without the assistance of all our service crew, supporters and sponsors Robbie & Jack would not have been able to achieve all they have this year. 

Looking forward to 2025 we have plenty of ideas (and dreams) that we hope to bring into fruition!