New Zealand preview: Burns versus Mac&Mak

Subaru team leader Burns sits on 38 points, with McRae tied for second with Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm on 24, and Makinen one point further back in fourth. All bar Gronholm have won on the fast and smooth, but slippery New Zealand stages in the past - Makinen took the spoils last year - but McRae is the man on form, having won two of the last three rallies in this year's championship, Catalunya and the Acropolis. But with 10 points on offer for a win, the 373.37km of special stages around Auckland could significantly change the championship status quo.

"It's a big rally for me in several ways," says McRae. "It's the first world championship event I won (in 1993) and could prove vital in this year's championship. Richard Burns still has a fairly comfortable lead, but if we can score a similar result in New Zealand to that of Greece, it will show the tide is really turning."

After winning the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally and finishing second in Sweden, Makinen has had slim pickings in recent rounds, but after an intensive development programme, the Finn's Ralliart team believe his Lancer has the speed and reliability to take on McRae's flying Focus.

"I feel confident about New Zealand," says Makinen. "Last year I found very good settings for the suspension and I know very well what we have to do to make the car fast. Of course, you don't know what can happen with so much opposition, but the second half of the year is usually better for me."

After three wins and one second place in four rallies, Burns' hot streak came to a temporary end in Greece with a DNF, but the Englishman believes he can come out on top in a scrap in New Zealand.

"There are five very good drivers behind me in the championship standings, and they'll all be pushing to close the gap," he says. "But I've got the right car, we've got another new Pirelli tyre for this event, and it's a good opportunity to score another 10 points. There's no question of me relaxing - I'll be giving it 100%."



In the manufacturers' championship, Subaru has an 11-point lead over Ford, but with two cars scoring points for each manufacturer, that gap could be wiped out in a stroke this weekend. Ford's Carlos Sainz, who finished a controversial second in Greece, having matched McRae for pace before the team implemented team orders, won in New Zealand in 1998 - his fourth victory on the event.

The Spaniard relishes the free-flowing Kiwi stages: "It's a pure driving event and the roads are fantastic," he enthuses. "There's few bumps and no rocks, so you can concentrate on your lines and car control."

Burns' team mate Juha Kankkunen has not matched the outright speed of the Englishman this season, but can probably be relied on to bring the car home in the top six - and smooth, flowing, loose surfaces are the Finnish multiple-champion's natural home, so don't discount a podium if the attrition rate is high.



For a real dark horse, SEAT's Toni Gardemeister could be worth a punt. Finland's latest rising star finished third on last year's event and despite suffering an enormous accident in testing for the Finland Rally, he believes his prior knowledge of the stages could work to his advantage.

"We have done so many rallies this year which have been completely new to me and New Zealand is almost the first event of the season that I know quite well," says Gardemeister. "Many stages are unchanged, so this will also help us. I like the rally very much and we will try to drive flat-out from the start of the opening stage."

Ford has entered a third Focus for its wunderkind Petter Solberg. The Norwegian has been setting fastest stage times as a matter of course, but along with co-driver Philip Mills, he is surely due an event where consistency matches his outright speed - a podium beckons in New Zealand.

Hyundai completes the half-dozen manufacturer teams and the Accent has been making steady progress since its world championship debut. Kenneth Eriksson won the event for Subaru in 1997, while Alister McRae was last year's Formula 2 winner in a Hyundai Coupe Kit Car.

"I'd like to think we're at the point where we could set top six stage times," says McRae, "and I think New Zealand will suit the car and both Kenneth's and my style well."



The event starts on Thursday, July 13th, from Auckland, with the first competitive stages beginning the following day and finishes in Manukau on Sunday afternoon. The rally follows the classic cloverleaf format, returning to Auckland each night, with eight special stages on each of its three legs, including two shots at the Manukau Super Special at the end of Friday's first leg.

But if one single stage defines the rally, it's SS12, Parahi/Ararua, on Saturday. At 59km, it's the longest in the whole world championship, with a predicted average speed of over 100km/h. Colin McRae's mastery of the now defunct Motu Road stage is legendary and if any driver can dominate Parahi/Ararua to the same stunning effect, the rally could be won and lost there and then.

(All times are GMT+12, BST+11 e.g Leg 1 starts 1800 BST on Thursday, July 13th)



0500 Auckland start
0818 SS1 Te Akau North, 32.37km
1026 SS2 Maungatawhiri, 6.52km
1049 SS3 Te Papatapu 1, 16.75km
1122 SS4 Te Hutewai, 11.32km
1253 SS5 Whaanga Coast, 29.52km
1336 SS6 Te Papatapu 2, 16.75km
1815 SS7 Manukau Super 1, 2.10km
1845 SS8 Manukau Super 2, 2.10km
1845 End of leg 1 - Auckland



0700 Auckland re-start
0928 SS9 Waipu Gorge 1, 11.24km
0946 SS10 Brooks 1, 16.03km
1014 SS11 Paparoa Station 1, 11.64km
1137 SS12 Parahi/Ararua, 59.00km
1420 SS13 Cassidy, 20.12km
1513 SS14 Batley, 19.82km
1616 SS15 Waipu Gorge 2, 11.24km
1634 SS16 Brooks 2, 16.03km
1702 SS17 Paparoa Station 2, 11.64km
2100 End of leg 2 - Auckland



0700 Auckland re-start
0918 SS18 Te Akau South, 31.24km
1126 SS19 Ridge 1, 8.53km
1139 SS20 Campbell 1, 7.44km
1157 SS21 Ridge 2, 8.53km
1210 SS22 Campbell 2, 7.44km
1253 SS23 Fyfe 1, 8.00km
1306 SS24 Fyfe 2, 8.00km
1530 Finish - Manukau