International Rally Stars Set to Take on Bay of Plenty Roads

Whakatāne and Kawerau will be at the centre of New Zealand’s rally scene this weekend as international drivers join the country’s leading competitors for the final round of the 2026 New Zealand Rally Championship.

The Battery Town Rally Bay of Plenty takes place on Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31, with nine special stages scheduled across the region on Saturday.

The event will bring competitors from Australia, Japan and the Pacific Islands to the Eastern Bay of Plenty, with championship honours and bragging rights on the line.

Rally action begins in Whakatāne on Friday afternoon, when drivers and their cars will gather on The Strand for a public rally show and ceremonial start from 4.30pm.

Clerk of the Course David Loughlin said the event had attracted a strong field, including seven international entrants.

Among those expected to feature prominently are World Rally Championship driver Hayden Paddon and newly crowned New Zealand Rally Champion Jack Hawkeswood, both competing in Rally2 cars.

Eastern Bay fans will also be watching local favourite Mike Young, who will compete in an AP4 Toyota Yaris.

Other leading entrants include North Island Series leader Quentin Palmer in a Škoda Fabia Rally2, Australian driver Stewart Reid in a Mitsubishi Mirage AP4, and William Menzies in a Toyota Yaris Cup car.

Tauranga’s Gavin Feast, competing in a Subaru Impreza, will also be among the contenders, alongside Hawke’s Bay driver Grant Blackberry and southern competitor Carter Strang.

“It’s great to have New Zealand’s best drivers and seven international entrants from Australia, Japan and the Pacific Islands,” Loughlin said.

The two-wheel-drive field is also expected to provide plenty of variety, with Marcus van Klink bringing his Mazda RX-8 to the competition alongside Ford Escorts, Ford Fiesta R4s, Mazda RX-7s and Toyota models.

Australian driver Richie Dalton will compete in an Escort MkII, while rising rally talent Taylor Gill will make the trip in a Suzuki Swift.

Gill said driving on New Zealand’s gravel roads had long been an ambition.

“I’ve always dreamed of driving on the famed New Zealand gravel roads, so this is a chance that was too good to pass up,” he said.

After competing in WRC2 events in Sweden, Croatia, Finland, Paraguay and Chile this season, Gill said the opportunity to finish the year in the Suzuki would allow him to enjoy the competition.

Spectators across the Eastern Bay will have several opportunities to get close to the action, with the Ron Hardie Centre in Kawerau serving as a key stop during Saturday’s competition.

Rally cars are scheduled to make three 20-minute service stops at the centre, giving spectators the opportunity to see teams work on their vehicles between stages.

The service area is expected to operate from about 8.30am, with the final service break scheduled for around 2.30pm.

Organisers are encouraging spectators to use the rally’s official Spectator App to find designated viewing areas and plan their journeys around stage times and road closures.

The rally is expected to return to Whakatāne’s Strand for its finish celebrations at approximately 5.30pm on Saturday.

Local supporters will also have an opportunity to see Young’s Toyota Yaris before the event, with the car scheduled to be displayed at Ōpōtiki Tyre Service on Wednesday and Thursday before moving to Pacific Toyota in Whakatāne on Friday.

The event marks the final round of the 2026 New Zealand Rally Championship, bringing a season of competition to a close on the gravel roads of the Bay of Plenty.