Whangarei (New Zealand), April 19 (IANS): Making their debut in the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), the Swedish pair of Pontus Tidemand and co-driver Emil Axelsson of Team MRF won the International Rally of Whangarei here on Sunday.

Driving the MRF Tyres Skoda Fabia S2000, the Swedes finished five minutes, 51.8 seconds clear of team-mate and last year's winners India's Gaurav Gill and his Australian co-driver Glenn Macneall.

The New Zealand pairing of Mike Young and Malcolm Read, in a Subaru Impreza WRT for Cusco Racing, finished third, losing their overnight second spot as Gill came up with a brilliant drive to wipe out the one minute, 12.5 seconds deficit and eventually pip the Kiwis by just 1.9 seconds.

While Tidemand, who enjoyed a healthy four-minute advantage, did just enough to win five of Sunday's six Special Stages, 2013 APRC champion Gill, whose car suffered from mechanical issues on Saturday, was quickest in one as he pushed Young to third place.

The second round of the APRC will be in the mid-Pacific island of New Caledonia from May 15 to 17.

The final classification (APRC): Pontus Tidemand / Emil Axelsson (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 1 (2hrs, 55mins, 29.4secs); Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 2 (03:01:21.3); Michael Young / Malcolm Read (Cusco Racing, Subaru Impreza WRX) 3 (03:21:23.2).