Three local crews will travel half way around the world in two weeks time for the week long marathon Silver Fern Historic Rally which starts on November 24th, from Hamilton, and finishes eight days later on December 1st in Rotorua.

The event uses the classic stages once used on Rally New Zealand including the famous 28 miles of Motu Road, made famous by Colin McRae.

Roger Chilman, together with co-driver, Max Freeman, will tackle the event for the first time in his Escort RS1800 freshly prepared by Meirion Evans of Wales Motorsport. Evans, a previous winner of the event, will form a two car with Chilman and the fast flowing roads should suit both their styles, on what most people regard the best gravel roads in the world.

The Hereford farmer is indebted to his sponsors Securcom, Morspan, Connop, and Haywood Demolition for making the trip possible, as well as Pirelli tyres. He said: “This event wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of my sponsors, it’s a huge investment to get here and I can’t thank them enough.

“This is an amazing adventure for us, a trip into the unknown, but I plan to start steadily and increase my speed steadily. A lot of the other UK competitors have experienced the event, so I want to pace myself, but I will be looking for a top five finish.”

Joining Chilman will be Hereford businessman, Ken Davis, with Alan Jones alongside in the KGD Services Toyota Corolla AE86. The two veteran campaigners are usually seen in their Volvo Amazon on British events, and the duo have had a fantastic year wining the HRCR stage masters championship.

Jones has been crowned Welsh Historic co drivers champion, with Davis winning his class, and further success has come on the Pirelli Welsh National series with class honours for both of them.

In fact, this is Jones’ 47th year of competition. He started out way back in 1972 on the D’Isis road rally with Alston Hooper in a Mk1 Cortina, and has sat next to some of Herefordshire’s best drivers over his long career. This will be the duo’s first trip to the event.

The third local team will see Ross-on-Wye co-driver, Paul Morris, team up with regular driver, Simon Tysoe, in the Jondel Race Engines’ backed Escort RS, this will be Morris’ second attempt at the event and Tysoe’s fifth, and they will be chasing a top finish.

Morris’ who missed half of this year with a serious leg injury, will return from New Zealand, and go straight to the Grizedale Stages to codrive for Steve Black.

Well known motorsport journalist, Paul Willetts, said: “The Silver Fern is a brilliant concept, and the three Herefordshire crews should do very well, given that the roads will suit their driving styles, being similar to the Welsh forests. How Rally New Zealand isn’t in the WRC is criminal, it should be about competition not money at the top level, when you look at the very poor entry levels of some events in the series. Sadly the FIA don’t see that."See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.