Father and son rally team Force Motorsport will be trying to recreate history when they take on an international field at the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship’s (APRC) final round in China, this weekend.
Auckland’s Andrew and Jack Hawkeswood are driving identical Mazda 2 AP4 specification cars at the winner-takesall Longyou Rally. The last time Mazda won the APRC was in 1989 with Kiwi Rod Millen at the wheel of a 323.
A revamp of the APRC has resulted in seven qualifying rounds, with the championship title going to the final rally winner at an event that will alternate between the Asia and Pacific regions, starting with China this year.
Seven cars will contest the final, including the Hawkeswoods’ cars, a local Chinese entry in a Subaru and two twowheel-drive and two four-wheel-drive cars from Japanese tuning house Cusco, including fellow Kiwi driver Mike Young.
- Catherine Pattison
Photo: Geoff Ridder
