Ben Forrest & Colin Cole

🚗 Mitsubishi Lancer – Class G

Sometimes all it takes is a reminder that life is too short.

For Ben Forrest, that reminder was all he needed to finally make the move from circuit racing to gravel rallying.

"Life is too short. I love racing, and I'd never driven on the dirty stuff before."

Swapping sealed roads for gravel proved to be a much bigger challenge than expected.

"It was so different and pretty hairy compared with track and tarmac competition."

Despite the steep learning curve, Benjamin never looked back. His proudest rally achievement was simply refusing to give up after those first few demanding stages and going on to complete Rally Otago—his very first rally—alongside his son.

Like every rally competitor, Benjamin has already collected a few stories.

One of his favourites came during his very first rally sprint.

"I had Ari Pettigrew as my co-driver without knowing what a weapon of a driver he was. Then I discovered he'd never co-driven before either... which explained some of the unusual looks!" 😄

Rally Taumarunui is another exciting milestone in Benjamin's rally journey.

"It's a practice run for Whangārei and should be a great event."

It also marks another first.

"It's my first time competing in the North Island since bringing the car up from the South Island."

With valuable gravel experience already under his belt and another iconic event ahead, Benjamin is looking forward to discovering the famous King Country roads and continuing his rallying adventure.

Please join us in welcoming Benjamin to Rally Taumarunui, and be sure to give him a wave when you see the Mitsubishi Lancer out on the stages! 👋🏁