By IANS,
Whangarei (New Zealand) : Overnight leader and Indian champion Gaurav Gill (Team MRF Tyres, co-driver Glen Macneall) suffered gearbox problems and eventually had to be content with seventh place among the Asia Pacific Rally Championship contenders in the Rally of New Zealand that concluded here Sunday.
Gill’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 all but broke down after the day’s first Special Stage and thereafter, the 29-year-old from Delhi merely went through the motions to complete the event.
New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon (co-driver John Kennard), a wild card entry, topped the time charts driving an Evo-9 to claim the overall honours, ahead of Alistair McRae (co-driver Bill Hayes) who was in a Proton Satria Neo.
The other MRF driver, Katsuhiko Taguchi (co-driver Chris Murphy), also in a Evo-10, finished sixth, after beginning the day way behind the front runners.