Some pics from the weekend - Subaru 1-2-3 on the podium!
On Friday there were a few hours of shakedown/media trials on a short track at De Bortoli vineyard, an hour out of Melbourne, then a ceremonial start in Melb city that night. Saturday & Sunday saw 19 heats of action over 204 race kms in the forests surround the Yarra Valley region north-east of Melb.
There is one round left in the Australia Rally Championship (to be held in Perth), but the championship is now sealed, after Cody Crocker's win this weekend gave him an unbeatable lead, and his second consecutive Australian Rally title.
Cody Crocker/Greg Foletta (car 1) won the event overall, with privateers/brothers Chris/Ben Atkinson (car 3) coming second. Third place went to Dean Herridge/Glenn MacNeall (car 2). The winner of the event was decided on the last stage of the second day - a 4.4km super special event around De Bortoli vineyard. Usually such a short stage won't make a great impact on driver's times, but Atkinson scored a puncture 3 corners from the end of stage and lost a few seconds and his overall lead - and Simon/Sue Evans rolled their prototype Toyota Corolla 4WD onto its side only two corners from the finish, causing them to miss out on third place... Simon Evans won the event last year in his privateer entry... with a WRX of course!
Great to see Possum Bourne's Subaru factory team remaining competitive and the young, new-blood privateer team of the Atkinson brothers more than keeping pace with the big budget drivers...
Results and info:
Cheers, Jason.