The smallest of misjudgements resulted in a spectacular but gentle roll-over for a leading classic rally crew on the Otago Rally yesterday morning. Christchurch driver Ally Mackay and his Dunedin-based co-driver Mikko Johnson were running sixth in the classic event when they overcut a right-angle corner near the end of yesterday’s first special stage in the hills between Brighton and Taieri Mouth. ‘‘It was all very slow-motion,’’ co-driver Johnson said. Eventually, a group of bystanders pushed it about 100m up the road to the final downhill section of the stage, and Mackay was able to ‘‘crash start’’ the car as they coasted down to the stage finish. While some 20 minutes were lost, Mackay and Johnson managed to motor on and take ninth place in the classic field, with the car — its bonnet initially secured by a couple of tie-downs — a little worse for wear.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 12, 2026 17:47 UTC