Bates Forced to Withdraw From Rally NZ

TWO OVERSEAS TEAMS WITHDRAWN.

Budget constraints have forced the withdrawal of two overseas teams from the Rally New Zealand, this country's round of the FIA World rally Championship.

Former Polish rally champion, Krzysztof Holowczyc and co-driver Maciej Wislawski, will not contest Rally New Zealand after a review of Stomil Mobil Rally Team's full world rally championship.

"Stomil were to have reviewed the remainder of this years season after Rally New Zealand, but they brought that review forward and decided to miss our event," said Clerk of Course, Graeme Robertson.

The polish team campaigns a Group A Subaru Impreza WRCar and is competing for the FIA Teams Cup, but their withdrawal will have little effect on the hotly contested newly instituted Cup.

There will still be eight crews contesting this prestigious championship during Rally New Zealand.

Australian Neal Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor is the other withdrawal, which will be a disappointment for leading local driver, Possum Bourne.

"We understand that Neal's budget is linked to Toyota's marketing budget in Australia and they don't have sufficient to support his entry into Rally New Zealand", he said.

Both Bourne in his Subaru Impreza and Bates in a Toyota Corolla WRCar have been head to head thoughout the Australian rally championship, with the New Zealander holding the advantage.

"I know that Possun was looking forward to a battle with Neal and repeating his performance of last year", said Robertson. "Possun finished 5th in last years Rally New Zealand and beat Neal by less than a minute".

http://www.sportsweb.co.nz/rally98/