First-time pairing on the podium at Barossa

A third outright finish in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 RS, saw them just 21.4 seconds behind the winning crew of Guy Tyler and Tania Wearing.

Ambrose was called up as a very late replacement for Harries’ regular co-driver, and partner, Carli Harries, who unfortunately had to withdraw just two days before the event.

In their first outing together, with Ambrose competing in a 4WD for the first time, and the opening three stages held at night, the pair reached outright second at the end of competition on day one.

That placing put them behind only Declan and Zoe Dwyer, who were pushing for a win to claim the South Australian Rally Championship.

Proving that day one was no fluke, the duo then started day two with more of the same, finishing second on the opening two stages, before being rewarded with an outright stage win on the third stage of the morning.

Handling issues due to a centre diff problem then slowed their charge, but with just three stages to go, Harries found himself only 1.8 seconds adrift of Tyler, who had taken the lead after Dwyer hit brake trouble on the fast and flowing Goldfields stage.

Ongoing diff issues and great runs by Tyler and Dwyer over the final stages ultimately saw Harries and Ambrose end the day in third place.

The podium finish was an unexpected and well-earned result, and a timely boost for Harries in particular – who had experienced mechanical issues in a number of recent events.

“With all the drama of the last few days, we didn’t even know if we’d actually be competing until Saturday afternoon, so being on the podium was completely unexpected. It’s a result we’re both very proud of,” Harries said after the event.

For Ambrose, the step up to competing at the top end of the field was a great challenge.

“I knew this would be quite a bit more demanding than my previous events, and I was pretty nervous going into the first stage. I really enjoyed it, although it was probably just as well I didn’t have too much time to think about it in the lead-up.”

Looking forward to 2025, Harries will be teaming up with regular co-driver Carli for an assault on the SARC title and potentially a few Australian Rally Championship Production Cup rounds if budget allows.