It was a long wait with bated breath for the series to finally come to a close. The last and final round was to be held in December last year, however heavy rain forced the events postponement to the 26th February 2011.
The Goodyear Auto Care Sumner Park Gallangowan Rally is always a fitting end to a hard fought season and this one lived up to its standard and reputation. A long, hard and very hot day saw teams battle it out and fight for every second on every kilometre, right to the bitter end.
The team of Bishop and O’Dell in their small but potent Mitsubishi Evo 1, worked tirelessly throughout the year to earn the crown they so eagerly chased. The season victory was far from easy pickings, with as many as four crews in a position to win going into the final round.
With forestry stages in a mixed and varied state from the previous months of floods and heavy rains, it made for a rally of reliability, speed and survival. It was not uncommon to step off a smooth road that saw speeds in excess of 180kph, down to a slow crawl along a washed out grassy track. Some might even say it was a rally of old, giving an equal opportunity to many crews and cars to perform well.
With an overheating and eventually cooked motor, Bishop and O’Dell emerged out of the hot, dark night to take the victory and the 2010 Queensland Rally Championship along with it.
2011 will see a different format in the QRC with only a handful of rounds being locked into the calendar at this point in time.
Jo O’Dell Motorsport team is going to go back to its usual configuration with Jo permanently at the helm. Bishop will take a back seat role and focus on keeping the car in good health, while Jo steps up and attacks the 2011 series. Previous performances show that Jo has what it takes to be a champion and will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season.
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