Championship Rally Action Shifts to Queensland
27 May 1999
GROUP ATTACK - FALKEN TYRES RALLY QUEENSLAND The Falken Tyres Rally Queensland on the weekend of June 4th and 6th promises a hard fought, two day battle between the best rally drivers in the country and the big winners will be 10,000 spectators expected in the Sunshine Coast forests and surrounding towns for the big event. Many spectators will be following the world class cars of reigning Australian Champion, Possum Bourne and his WRC Subaru Impreza, and number one challenger Neal Bates, of Canberra, and his WRC Toyota Corolla. Still others will appreciate the fight out between protagonists in two major categories within the event and it is these battles that could deliver the hardest fought battles within the rally! The line up for Group N honours is very promising. Top seeded Victorian crew, Cody Crocker and Greg Foletta in their Subaru Impreza and 'Mr Consistency', Queensland's own Stewart Reid, with Anthony McLoughlin, has chosen the Falken Tyres Rally Queensland in which to make the Australian debut of his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VI. Crocker will have some strong Subaru company with reigning Queensland Rally Champion, Bruce Fullerton and Hugh Readon-Smith campaigning their Subaru Impreza as will another local, Keith Callinan, the ACT's Michael Thompson and WA's Jeff Sadek. Reid will have a strong Mitsubishi 'army' hopefully behind him. The ever popular Lancer EVO 4WD turbo is being run by Queensland's John Goasdoue and Glen Weston with their EVO III while much is expected from Victoria's Spencer Loundes and ACT's Claire Parker in their Lancer RSE V. Other Mitsubishi pilots include seasoned campaigner NSW's Ron Cremen, David Hills and a veteran of Australian rally sport, Queensland's own George Shepheard. A number of crews will also campaign both the Mitsubishi and Subaru rally cars under the PRC category, which allows modifications to local rather than world rally rules. Challenging the 4WD turbo Gp N cars in the Falken Tyres Rally Queensland is also one of the hardest fought categories - two-litre, front wheel drive production based cars, much as you and I drive on the road every day! The two-litre category, or F2, is made up of many manufacturers, many models and some hard driving crews eager to prove they are the best, in what to many, is a jump off point for greater glory in the sport of rallying! Look for the all-new Volkswagen Golfs of Simon and Sue Evans, backed by teammates Jason Slot and Will Logan. The VWs are two-litre kit cars, and this type of car was first debuted in Australia last year at Rally Queensland by Wayne Bell and the HRS Hyundai Coupe. Challenging these world class cars are a number of former two-litre champions in a number of different cars. Rick Bates and Jenny Britain will run their 1998 Championship winning Daihatsu Charade Gti while 97 champion, Brett Middleton and Andrew Benefield will run their Sanyo Honda, despite having their entire spares and service kit and vehicles stolen late last month! The two-litre cars entries have been increased with good interest in the Dunlop Corolla Cup, a one make series with in the Australian Rally Championship, designed to allow budding rally drivers to compete at top level on a budget! One make series has already produced some great drivers within the Australian scene and many are entered in the Falken Tyres Rally Queensland. The event will centre of the Sunshine Coast with most of the rally action in the forests west of Caloundra and special viewing buses running into the forests out from Imbil, the major service point of the rally. Spectator guides, viewing passes and further information will be on sale at that point.