Rodger Freeth, Ph.D., was a New Zealand motor sport competitor.

He held a Ph.D. in Physics and had a distinguished academic and motorsport career. His first love was motorcycles and whilst he was still at university he built a radical Yamaha TZ750A with an aerofoil. As a result the controlling body (New Zealand Auto-Cycle Union

New Zealand Auto-Cycle Union

The New Zealand Auto-Cycle Union was the predecessor to Motorcycling New Zealand, the current governing body for motorcycle sport in New Zealand....

) banned the use of aerodynamic aids in motorcycle racing. He won the Arai 500 endurance race at Mount Panorama Circuit

Mount Panorama Circuit

Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...

, Bathurst

Bathurst, New South Wales

-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...

, Australia in 1982 and 1985, as well as NZ titles on NZ-built McIntosh Suzukis.

He later became one of New Zealand's most well-know rally co-drivers, first with Neil Allport and then with Peter "Possum" Bourne. As a driver he also won TraNZam titles in his V8 Starlet

Toyota Starlet

The Toyota Starlet is a small automobile manufactured by Toyota from 1973 to 1999, replacing the Publica, but retaining the Publica's "P" code and generation numbering. The Starlet was marketed as the Publica in some Toyota export markets.-40 Series:...

.

Freeth died in 1993 as a result of injuries received in an accident on the first day of the World Championship event Rally Australia

Rally Australia

Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...

 co-driving for Possum Bourne.

World Rally Championship Results

Result	Year	Rally	Driver	Car
Retired	1979	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Pentti Airikkala Pentti Airikkala Pentti Airikkala , was one of the 'Flying Finns' who dominated world rallying in the past four decades...	Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS
16	1980	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	John Tee	Ford Escort
Retired	1984	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Neil Allport	Ford Escort RS1800
Retired	1985	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Neil Allport	Mazda RX7
6	1986	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Neil Allport	Mazda RX7
11	1986	Olympus Rally Olympus Rally The Olympus Rally is an event in the motorsport of rallying. While it has usually been run as a national rally, in 1986-1988, it was a round in the FIA World Rally Championship, the most recent time a WRC rally has been run in the United States....  - United States	Neil Allport	Mazda Familia 4WD
Retired	1987	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Neil Allport	Mazda 323 4WD
Retired	1987	Rally of Great Britain	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
9	1988	Safari Rally Kenya	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
Retired	1988	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
7	1989	Safari Rally Kenya	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
Retired	1989	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
Retired	1989	Rally Argentina Rally Argentina The Rally Argentina is an Argentine rally competition that has been both a round of the World Rally Championship and also the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The rally is also a round of the South American Rally Championship and the Argentine Rally Championship...	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
10	1989	Rally Australia Rally Australia Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo
Retired	1990	Safari Rally Kenya	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
5	1990	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
4	1990	Rally Australia Rally Australia Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
Retired	1991	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
Retired	1991	Rally Australia Rally Australia Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
Retired	1992	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
6	1992	Rally Australia Rally Australia Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
6	1993	Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS
Retired	1993	Rally Australia Rally Australia Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...	Possum Bourne	Subaru Legacy RS

Other International Rally Results

Result	Year	Rally	Driver	Car
2	1981	Motogard of Rally New Zealand Rally New Zealand The Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971.The rally was included as a round of the World Championship in 1977...	Alan Mitchell	Ford Escort RS1800
2	1988	Rally Australia Rally Australia Rally Australia is an automobile rally event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia from 1988 until 2006, when that state's tourism commission severed its collaboration with the event. The rally was part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and the World Rally Championship...  (APRC) Asia-Pacific Rally Championship The Asia-Pacific Rally Championship is an international rally championship organized by the FIA. The championship was first held in 1988 and won by Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. Other winners include the two-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz of Spain and the 1986...	Possum Bourne	Subaru RX Turbo

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