APRC: Proton heads to New Zealand in mid winter

APRC: Proton heads to New Zealand in mid winter

The FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) will move to New Zealand this weekend (15-17 July) where the International Rally of Whangarei will take place in the middle of a Kiwi winter.

We’re into the second half of the six-race calendar now, and after rallies in Malaysia, Australia and New Caledonia, Proton is sitting pretty in the Manufacturers’ standings tied with Mitsubishi in the lead with 93 points, while Chris Atkinson is leading the Drivers’ standings with 70 points. Teammate Alister McRae is third with 60 points.

Proton finished second in this event last year and will be aiming for no less than the top step of the podium this year. The Whangarei event consists of 16 gravel stages with some heavy cambers.

APRC: Proton heads to New Zealand in mid winter

While the surface is smooth and relatively kinder to the cars than in some other events on the APRC calendar, two runs through the 40 km Bull stage and more than 300 competitive kilometres across two days means that it isn’t a walk in the park. The cold temperatures (typically between 5 and 15 degrees) and the possibility of sudden rain are also challenges.

“We have made a number of changes to the car from the start of the year and all of them are taking us in the right direction. You only have to look at the times the car is doing in the IRC against the cream of the Super 2000 factory cars to see how close we’re getting. We’re down to fine-tuning with the Satria now; it’s very exciting to see where the car is now and where it’s going to be in the very near future. We have a huge amount of potential,” said team principal Chris Mellors.

They’re in yellow and they’re joining a rally, but there’s nothing illegal about our Satria Neo S2000s! Good luck boys!

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Comment on Jul 11, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    testing comment testing comment….izzit working testing 1 2 3…

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  • Annoynimal on Jul 11, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    Dominate!!!

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  • rembau on Jul 11, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    They’re in yellow and they’re joining a rally, but there’s nothing illegal about our Satria Neo S2000s! Good luck boys! – Good one.

    Cool Danny, but maybe a little too early don’t you think?

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    • MoFaz on Jul 12, 2011 at 12:09 am

      yellow + bersih rally is illegal. but this one is yellow + “kotor” rally, that’s why it’s legal

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  • ko malu saje.. on Jul 11, 2011 at 9:22 pm

    erm mane vios? mana beroktua?

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    • Just me on Jul 12, 2011 at 9:52 pm

      Just curious, are they using campro engine or just the body is proton? Other parts are oem?

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      • fasgen on Jul 13, 2011 at 9:40 am

        body proton + engine waja 1.8 (renault) modified 2.0 + high permance racing gear box gearbox from X-trac + sso many again…

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  • kagesenshi on Jul 11, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    Now thats a rally with yellow shirts !! :D

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  • nabill on Jul 11, 2011 at 10:21 pm

    i have a feeling there will be a police checkpoint in the middle of the rally….!

    i know we should keep the topic to cars only bt wat happened on saturday was a big awakening to so many…it was too big not to talk abt it …!

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    • MoFaz on Jul 12, 2011 at 12:02 am

      and here is not the right place to talk about politics

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    • yah…not the rite place…still the event last saturday was a big joke…..other country who did like ‘clean’ did able to topple the gov or at least stay on doing it for days and days or until the police shoot them with real bullet not water cannon…the funny part is that it start 2pm and finish 6pm…and the next day like nothing happen only sampah they left…do they serious or just publicity…what a joke

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      • MoFaz on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:18 am

        because their leaders kenyang already after makan buffet maa.. then go back home and sleep la :)

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        • bebek on Jul 12, 2011 at 3:56 pm

          the followers plak kenyang makan nasik tomato :-)

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          • MoFaz on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:21 pm

            nope.. the followers menangis sebab leader dapat makan but they kena tear gas.. padan muka :)

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    • teamsleepnine on Jul 12, 2011 at 5:14 pm

      Seriously dude……last Saturday was nothing…you heard of reformasi back in 99 and 00? That was big….

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  • i bet they will change their color next season..gov quite hate yellow ;-)

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    • gov hate yellow with bersih logo….D** sawarak is good example instead bersih logo they put burung kenyalang…not many or none D** people get caught only P** n P** people(follow blindly) most chinese not that stupid(except chinese in P**)

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  • Annoynimal on Jul 12, 2011 at 12:52 am

    The dirt you see on the car is actually chemical substance… and the splash is actually tear gas… :O)

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  • drMpower on Jul 12, 2011 at 1:10 am

    kudos for chris and his crews
    for a team who spend hundreds of thousands
    preparing those machines arranging logistics etc
    getting to the top spot has always the goal
    and i am proud they are now at it

    it always the same thing in any sport whatsoever

    but what caught my attention is a certain mr singh
    with 10 points to his name
    although it seems he missed the first two races
    i dont know what his driving right now
    and how much is the budget
    but i doubt it more than those above him
    yet he is raking points

    i wish him all the best
    he is very synonym with rally to the point i only know him as our only rally driver
    well, partly because he is very popular in those days
    and for a reason that i dont really follow rallying be it national level or international level

    but yeah.
    that singh is a king

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    • MoFaz on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:16 am

      Mr Singh is driving Satria Neo, tuned by Cusco of Japan. he missed the Malaysia rally maybe because he couldn’t get sponsorship in time. he joined in later using money from family and friends.

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      • drMpower on Jul 12, 2011 at 11:12 am

        so that cusco tuned Neo
        he must be sponsored by Cusco, then?
        or he used his own money
        to buy the Neo?
        because i heard very hard for him to get sponsors and all
        and then i heard something else about him running the cars
        all by himself and awaiting some grants from ministry etc etc

        Singh is King!

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  • VoidDance on Jul 12, 2011 at 8:15 am

    The front facia of that Neo S2000 really like screaming

    “Yeahhhh, bring it on!”

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  • stop wasting rakyat money, proton!

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    • MoFaz on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:23 am

      who the hell says it’s your money?
      Maybank sponsoring golf tournament is wasting taxpayer money?
      Petronas joining F1 also wasting taxpayer money?
      Telekom sponsoring Le Tour Langkawi also wasting taxpayer money?

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    • Wisdom on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:48 am

      Maybe you prefer they quietly use the money for their own purpose.

      Proton doing great and u with ur same old… same old…

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  • confused on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:55 am

    komen thread Satria Neo S2000 pun wat kaitan ngan Bersih 2.0. bodoh ke ape..

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  • PeYn0 Fanz on Jul 12, 2011 at 11:35 am

    1. Utusex online : Tempahan kereta Perodua susut..

    2. Bersih is stupid idea… lu tak suka, lu jangan undi dia during election. as simple as that!

    3. Full stop

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    • “”2. Bersih is stupid idea… lu tak suka, lu jangan undi dia during election. as simple as that!””

      lu pnh amek tau ape yg Bersih nak??

      – gua pengundi ‘atas pagar’

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      • bebek on Jul 12, 2011 at 3:54 pm

        “lu pnh amek tau ape yg Bersih nak??”

        apa lu dapat kalo bersih dapat apa yang dia nak?lu pun pengundi atas pagar je :-))

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  • Paul,
    Sorry to go out of topic.. I found this blog about a guy living in KL who drove his standard Proton Wira all the way up to Vietnamese Border, and then back down to KL.. I think this is a thing we should be proud of and deserves to have an article in this website, Here is the link to it by the way….
    http://blog.siampedia.org/?p=4207

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  • kamaji on Jul 13, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    Hi guys, me thought we are talking about yellow rally car here….so how come yellow rally without a car also can become a main topic.

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