The long haul from Sydney to Adelaide for last week’s Scouts Rally SA wasn’t in vain for Young gun Adam Casmiri and Co-driver Sam Hill and their Honda Civic Type R.
Their campaign to take the Rallyschool.com.au Junior trophy came close, but wasn’t quite to be.
Heading into Friday’s opening leg, the rain fell hard which made for slippy conditions in the opening stage in the Mt Crawford forests, Dewells. Being a flat out blast through the forest the high powered RX7 of Micheal Busby took the opening stage honours, but the remaining days stages were won convincingly by Adam in the Civic, some 2.2 seconds a kilometre faster than the remaining juniors. Casmiri eventually finished heat 1 in 5th ARC 2WD outright, just missing out on a place in the televised Power stage.
Saturday morning was more of the same, with the opening forest stages a close battle, but when the rally moved to the shire roads of Goldfields, Adam’s commitment to the fast flowing roads really shone through, taking nearly 22 seconds out of the nearest 2WD Junior competitor, and setting stage times within 0.5 sec / km of Mark Pedder in the newer Factory Honda Jazz G2.
Tweeden is where it all came unstuck, when 20 km into the 31km stage the Honda developed a vibration at speed. Initially thought to be a broken driveshaft, it was evident at the stage end by the gearbox oil pouring from the sump guard, that finishing was not on the agenda.
With every trial, comes tribulation with the Sportsgraphics team changing the gearbox for a stock spare unit in record time, and preparing the car to be in Parc Ferme, and allow the crew to restart in Heat 3.
The fast flowing shire roads near Mt Barker suited the Casmiri / Hill pair with stage times placing them in 4th ARC 2WD heading into the Kuitpo forest.
SS14 “Flat” was bitter sweet for the team. Adam charged hard through the slippy stage, passing many experienced crews caught out by the conditions, they were some of the last competitors to start prior to the stage being downgraded. Not escaping unscathed though, when the Honda slid wide near the end of stage, and clouted a log with the left rear wheel. Bending the lower control arm and severely affecting the wheel alignment.
The crews never say die attitude saw them perform some roadside repairs to straighten the lower arm in the transport to the last special stage, SS16 “Planetary.”
Stunned by the number of spectators Casmiri and Hill decided to press on to finish and maintain their heat 3 RAJC lead. Two thirds of the way through the slippy forest stage, the left rear shock absorber cried enough, and broke at the bent lower mount, and rendered the car to finish on only 3 of its working wheel. Not perturbed, Adam drove it to the end to finish the rally in 4Th ARC 2WD outright, and Heat 3 winners of the Rallyschool Junior challenge by nearly 1 minute.
But the rally wasn’t over.. With 46km of transport back to the final finish control, the Honda needed some additional repairs. Some creative use of a discarded roadside post, cable ties and a wing and a prayer gave the Honda Civic Type R the temporary suspension it needed to make the final time control, and finish the Scouts Rally SA for 2012.
Astoundingly, the Casmiri / Hill pairing drove the Honda over the podium to be awarded 1st overall in P2 by ARC series CEO Scott Pedder.
Both Adam and Sam congratulate the Tyler / Gentlemen crew for locking in the points to take the RAJC crown for Scouts Rally SA.
Of course it would not be possible to compete at this level without the assistance of the following supporters: Sportsclassic Motorsport, Sportsgraphics.com.au, Haltech, Race Solutions, Pro Wire, Rallyschool.com.au, Lubes Direct, Aussie Linx, Ichiban Imports, V-SPORT Arndell Park, Penrith Brake & Clutch Service & D.King Civil.
Photo: Motorsport Photography
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