November 22, 2024 • 7 mins
The Silver Fern Rally typically runs over seven days in November every second year, and has more than 1050 kilometres of closed road gravel stages, plus about 1800 kilometres of touring.
There are two competition structures, each subdivide into four categories. The Historic Trophy is for ‘Puka’ (or C.O.D) 2WD pre 1985 Cars, and the Challenge Trophy is for all other 2WD Cars that don’t qualify for the Historic Trophy.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with last year's winner James Ford to preview the event.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Seven forty six. This is your Sport Breakfast on News
Talk z B. Every two years, New Zealand holds the
Silver Fern Rallying to AMU the Mighty South Island runs
for five days or over the place. It is an
iconic rally event and drivers are attracted to it from
(00:32):
all over the world. This is invented stuff. They've got
some incredible cars and a command who's come back to
have another crack after winning the title two years ago
is James Ford. Look, it's like a thousand k of
rallying in five days, which is an astonishing amount. I
think that's the entire length of the Brian Green property group.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
He's in a rally championship.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
All told, so a wonderful event and you were joined
by James Ford right here right now, morning May.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
How are you very good? How are you are? Not
so bad?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
You'd be looking forward to defending your title because you
are the current Silver Fern Rally champion.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Yeah. So we came here two years ago with no expectations,
really more of a holiday than anything, and we yeah,
we ended up beat the local guys and that's that's
where we are now, right.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So you came on a holiday, but you're always going
to compete and just turn out, pinch your car and
decide to race at the last minute, did you.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
No, No, we brought our car from the UK and
on our team and stuff like that, and then yeah,
that's so. But we did it as a bit of
an end of season sort of rally slash holiday sort
of thing.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, you say end of season, what do you compete
on in the Northern Hemisphere's what's so?
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I normally to have a rally two car Citrons or
we do the Irish Rally Championship a lot of the time,
and then we do some events back in England as well.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Mean cars, there's rally two cars seen, a lot of
them are floating around with the Brian Green probably group
New Zealand Rally Championship with quite a bit of kit,
aren't they.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, very good.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
So we've had mixed results this year. We had a
few accidents at the start of the year. It wasn't
the best, but it's got a bit better since then,
so thank god.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Keeping me out of the scenery then is the main thing,
what are you campaigning this time around? What if you
if you brought the same car with you or you
pick one upby heare.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
No, we brought a new car. We built a new
car for this year, so we were using a Viking
Motes but car which is Phil mills is company, so
we're basically using their car, but I'm using my Irish
team to basically run it. So it's like the normal
team that we rate rally with back in New Europe,
but we're using a car built by Phil.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Basically, what's the attraction of silver Fern? Why have you
got back planning? You want to defend it? But what
because unique format? What does it for you?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
It's a long distance rally which is always good in
historic car and basically the gravel over here is amazing
compared to especially the UK UK gravel. It's very rough,
you know, it's very hard on cars. Things like that,
like whereas you come here, you know we can do
a whole week basically bar mechanical parts. We don't need
to fix the bodyshell and things like that. So it's
and it's just nice to come this time a year
(03:06):
because the weather's better here. Obviously back home now it's
currently snowing in minus four, so it's it's nice to
be here in shorts and the T shirt.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And well away are they talking to a friend of
mine just a day or so ago about exactly that
looks pretty grim? So when you go through the stages,
are you starting off and you go right around the
South Island from memory? What stage did you enjoy the most?
What's the streets that really does it for you?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
James?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
I can't actually remember for the last time, to be honest,
because it was it was two years ago. But in
general the stages that the Mountain passes are probably the
most technical. You know, Dancy's pass, especially from memory, was
very very hard, and I know that they do that
here within a rally two car, which again I can't
believe that, but yeah, so it's stuff like that. The
(03:53):
Mountain pass is definitely the most difficult of the rally
for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Great place to watch outside the pub. A number of
times that Dancy's passed like there was no race cars
going on.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
What I thought?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You imagine a really car bursting past here. That's absolutely frightening.
Tell us that the basis around the Silver Fern Rally,
what it is what it stands for, not from your
point of view, but from Relly in general.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
So Silverfern Rally would be sort of a standalone historic event.
If you're talking worldwide, the two big events that stand
out would be the Silver Fern Rally and the Rac
Rally in the UK, and they sort of do alternate years.
So last year we did the Rac Valley which goes
basically past where I live, and then New Zealand do
the Silver Fern on the opposite year. So if you're
(04:36):
talking historic rallies throughout the calendar, that's alternate years. That's
kind of how it happens really, and you get a
lot of guys who don't do a lot of historic
rallying who would do those two events because again it's
sort of end of the season and it's a bit more
you get a bit more time to prepare for it
and things like that.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So James split into three categories, isn't it. You've got
a two wheel drive historic Trophy, your too drive challenge
in a four wheel drive classic rally, so room for
all sorts of folk in their vehicles.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yes, definitely. I actually know the differences in the classes
off top of my head because I'm not really looked
to be honest, but I think one of the two
wheel drive ones is one of the guys one of
the classes using pace notes and the other guys are
probably just on a map.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I think.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
I think that's what the difference is, but I don't
quote me on that.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I'm not sure. You know, I how to win this?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
What is the key to victory across such a long
really seven leagus running right up and down? What you
start on Saturday, you finished on a Friday and duneed,
and what's the key?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
The key is to not have any problems, to try
and just keep you know, if you can be in
the top three or four of every stage stage time,
that would be fairly good, you know, and just try
and try and be consistent. Basically, like you say, it's
a very long time to do an event. And obviously
they are old cars. I know they're built, you know
they are modern, you know, newly built, but they are
(05:51):
still an old design. So you have to be very careful,
you know, mechanically and sympathetic on the engine and things
like that.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
So the Viking rebuild, what's it based on?
Speaker 4 (06:01):
It's based on a March two escort again, so it's
it's but it's the difference with the car we use
last time is this is an FIA registered car, so
it's in Europe. It's of car you could go and
do any valley in Europe with. Where's the car that
we used last time was like a British historic car basically.
So the speck is slightly different, but it's nothing. It's
more of a paperwork thing, to be honest, than the
(06:23):
car being massively different. So it's effectively the same as
the car we used last time.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Have you picked your based monkey range?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Yeah, so well yeah, the mechanics are definitely yeah. So
it was a bit mad actually, you know, trying to
unload the container because we loaded it three months ago
obviously to send them stuff here and I was trying
to unload it or remember everything was so yeah, we're
pretty sorted. Was not doing too bad.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
It's an I can't of an event.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Noda out in New Zealand's silver fin that rarely contested
throughout the magnificence of type Onnamu and we thank you
very much, James Ford bast of lack defending a trophy. Mate,
get in and get a manks and keep it out
of the scenery.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Thank you very much. We'll try.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Thank you typonent.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
It's South Ireland. For those of you who don't know,
and if you want to follow the results, it came
Chris Sport. That's what you go to Chris Sport for
the results.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Seven forty six. This is your Sport Breakfast on News
Talk z B. Every two years, New Zealand holds the
Silver Fern Rallying to AMU the Mighty South Island runs
for five days or over the place. It is an
iconic rally event and drivers are attracted to it from
(00:32):
all over the world. This is invented stuff. They've got
some incredible cars and a command who's come back to
have another crack after winning the title two years ago
is James Ford. Look, it's like a thousand k of
rallying in five days, which is an astonishing amount. I
think that's the entire length of the Brian Green property group.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
He's in a rally championship.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
All told, so a wonderful event and you were joined
by James Ford right here right now, morning May.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
How are you very good? How are you are? Not
so bad?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
You'd be looking forward to defending your title because you
are the current Silver Fern Rally champion.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Yeah. So we came here two years ago with no expectations,
really more of a holiday than anything, and we yeah,
we ended up beat the local guys and that's that's
where we are now, right.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So you came on a holiday, but you're always going
to compete and just turn out, pinch your car and
decide to race at the last minute, did you.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
No, No, we brought our car from the UK and
on our team and stuff like that, and then yeah,
that's so. But we did it as a bit of
an end of season sort of rally slash holiday sort
of thing.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, you say end of season, what do you compete
on in the Northern Hemisphere's what's so?
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I normally to have a rally two car Citrons or
we do the Irish Rally Championship a lot of the time,
and then we do some events back in England as well.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Mean cars, there's rally two cars seen, a lot of
them are floating around with the Brian Green probably group
New Zealand Rally Championship with quite a bit of kit,
aren't they.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, very good.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
So we've had mixed results this year. We had a
few accidents at the start of the year. It wasn't
the best, but it's got a bit better since then,
so thank god.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Keeping me out of the scenery then is the main thing,
what are you campaigning this time around? What if you
if you brought the same car with you or you
pick one upby heare.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
No, we brought a new car. We built a new
car for this year, so we were using a Viking
Motes but car which is Phil mills is company, so
we're basically using their car, but I'm using my Irish
team to basically run it. So it's like the normal
team that we rate rally with back in New Europe,
but we're using a car built by Phil.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Basically, what's the attraction of silver Fern? Why have you
got back planning? You want to defend it? But what
because unique format? What does it for you?
Speaker 4 (02:45):
It's a long distance rally which is always good in
historic car and basically the gravel over here is amazing
compared to especially the UK UK gravel. It's very rough,
you know, it's very hard on cars. Things like that,
like whereas you come here, you know we can do
a whole week basically bar mechanical parts. We don't need
to fix the bodyshell and things like that. So it's
and it's just nice to come this time a year
(03:06):
because the weather's better here. Obviously back home now it's
currently snowing in minus four, so it's it's nice to
be here in shorts and the T shirt.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And well away are they talking to a friend of
mine just a day or so ago about exactly that
looks pretty grim? So when you go through the stages,
are you starting off and you go right around the
South Island from memory? What stage did you enjoy the most?
What's the streets that really does it for you?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
James?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
I can't actually remember for the last time, to be honest,
because it was it was two years ago. But in
general the stages that the Mountain passes are probably the
most technical. You know, Dancy's pass, especially from memory, was
very very hard, and I know that they do that
here within a rally two car, which again I can't
believe that, but yeah, so it's stuff like that. The
(03:53):
Mountain pass is definitely the most difficult of the rally
for sure.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Great place to watch outside the pub. A number of
times that Dancy's passed like there was no race cars
going on.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
What I thought?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You imagine a really car bursting past here. That's absolutely frightening.
Tell us that the basis around the Silver Fern Rally,
what it is what it stands for, not from your
point of view, but from Relly in general.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
So Silverfern Rally would be sort of a standalone historic event.
If you're talking worldwide, the two big events that stand
out would be the Silver Fern Rally and the Rac
Rally in the UK, and they sort of do alternate years.
So last year we did the Rac Valley which goes
basically past where I live, and then New Zealand do
the Silver Fern on the opposite year. So if you're
(04:36):
talking historic rallies throughout the calendar, that's alternate years. That's
kind of how it happens really, and you get a
lot of guys who don't do a lot of historic
rallying who would do those two events because again it's
sort of end of the season and it's a bit more
you get a bit more time to prepare for it
and things like that.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So James split into three categories, isn't it. You've got
a two wheel drive historic Trophy, your too drive challenge
in a four wheel drive classic rally, so room for
all sorts of folk in their vehicles.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yes, definitely. I actually know the differences in the classes
off top of my head because I'm not really looked
to be honest, but I think one of the two
wheel drive ones is one of the guys one of
the classes using pace notes and the other guys are
probably just on a map.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I think.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
I think that's what the difference is, but I don't
quote me on that.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I'm not sure. You know, I how to win this?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
What is the key to victory across such a long
really seven leagus running right up and down? What you
start on Saturday, you finished on a Friday and duneed,
and what's the key?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
The key is to not have any problems, to try
and just keep you know, if you can be in
the top three or four of every stage stage time,
that would be fairly good, you know, and just try
and try and be consistent. Basically, like you say, it's
a very long time to do an event. And obviously
they are old cars. I know they're built, you know
they are modern, you know, newly built, but they are
(05:51):
still an old design. So you have to be very careful,
you know, mechanically and sympathetic on the engine and things
like that.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
So the Viking rebuild, what's it based on?
Speaker 4 (06:01):
It's based on a March two escort again, so it's
it's but it's the difference with the car we use
last time is this is an FIA registered car, so
it's in Europe. It's of car you could go and
do any valley in Europe with. Where's the car that
we used last time was like a British historic car basically.
So the speck is slightly different, but it's nothing. It's
more of a paperwork thing, to be honest, than the
(06:23):
car being massively different. So it's effectively the same as
the car we used last time.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Have you picked your based monkey range?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Yeah, so well yeah, the mechanics are definitely yeah. So
it was a bit mad actually, you know, trying to
unload the container because we loaded it three months ago
obviously to send them stuff here and I was trying
to unload it or remember everything was so yeah, we're
pretty sorted. Was not doing too bad.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
It's an I can't of an event.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Noda out in New Zealand's silver fin that rarely contested
throughout the magnificence of type Onnamu and we thank you
very much, James Ford bast of lack defending a trophy. Mate,
get in and get a manks and keep it out
of the scenery.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Thank you very much. We'll try.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Thank you typonent.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
It's South Ireland. For those of you who don't know,
and if you want to follow the results, it came
Chris Sport. That's what you go to Chris Sport for
the results.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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