Team principal, Bruce Fullerton, took on a second role to running his own team and competing on the national and international stage, by supporting young Queenslanders Ryan and Rebecca Smart.
“I watched their performances in their Datsun in 2007,†said Bruce, “and decided to give them support for 2008.â€
Bruce facilitated their move into a 4WD turbo car, with a similar Evo 6 Lancer to his Fullerton Financial Services example, and set some goals.
“I wanted to help Ryan and Rebecca gain some experience at Australian Championship events,†explained Bruce, “but our main focus was the Queensland Championship.â€
National Rally of Canberra
After a familiarisation run at the KCF Rallysprint at Jimna, the first event for both cars was the National Rally of Canberra in May, with both Fullerton Financial Services cars entered in the Premier League.
The results were outstanding. Bruce and Hugh finished 6th in Heat 1 and 8th in Heat 2. This left them 5th outright for the weekend and winners of both the Premier League and P5 class. “This has been our best ever result at ARC level†said Bruce.
The second car of Ryan and Rebecca Smart finished 10th in both heats to finish 7th outright for the weekend. “This was really impressive†explained Bruce. “It was their first event on pace notes and first event in a 4WD car, and with the challenges the Canberra stages always provide, Ryan and Rebecca did very wellâ€.
Coates Rally Queensland
Business kept Bruce away from Coates Rally Queensland but the Full-On Rallysport service crew turned up to look after the Smart’s. They had plenty of work replacing the radiator and fan in the short service, but were rewarded with Ryan and Rebecca finishing 8th and 7th in the 2 heats. This brought wins in the Premier League, P5 class and importantly the Queensland Championship – a great result.
Repco Rally New Zealand
Bruce and his team of Hugh, Rob Reddiex and Richard Harris decided to try the international scene and leased an Evo 8 for the Repco Rally New Zealand. The car had a few issues which affected its driveability, and hampered the team as they tried to set good times, but they proved they could be competitive.
“When everything worked well we were running in the top 25†explained Hugh “but we lost time during both leg one and two, so we decided on a steady run to the finishâ€. Unfortunately this didn’t work out with a heavy roll on the final stage of leg 2, and although the car was able to be driven out of the stage, the damage meant the team had to retire.
Queensland Championship
After Coates Rally Queensland, there were just 2 more rounds of the Queensland Championship. Urbenville was the first of these events and whilst in second outright the Smart’s had their first hiccup of the year putting the car on it side. Despite losing time, they managed to continue in the event to pick up a few more points towards the championship.
The last QRC round was at Jimna with rain during the day making conditions very tricky. This was where Ryan and Rebecca Smart really excelled, and by winning the event by over 2 minutes, took out the Queensland Championship in emphatic style.
“The end result was what we had set as a goal†said Bruce “and Ryan and Rebecca brought the Fullerton Financial Services Evo 6 through to a great championship winâ€.
Coffs Coast Dakin/Allied Air Conditioning Rally
The last event of the ARC saw Bruce Fullerton/Hugh Reardon-Smith gain solid results in both heats as they rebuilt their confidence following their NZ experience, finishing inside the top 15 in both heats and second in the Premier League for the weekend.
The Smart’s had a mixed event, setting some stunning stage times but having to overcome some mechanical challenges, blowing a turbo hose and having fuel problems. However in heat 2 they shone finishing 5th outright and excelling in the wet conditions.
“It has been a very successful year†said Bruce “with the Smart’s winning the Queensland Championship and ourselves having a marvellous Rally of Canberra.
The teams thank their sponsors and supporters : Fullerton Financial Services, Alliance Airlines, Prime Haulage and Yandina Automotive Repairs, and acknowledge Silverstone Tyres support of the Smart’s, and the help of Bruce Fullerton, Rob Reddiex, Richard Harris, Hugh Reardon-Smith and the Smart family.
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