rally nsw

Victorian Rally Champion, Arron Windus, will finally get his season underway on Saturday when he competes in the Rally of the Bay in NSW.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the sport on hold this year, and with no events in Victoria until at least September, Windus and co-driver Daniel Brick have been forced to head to the NSW coast to get their first motorsport fix of the year.

Windus’ Western Victorian Crane Trucks team will field two Subaru Impreza WRXs in the rally, with his father, Darren, also competing in the first round the NSW Rally Championship.

Arron took the Victorian title in convincing style last year, but isn’t resting on his laurels as he continues his push to make rallying more than just a hobby.

His title-winning Subaru has undergone a full rebuilt since the end of last season, and will be faster and even more competitive in 2020.

“We’ve got a lot better package than we had in 2019,” Arron explained.

“The car now us upgraded suspension, has been on a decent weight loss program, and also has a few more ponies (horsepower) underneath the bonnet.”

His car will feature a gorgeous new blue and yellow livery that pays tribute to the late Possum Bourne’s 1996 Australian Rally Championship winning Subaru WRX.

“The car has come up an absolute treat and is in pristine showroom condition,” he added.

“My uncle (a panel beater) and the Activ Rallysport team really put solid time and effort into the rebuild and the finished product speaks for itself.”

Darren Windus also has a fully rebuilt Subaru at his disposal for the 2020 season.

He’ll drive the same WRX that he used at the end of last season, but it has been upgraded with more horsepower, and a suspension package that brings it to a similar spec as Arron’s Subaru.

The team’s unique ‘father-son’ combinations continue this year, with Daniel Brick’s father, Joe, co-driving for Darren.

Both teams will get their first chance to try out their rebuilt Subarus this Thursday, at a test day near Canberra.

“We’re extremely excited to test these newly built rockets and see first-hand what improvements have been made,” Arron said.

“The field of 90 cars for the Rally of the Bay is just about the strongest seen in Australian rallying for many years, and we’re both looking forward to putting our best foot forward.”

The rally will run out of the tourist town of Batemans Bay on Saturday, with drivers tackling seven competitive stages over a distance of 140km.

PHOTO: Sydney rally driver JJ Hatton is back in action this weekend.

By Team Release

JJ Hatton is back behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20 rally car this weekend, when the sport resumes after the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s been a long time between drinks for the Sydneysider, but this weekend’s Batemans Bay based ‘Rally of the Bay’ will finally see him raising the dust against a top class field.

The rally is the first round of the NSW Rally Championship, but with the Coronavirus break this year, it has also attracted the cream of the crop from the Australian Rally Championship.

Hatton will team with regular co-driver, Nathan Long, for the one-day event, but will also have a chance to test the car on Thursday to get back into the feel of things.

“I haven’t driven the car since a test day in Victorian back in February, so it’s been a long time between drinks,” Hatton said.

“I’m super excited to get in the rally car again as, like everyone, I’ve really missed the sport and have done nothing but work over the last few months.”

His Hyundai i20 is based in Melbourne where it is maintained by the Activ RallySport team, which means Hatton hasn’t even had the chance to sit in the car for many months.

“The test day will be really important to get back into the groove of things and see where the car is at,” he added.

“We’ll be testing with the Toyota factory team and a few others, so it will be a good opportunity to fine-tune a few things and get the car dialed in for the Bay.”

Following testing on Thursday, Hatton and Long will spend Friday driving the rally stages and writing their safety notes for the seven competitive stages that will cover nearly 140 kilometres.

Not only will it be great to have rallying back again, but the Batemans Bay region is also eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rally after a horrid 2020. After devastating bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic has really hurt local tourism.

A full field of 90 cars is expected for the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay, which has implemented strict safety guidelines to meet the ever-changing needs of the pandemic.

PHOTO: Holloway and Hood at the Alpine Rally

Geoff Holloway and Rick Hood are gaining traction in their bid to take on Australia’s best at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay.

After a 37-year break from rally driving, Holloway purchased a Hyundai Excel in 2019 in a bid to return to the sport he loves. The bright green pocket rocket had previously served five different owners across three states and one territory before finding a new home with Holloway in the Melbourne suburb of Templestowe.

Rick Hood stepped forward to co-drive for the 2019 season, bringing considerable recent experience to the team.

“We had a pretty bold plan for 2019,” Holloway said. “We competed in, and finished, nine events and at each event we were steadily gaining confidence, speed and reliability, generally finishing mid pack. I reckon the very fast tracks at the Rally of the Heartland in Burra, South Australia were one of the highlights of the season” Holloway recalls.

“There’s always close racing amongst the Excel gang in the stages. So much great camaraderie and support between the teams. It’s the little things make it great, like borrowing a radiator from another team so we could finish the Australian Rally Championship round at the Eureka Rush rally” Holloway added.

The 2019 season ended with the very wet and shortened Alpine Rally in Victoria, where the crew were seeded 106th in a field of 106. Undaunted by the horrendous track conditions, the team slithered through the stages to finish a highly creditable 45th.

During the extended off-season, the Hyundai Excel has had an extensive makeover featuring new paint and some fancy artwork added to the bonnet.

“Kermit, as all green cars are named, is looking pretty spruced up. Bring on the Rally of the Bay,” Holloway joked.

The AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay is set to take place on the 4th of July with a field of over 80 cars set to take to the roads of the forests surrounding Batemans Bay.

Following a five-year hiatus from being behind the wheel, the Rally of the Bay on the 4th of July is set to see the return to the driver’s seat for Canberra rally competitor Mike Behnke.

Over the past few months, Mike’s revitalised Honda Civic, which is undergoing a ground up refurbishment, has rapidly taken shape thanks to the help of members of the Light Car Club of Canberra and the Qirx Motorsports team. The group of enthusiastic teammates and supporters has been working late nights, early mornings and weekends to transform the Civic from what was a freshly painted shell just two weeks ago, into a car ready to take to the start line.

Mike is no stranger to club level motorsport. Since stepping back from rally driving in 2015 he has remained active in local car clubs, has dabbled in circuit racing, and continued competing on the dirt from the passenger seat, co-driving for drivers such as Blake Stevens, Meng Chung, Matt Thompson, Anna Ritson and Hannah Stevens.

“I enjoy navigating and contributing in other ways to the sport I love” Mike said. “But I’ve known for some time that it was time to get back into the driver’s seat in my own car. I think many others have felt the same and have been encouraging me to do so,” he continued.

“It’s been incredibly humbling for me to have so many people from the rally community come out in force and help us get back into the forest. To have people actively seeking to help, and willing to take on any tasks, from rebuilding the engine to cleaning and preparing suspension components, is just so appreciated.”

“In my role as President of the LCCC I have witnessed first-hand the hard work and dedication of LCCC members, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Members of the rallying community are always willing to assist each other, not just with their own cars, but to get other people to events, and keeping them going at events.”

Mike also pays tribute to both Denis Stevens, owner of Qirx Motorsports, and his son Blake, both of whom have shared the highs and lows of rallying with Mike over the years.

“Denis and Blake have an unwavering enthusiasm for rallying, and we have achieved so many personal and competitive successes over the years. I look forward to contributing to our list of achievements as a team once again,” Mike added.

The thought of competing again as a driver was already on the radar for Mike when he and his driver Matt Thompson were incredibly fortunate to escape a serious crash at the Alpine Rally of East Gippsland in November last year. The crash destroyed the car, and seriously injured Matt. An awareness of the level of safety gear that saved their lives has been a key aspect of Mike’s preparation of the Civic, and no expense has been spared in the preparation of the car.

“We were very lucky that Matt’s car stood up so well to what was a massive hit” Mike recounts. “Since the crash, it has been widely publicised that we’d been supplied with counterfeit safety harnesses, and mine failed on impact. So I’m very lucky.”

Mike has dealt with the emotional recovery from the incident by reflecting on the lessons learnt, rather than the accident itself.

“It just goes to show that spending money on safety gear is really an investment in your future. Trying to save a few bucks is meaningless if you’re not around to enjoy it. Buying equipment from a reputable supplier is critical as there are some very passable counterfeit equipment doing the rounds,” he said

Ellie Yates is Mike’s partner and co-driver for the upcoming rally, but does Mike believe the car will be ready?

“We still have a fair way to go to get to the start line for the Rally of the Bay, but each day I am more confident that we’ll make it. I may just not be getting much sleep between now and then! I’ve said to Ellie that it should all come together for the event. Hopefully, it’s not just me trying to convince myself!” he laughs.

The AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay is the first ACT/NSW rally event to be held in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a bumper field is set to take on the challenging forest roads around Batemans Bay on the 4th of July.