ARC gippsland rally round up
Harry Bates and Coral Taylor of Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia have secured back-to-back victories in the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) by clinching first place at The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally.
The Toyota duo's impressive performance during Sunday's stages propelled them to an overall win with a lead of one minute and 17 seconds over championship leaders Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin. Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey secured the final spot on the event podium, closely followed by Luke Anear and Malcolm Read.
Nathan Quinn and Ray Winwood-Smith demonstrated remarkable resilience by overcoming a broken rear differential on Saturday to win three stages on Sunday, achieving a top-five finish. Their efforts earned them a third-place finish in the EROAD Power Stage.
As the first endurance round of the season, the Victorian event combined Saturday and Sunday legs of the rally to determine the winner. Harry Bates and Coral Taylor, leading after Saturday's stages, maintained their edge over teammates Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin. While their Sunday performance wasn't as dominant as the previous day, Harry and Taylor secured two stage wins, including the EROAD Power Stage, to clinch their second round victory of the season.
Reflecting on the triumph, Harry Bates expressed his satisfaction with the weekend's results and credited the team's hard work for the success. He also highlighted the challenging nature of the event, which led to many competitors facing difficulties and did not deter their cars' strong performance.
In addition to Harry and Taylor's achievement, Bodie Reading and Mark Young secured the White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup victory and secured seventh place overall. The Tasmanians held off SS9 winners Troy Dowel and Bernie Webb by a mere three seconds to secure their position.
Ben and Cathy Hayes claimed a comfortable victory in the ARC 2WD Cup, maintaining their dominance in the category. The duo finished ahead of Nicholas Seymour and Matthew Whitten, with Josh Wiedman and Nick Reid rounding out the class podium. Meanwhile, the Shamrock Haulage ARC Junior Cup was won by Nick Reid.
The ARC Classic Cup saw David Thompson and Matthew Sanders emerge as the sole finishers, securing round honors and extending their lead in the class.
The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally showcased the competitive spirit and resilience of the ARC participants, as they navigated challenging conditions to achieve remarkable results across various categories.
