(File photo.)
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The motorsport community is in shock and grieving after two competitors died on Sunday during a road rallysprint race in Northland.

The driver and co-driver were in a single car on Sunday afternoon when their vehicle veered off the track during the Arcadia Road Rallysprint near Kaipara.

Several investigations into the double fatality are underway.

Motorsport New Zealand chief executive Elton Goonan told Morning Report‘s Ingrid Hipkiss that details of the accident were still emerging.

“It’s quite a close community up there, and our thoughts and condolences go to the families and the friends, but also to the organising club and volunteers who tried to save them and get the vehicle out.”

The car veered off the road and into a ditch, but it was too soon to make a call on changes to safety rules, he said.

“Our rules – we set [them] in alignment with our international governing body and have been in place for nearly 75 years now.”

The organisation did not want to have a “knee jerk reaction” to the incident, but the rules would be looked at “very, very closely” along with the outcome into the ongoing investigations.

Counselling had been offered to family, competitors and volunteers at the event, he said.

“The team at Motorsport NZ are also on hand to help everybody as much as they can through this process.”