Rally New Zealand organisers yesterday confirmed Mount Smart Stadium will act as a base for the event’s service park and rally village for the fans.
A historic super special stage will run inside the stadium on both Friday and Saturday of the rally, which will be based in Auckland from September 3-6.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff confirmed Mount Smart Stadium as the home base for the rally after he was driven into the stadium by New Zealand rally star Hayden Paddon, who also confirmed his involvement as the official ambassador for the event.
“Auckland has a strong rally heritage going back more than half a century and it’s good to be able to once again host the WRC after an eight-year hiatus, Goff said.
“Mount Smart has capacity for 30,000 fans and has good transport connectivity, including proximity to rail and bus services.’’
While Paddon continues to work through his driving options for the event, he was on hand to confirm his long-time backer, Hyundai New Zealand, is the first elite sponsor to announce its sponsorship of the event.
Paddon said he was pleased to accept his role as event ambassador to help promote the return of the WRC to our shores.
“Rally New Zealand is a hugely exciting event for New Zealand. For the first time, Kiwi fans will get to see modern-era WRC cars and drivers battle it out in our own backyard. I would love nothing more than to win this event in a WRC car.”
Rally New Zealand 2020 chief executive Michael Goldstein said his organisation was thrilled with the announcements.
‘‘We look forward to welcoming a huge array of Kiwis to come and check out this incredible international event, get up close to the cars, meet the drivers and be part of the rally festivities.’’
