Autosport Car Club

The 2026 Waimate Rally is loading! Six stages around the South Canterbury township

A perfect place to wrap up the Mainland Rally Championship and the Subaru H6 Cup Rally Series 🏆

This is a club rally, so a short day, no pace notes and a whole heap of fun! Get your accomodation sorted early though as the region is limited

*DRAFT ITINERARY BELOW

Lone Star/Joe's Garage - Canterbury Rally Class H - Subaru H6

An awesome field of 8 H6's lined up for the 2nd round of the H6 cup with Thomas Paul being the cream of the crop today with not only first in class but 7th overall proving the H6 based formula that was born from Magnum Workshops right here in Canterbury can be a giant killer in the right hands. With the 3 podium sittings taking the top 3 times on every stage but all having a share of each its no wonder Josh Keighley was only 27 seconds back in second place and Tim Smith despite an spontaneous effort to split a rim apart in SS2 was only a further 12 seconds back in 3rd

🥇 Thomas Paul - Photo Credit Geoff Ridder
🥈 Josh Keighley - Photo Credit Geoff Ridder
🥉Tim Smith - Photo Credit Iconic Visuals

Lone Star/Joe's Garage - Canterbury Rally Class F & G Classic 2WD

Our Classic 2WD cars keeping the spirit of rallying alive with Peter Johnston in Class F taming the north canterbury roads to take the class Win. Ben Harding kept his nose clean to take the top step on the podium in the over 1700cc class in the Mazda RX7 ahead of Jeff Judd campaign his old faithful Es**rt to take 2nd with Rex ford in his Datsun 180B for 3rd in class

Class F Classic 2WD under 1700cc
🥇 Peter Johnston - NZRC Stream

Class G Classic 2WD 1701cc +

🥇 Ben Harding - Photo Credit Geoff Ridder
🥈 Jeff Judd - Photo Credit Driven by Dirt
🥉 Rex Ford - NZRC Stream Rex Ford - NZRC Stream

Lone Star/Joe's Garage - Canterbury Rally Class E Pre96 4WD

Although a small class with only 2 competing this year that didnt stop the competition with Nigel King and Shane McKenzie trading times all day with the final time dfference only being 22.7 seconds with Nigel being able to hold off the late charge from Shane to take the top spot

🥇 Nigel King - NZRC Stream
🥈 Shane McKenzie - NZRC Stream

Lone Star/Joe's Garage - Canterbury Rally - Class D 4WD

Ben Hunt might not have been in the NZRC battle but made great use of bring the championship winning Subaru back out of retirement to take the new owner for a ride to secure the 4WD Class D win in the rally ahead of Grant Blackberry in the Evo by only 40 secs ensuring there was some diamonds between the Subarus with Matthew Wright showing the good ol Subaru GC8 chassis has plenty of giant killing performances left yet.

🥇 Ben Hunt - Photo Credit BT Photography
🥈 Grant Blackberry - Photo Credit BT Photography
🥉 Matthew Wright - Geoff Ridder

Lone Star/Joe's Garage - Canterbury Rally Class C

Ari continued his impressive form with the new Porsche 911 continuing to turn heads and impress including a impressive top speed run through SS6 and putting a 3 minute gap over Dean Buist in his classic class C weapon Mk2 Es**rt . Marcus Van Klink keeping ahead of a few issues for the day to take the 3rd spot in Class C

🥇 Ari Pettigrew - Iconic Visuals
🥈 Deane Buist - Ash
🥉 Marcus van Klink - Bejon Halswell

See you all tonight for pub quiz, registrations start at 7pm at Lonestar Manchester St

Lone Star/Joe's Garage - Canterbury Rally - Class B

Class B showed sometimes its not just enough to finish with the entire class of 3 finishing the rally so came done to speed and not just survival. Rory Lawn put his awesome wee starlet on the top step of the Podium, with Josh Silcock coming so close with another battle that was so close all day but having a spin on the last lap of Ruapuna and missing out on the win by just 3 seconds. Richie Chadwick showing once again in his wolf in sheep's clothing corolla good enough to keep him on the podium in a highly completive class

Congratulations to our overall podium places
🥇 Rory Lawn - Photo credit NZRC
🥈 Josh Silcock - Geoff Ridder
🥉Richie Chadwick - Photo credit NZRC Stream