How good would it be to see DJR/Team Penske running a pair of Ford Fiesta R5s with Nathan Quinn and Eli Evans at the wheel?Or 888 running Brendan Reeves and Hayden Paddon in Hyundai i20 R5s? Added to the factory Toyota squad of Harry and Lewis Bates, and Subaru's single entry for Molly Taylor, it would give the championship a tremendous boost, and in more ways than one. Maybe Brad Jones Racing would chip in with a couple of Skodas? It's unlikely that Australian rallying is going to see much of an influx in terms of additional manufacturer involvement in the coming years - our market is just not big enough. But focusing on bringing new teams into the series could be the way forward. For years we've had privateer outfits like Les Walkden Rallying and Evans Motorsport running their own operations, but for the most part they've never had the corporate dollars to do the job for extended periods of time. Bringing in a few Supercar teams could be just the ticket. Sure, there's added cost, but running Fiesta R5s in Shell V-Power colours adds to the brand, as would a couple of Hyundais in Red Bull livery. That's a very simplistic example, but what's to say it couldn't work?
Michael Guest drove for the Ford supported Britek team in the ARC in the 2000s.
"We need to rethink the way we go about rallying. We have an equally rich history, sensational moments, but never shared with fans."The WRC is bland by comparison, no real insight into the teams or drivers, no family stuff, no probing, nuthin….." Getting more teams involved who really know how to do this kind of thing is imperative for the sport's growth, and would be a real step in the right direction. Will it ever happen? Probably not, but we can dare to dream.
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