Defending Quit Forest Rally Champions Glen and Matt Raymond are returning to Western Australia next month with renewed confidence, a new car and a new goal - to win the 2010 Australian Rally Championship (ARC).
The brothers from Warragul in Victoria joined an elite group in 2009 claiming their first ARC event title at the Quit Forest Rally, and went on to capitalise this result finishing second outright in the championship.
In 2010 they have upgraded to a Mitsubishi Evo 10 and despite several new challenges, including a Kuhmo control tyre, they believe they are a strong chance to take back to back titles in Western Australia.
“We are really excited about returning to WA, it was our first event win and it’s always been my favourite event because of the organisation, the roads and people,” Glen Raymond said. “After our win last year I looked at previous winners and it was a huge confidence boost to see names such as Possum Bourne, Neal Bates, Ross Dunkerton and Simon Evans, all heroes I’ve looked up to, on the same honour board.
“Tasmania (Rally Tasmania) was our first outing in the car and I was a lot more competitive than last year however, tarmac is not a favourite surface of mine and I’m looking forward to getting back out there on the gravel.”
The team (Raymond Partners Accountants Rally Team) decided to change from the Toyota Corolla Group N (P) to the Evo 10 following their second placing in the Pirelli Star Driver competition held as part of Rally Australia last year and spent the summer break re-building it in the shed at their house. “We contested Rally Australia in a rented Evo IX and were really impressed with its performance so we decided to make the switch to a newer model to help us step up to the next level,” Raymond said. “Finishing second outright in the ARC last year was a huge boost for us and we believe we now have the package to take it that next step further and be a strong contender for the outright title.”
The Raymond Partners Accountants Rally Team are planning a testing session in the coming weeks to ensure they have the car set up correctly for it’s gravel debut and will be one of the teams to watch when the Quit Forest Rally hits the Busselton foreshore and Nannup forest from the 16-18th April.
