The event started well with good control over the slippery first few stages and a move up the order as they came to terms with the wet conditions.
However, on the Goanna stage, it all came undone as a pacenote error meant the crew attacked a jump too aggressively, and despite some excellent driver control to keep the car out of the trees, the strainer post beside a grid pulled the car up short and led to retirement for the day, after the sumpgaurd was pushed back into the oil cooler.
“This was very disappointing,” said team principal and driver Bruce Fullerton, “as we were on a good pace without taking risks. Unfortunately, at the required slow pace in recce, we did not realise the car would jump so aggressively, and in retrospect, we should have noted the jump differently.”
The service crew of Rob Reddiex and Richard Harris then did a sterling job to repair the car and have it back in parc ferme in time to tackle the super special stage and Sunday morning’s stages.
“We ran the 62km loop of special stages to check the car was still performing properly,” said Bruce, “and with no issues we withdrew from the event as we could not be classified as a finisher.”
The car’s next appearance will be at Queensland’s biggest agricultural field days – Farmfest on the Darling Downs – at Kingsthorpe Park, 20km west of Toowoomba.
Following this, the car will be prepared for its next event, the Scouts Rally of South Australia in late July.
The team would like to thank their sponsors Alliance Airlines, Earthquip and Fullerton Financial Services for their support.
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