The team of Mick Gillett and Harvey Smith put in a consistent drive to finish 1st in the Showroom, Eco-Rally and P4 classes, whilst also managing a very highly regarded 2nd in the 2WD class for the event.
The hard packed roads became very slippery after rain early on the weekend, with showers clearing for a perfect run on Sunday. The Mt Crawford spectator stage was repeated four times, causing the road to become very rutted, forcing Team Hyundai Rallye to take to the verges to maintain optimum speed.
“It was hard work,” indicated co-driver Harvey Smith. “We had written our notes when the stage was completely dry, so we had to adapt quickly. We’re fortunate the i30 is such a strong and stable car to be able to cope with getting across the rutted roads.”
Proving the i30 diesel’s adaptability once again, the stages dried out on Sunday, and the crew relished the opportunity to drive some of the region’s fastest rally roads, which managed to trip up a few of the ARC’s more seasoned and experienced teams.
“Our aim for these events is always to complete all the stages and get to the finish, so we’re extremely pleased to have achieved that again. Our class wins are a real testament to the strength of the car, and the experienced crew looking after it,” driver Gillett said. “We are also pleased to have the opportunity to introduce some of Hyundai’s apprentices to the sport of rallying. We had three fantastic young guys from South Australian dealers join us this weekend, and they showed off their mechanical and technical strengths assisting to maintain the i30 throughout the event.”
With only routine checks throughout the event, no damage to the car and no mechanical repairs required, the i30 will only need a good cleanup after a very muddy weekend in preparation for the next round of the ARC based on the Sunshine Coast next month.
The Queensland round of the ARC is also a round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, and will give the team the opportunity to showcase the Hyundai Genuine Parts i30 CRDi turbo-diesel to a broader rally audience. The event commences on Friday 30th July, 2010.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
