Reigning Australian Rally Champion Simon Evans will return to the scene of one of his most dominating wins as a rally driver for this weekend’s Rally of Queensland.

Just one year ago, Evans conquered all comers by taking out the Asia Pacific Rally Championship category by over a minute, and the Australian Rally Championship contest by two minutes on his way to his third ARC title in four years.

Twelve months later, the car and the competition have changed but one thing remains a constant: Simon Evans is still in control of the Australian Rally Championship.

After having won the last two rounds of the ARC in New South Wales and South Australia, Evans and his co-driver wife Sue have built a 64-point championship lead over Scott Pedder.

Pedder has not entered the Queensland event as he recovers from a serious accident in Rally SA – meaning Evans has the chance to secure his fourth ARC crown in five years.

As a result, the Tankformers Subaru driver will only compete in the ARC competition as he continues to push for a remarkable feat: four championship wins in three different cars; a championship victory in every type of Group N car that has ever raced in the ARC.

“Of course we have looked at the points and done a few calculations about the possibilities for the championship in Queensland,” said Evans, “but, other than for a few brief moments, we really haven’t thought about that.”

“Rallying is a funny sport – you saw at the last event, with Scott, how quickly the championship picture in this sport can change.

“It might sound a little boring, but we just have to concentrate on the job at hand, focus on every stage and do all we can to score as many points as possible at the event.

“That is the reason why we haven’t entered the APRC event this year – the last thing we need is to get caught up fighting with the APRC guys, and risk taking focus off what is required in the ARC competition.

“The Queensland event is one that I have always enjoyed – you can really attack the roads, and they are exciting to drive.

“The event has moved forward in leaps and bounds as well, and you can see with the amount of cars that have entered, the new Caloundra Super Special Stage and the media interest in the area, just what a good job the organisers have done in turning it into an international standard event.”

The International Rally of Queensland begins this Friday night, July 30, with the Caloundra Super Special Stage. On Saturday morning drivers and crews head to the event’s service park in the township of Imbil, west of Noosa for the remainder of the event on the gravel of the surrounding forests.

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