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Quentin Palmer won all eight stages at BP Rally Taumarunui, NIRS Round 4, on King Country roads last used for a championship round in 1999.
Quentin Palmer and co-driver Noel Moloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) won BP Rally Taumarunui, Round 4 of the 2026 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series, on Saturday 8 August, taking all eight special stages and finishing more than four minutes clear. The event brought rallying back to King Country roads last used in a NZ Rally Championship round in 1999.
A one-day National rally based in Taumarunui and promoted by the South Taranaki, Taihape District and Dannevirke Car Clubs, with eight special stages over 135km of King Country gravel and a central service park in the township. A four-stage, 64km Clubmans rally ran over the afternoon loops. NIRS coordinator Marty Roestenburg said the event drew 46 competitors and hundreds of spectators.
Carlin Leong / Nathan Roa (Subaru Impreza WRX) were fourth after a three-way fight over the last two stages that also included Jackson Clendon / Katrina Renshaw (Ford Fiesta Rally4), only two seconds behind in fifth.
After four rounds Palmer leads the NIRS with 120 points, with Carlin Leong and Tony Differ on 84. The series continues at the Battery Town Rally Bay of Plenty on 31 October.
See our results page and the full classification at chrissport.nz.
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