The 2025 season of the North Island Rally Series opened in May with a new naming rights sponsor – Hawkeswood Mining, and a daunting choice of venue. Northland’s infamous Ruarangi Road provided the scene for the first NIRS round, sharing the day with our friends of the Northern Region Rallysprint series.
Quentin Palmer set the tone for the series in his ex-Horan Fabia Rally2, the Skoda winning all 4 stages from former double-champion Phil Campbell’s Fiesta AP4. Third overall was Ben Huband, who (with series stalwart Dave Strong) had competed in the Timaru national championship round only the day before. The recent seat time did neither of them any harm, with Strong finishing 4th outright in what would be the only appearance of his Fiesta S2000.
Sam Broadbent gave an early indication as one to watch with a 2nd-fastest time in SS1 before mechanical issues crippled his Evo 8.
The series switched from gravel to tarmac with July’s SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac Rally. Terrible weather had struck the region 24 hours earlier, but the promoting clubs bravely went ahead and provided a testing event, sprinkled with Targa runners.
It was again a triumph for Quentin Palmer, who won all 7 stages ahead of William Menzies’ Evo 6, with Bradley Stewart’s Impreza third. It would also be the last time we saw Palmer’s co-driver, Dayna Kiekebosch, as pregnancy interfered with her hopes of becoming series champion.
Two class wins in a row for Kyle Percival (G) and John Whooley (C) set them up nicely for the series, but a spectacular DNF from the Broadbent lads dented their chances, as well as both their car and bodies.
August saw us combining our 3rd round with the NZRC at Whitianga’s Dayle ITM Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel. Todd Bawden and Quentin (with new co-driver Michael Goudie) may have shared four stage wins each, but it was the Bawden Fiesta R5 that took the round honours from Palmer and Menzies. Carlin Leong was the best-performing Subaru (finishing 4th) from Andy Martin, while series front runners Huband, Strong and Whooley were all out with mechanicals.
Hamilton Car Club’s traditional clubman-level event at September’s Newstead Lodge Rally Waitomo provided a new challenge to those unaccustomed to driving without pace notes.
Palmer reasserted his dominance with a win from Bawden and co-driver Katrina Renshaw, with William Menzies and Doug Dolan’s 4th placing (behind the Huband/Watson WRX) confirming them as the finds of the series.
As seems appropriate for a laid-back event targeting clubmen and novices, the rally’s sole DNF was Marc Milner, who repaired his radiator woes to rejoin and feature at the finish.
The fifth and final round of the Hawkeswood Mining NIRS once again joined up with the NZRC regulars at October’s Battery Town Rally, Bay of Plenty.
Palmer/Goudie finished over 3 minutes in front of Ben Huband, giving his navigator Corinne Watson ample points to secure the series Codrivers title. Andy Martin’s 3rd placing cemented his strong end to the season, while Sam Broadbent showed his continued improvement with his second class B win from consecutive events.
Final standings for the 2025 NIRS saw Palmer take his inaugural driver’s title from Huband and Menzies, with Corinne cleaning up the navigator’s ranks from Doug Dolan and Oliver Drake.
The North Island Rally Series acknowledges and thanks the following for their support: Hawkeswood Mining, Semog Racing Products, Pure Quality Construction, Rallydrive NZ, Paddon Racing Group, ISignit and Online Contractors. We have also received assistance from Chicane Racewear, Volt Media, Ngatea Panelbeaters, Ellerslie Jewellers, ChrisSport, Winmax Brakes, Fujifilm, and Geoff Ridder Photography.
