Strong Bourne influence on Rally NZ.

There's no Possum Bourne at next month's Propecia Rally New Zealand, but his influence will be strongly felt on the fourth round of the 2004 World Rally Championship.

The champion driver, who died as the result of an accident nearly twelve months ago, was the standout Kiwi competitor at the FIA World Rally Championship event for many years, and his legacy remains with the Possum Bourne Motorsport Company, which is preparing three cars for this year's Rally New Zealand on 15-18 April.

Australian drivers Cody Crocker and Dean Herridge will race the Possum Bourne Motorsport Subarus on both the Rally New Zealand and the Australian Rally Championship, and Crocker, the back-up driver to Bourne, continued in his footsteps by taking out the Australian championship last year.

New Zealand Group N champion Chris West will also compete in a Subaru prepared by the company. It is the Subaru Impreza originally prepared for Bourne's international campaign in the World Production Car Championship. The left-hand drive Subaru was used by Japan's Toshi Arai and his Kiwi co-driver Tony Sircombe to win the Hokkaido Rally in Japan last year, which was the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

It was then returned to The PBMS workshop in Pukekohe to be prepared for West's campaign, which is this year supported by Subaru NZ and Winger Subaru.

Bourne will also be remembered with the signature stage on the opening day of this year's rally which will bear his name. Possum is the final special stage on the first full day of the rally in the Kaipara region, a 48.21km stage which is expected to play a critical part in the final outcome of the event.

And it is a sell-out for the Possum Bourne charity dinner and auction to be held on Monday 12 April at Sky City, with proceeds to the Possum Bourne Family Education Trust.