The smallest of misjudgements resulted in a spectacular but gentle roll-over for a leading classic rally crew on the Otago Rally yesterday morning.
Christchurch driver Ally Mackay and his Dunedin-based co-driver Mikko Johnson were running sixth in the classic event when they overcut a right-angle corner near the end of yesterday’s first special stage in the hills between Brighton and Taieri Mouth.
Photographer Greg Henderson was on hand to capture the ensuing drama as Mackay and Johnson’s Mk1 Ford Escort tipped on to two wheels, rolled on to its roof on the outside of the bend, rolled back, teetered for moment on its side, and then fell back on to all four wheels.
‘‘It was all very slow-motion,’’ co-driver Johnson said.
‘‘At first we thought the car had come to rest on its side, but just as we were thinking of releasing our [seat] belts and climbing out, it rolled back on to its wheels.’’
The incident might have cost the pair less than a minute, but the car’s engine had flooded and would not restart.
Eventually, a group of bystanders pushed it about 100m up the road to the final downhill section of the stage, and Mackay was able to ‘‘crash start’’ the car as they coasted down to the stage finish.
While some 20 minutes were lost, Mackay and Johnson managed to motor on and take ninth place in the classic field, with the car — its bonnet initially secured by a couple of tie-downs — a little worse for wear.
David Thomson
