"I'm unlikely to ever win the championship behind the wheel, so it makes good sense to put someone of Steve's ability in the car," Brooks told RallySport Magazine from his home north west Tasmania."We've got a very good car, and we've tried to make it the best in the paddock. "With the way the rules have changed, it's now or never against the faster and lighter AP4 cars.
"Our car is the ex-Molly Taylor ARC-winning WRX from 2016, and the guys have turned it into one of the best PRC cars around."We’ve decided to put a top driver in it and see what happens. Our aim is to see if we can win the championship," Brooks said.
Steve Glenney (left) will drive Craig Brooks' Subaru, with fellow Targa Tasmania winner Jason White (right) preparing the car.
"As an example, we took 25kg of wiring out of the car last year and replaced it with 5kg of wiring," Brooks said."They're small gains that will hopefully pay off on the stages." For the Eureka Rally, Glenney will have the experienced Mike Potter in the co-driver's seat. Potter, also from Tasmania, has previously competed in the ARC in 2016 alongside the fast-paced Eddie Maguire.
Craig Brooks and Steve Glenney in action in the National Capital Rally in 2017.
"But I'm ready to step aside and move into the team principle role and watch Steve and our talented crew give the ARC a real crack."Glenney's assault on the 2018 Australian Rally Championship will be supported by Contel Communications, with support from Subaru Genuine Parts.
FOOTNOTE
The Tasmanian-based team can lay claim to being the fastest crew in the country, headed by experienced tarmac rally driver Pete Nunn as the head mechanic, and multiple Targa Tasmania winner, Jason White, as the fabrication and preparation guru. The crew are supported by Jamie Vandenberg (another former Targa Tasmania winner), and tarmac and gravel rally winner, Eddie Maguire. "With Steve and myself in the car last year, the team had something like six Tasmanian Rally Championships, nine Targa Tasmania outright wins, and many other Targa event wins and class wins," Brooks said. "There were plenty of jokes about me having an 'accident' before the event so someone else could grab the keys!"
Brooks' exciting driving style will be missed in the ARC, but Glenney will be fast too. Photos: Peter Whitten
More ARC news:
https://rallysportmag.com/evans-eyes-number-one-spot-at-eureka-rally280218/ https://rallysportmag.com/2018-a-make-or-break-year-for-subaru-australia-in-the-arc260218/SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
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