TOYOTA driver Neal Bates will start this weekend’s international Red Devil Rally Queensland in peak form after winning an unofficial “shakedown” competition against leading rivals on the Sunshine Coast today.
Bates, with co-driver Coral Taylor, blitzed a blitzed a temporary course at the Nambour Showgrounds in 1 minute 23 seconds aboard their Corolla S2000 to be fastest of almost 20 crews representing the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and Australian Rally Championship (ARC).
While the time did not count for the rally, which starts officially tonight but in earnest tomorrow morning in the Imbil State Forest, it showed Bates is ready to defend his position as the 2008 Rally Queensland winner and current leader of the pointscore in the 2009 ARC.
More than 70 crews are contesting the rally, which has international status for the first time in its 41-year history.
Crews representing India, Singapore, New Zealand, China, Japan, French New Caledonia and Australia will tackle 14 competitive closed gravel-road stages over 228 kilometres before the finish at Imbil Showgrounds in the Mary Valley at 3 pm on Sunday.
Second-fastest of today’s times was recorded by three-time Asia Pacific Champion Cody Crocker, in a Subaru entered by the Motor Image team from Singapore.
Haydon Padden, the 21-year-old New Zealand Champion, was third-fastest overall in a Mitsubishi Lancer.
Bates is hoping for improved conditions for the weekend, after encountering greasy roads during route reconnaissance over the past two days.
He will start at the head of the ARC field, but from overall position 15, behind the APRC cars contesting their Australian round, and needs the roads to remain firm and smooth.
“If the road continues to dry the deep mud which hampered road assessment may disappear, making it easier to compete,” Bates said, who has a 13-point lead over former Toyota teammate Simon Evans coming into round four of the domestic championship.
“There are at least six stages which could still be treacherous.”
Crocker’s mission to win a record fourth straight APRC driver’s title starts this weekend, the first time he has competed in Rally Queensland since the 2005 event. He will be driving a new Subaru Impreza built by Possum Bourne Motorsport.
“The testing here this week has gone well. It is always hard for a new car at its first event to have everything right, but we are starting very confident that we have a good car and a good set-up. Now we just have to master it in an event.
“Rally Queensland will be the real test. It will be the first time out on these roads for me for a while, but our experience from the past should hold us in good stead.”
Crocker faces a host of strong rivals for the APRC’s second round, including teammate Emma Gilmour, the Indian MRF Tyres team of Guarav Hill and Katsu Taguchi (Mitsubishis), Shanghai FCACA’s Rui Wang (Mitsubishi), French-New Caledonian driver Jean-Louis Leyraud in a Subaru, Japan’s Atsushi Masumura and New Zealanders Paddon, Brian Green and Tony Green.
Red Devil Rally Queensland returns to the Nambour Showground as tonight for the traditional Ceremonial Start, where drivers and cars turn out to meet the public before the first car crosses the start ramp at 8 pm.
Rally information will be available throughout the weekend on www.rally.com.au and www.sidewaysinthesun.com.au.
Shakedown times (unofficial) -
FIA APRC
Crocker/Atkinson Subaru 1:23.20
Paddon/Kennard Mitsubishi 1:24.90
Taguchi/Stacey Mitsubishi 1:25.20
ARC
Bates/Taylor S2000 1:23:00
Reeves/Smyth Subaru 1:24.30
E Evans/Murphy Subaru 1:25.40
Shepherd/McCarthy Mitsubishi 1:26.80
Smart/Smart Mitsubishi 1;26.90
TIMES, TICKETS
Friday
Top 10 Shootout, Nambour Showgrounds, 9 am – 12 noon, free entry
Ceremonial Start, Nambour Showgrounds, 5.30 pm – 9.30 pm, free entry
Saturday
Service Park, Imbil Showgrounds, from 8.30 am, free entry
Tyres & More Spectator Park, from 10 am, tickets at gate adults $15, children 5-16 $5, under 5 free
Sunday
Service Park, Imbil Showgrounds, from 7.30 am, free entry
Tyres & More Spectator Park, from 10 am, tickets at gate adults $15, children 5-16 $5, under 5 free
Weekend spectator pass, adult $25, child 5-16 $5, under 5 free
