In a disappointing turn of events, Auto One rally driver Brad Markovic has been forced out of the Quit Experts Cup on Saturday after driving the best stage of his rallying career.
"To be honest, I feel dejected," he said.
On stage one, Markovic was second-fastest to Nicholas Box, who led the Collie-based rally for most of the way, and said 'everything just clicked'.
"It was a combination of trying some new things with braking and my partnership with Glenn," Markovic explained.
Unfortunately, on the second stage of the event, his Maximum Motorsport-prepared Subaru WRX suffered not one, but two punctures.
"About 500 metres into the stage, I think I got a rock," Markovic said. "The car felt a bit funny, but we thought it was just because it was slippery."
Turns out the car's front right tyre had developed a slow leak. When it went flat, the WRX left the road causing a second flat.
"We limped through eight kilometres before we pulled the wheels off and cut the metal stripping from the tyres, but then we realised we were out of late time," Markovic said.
While it was a frustrating end to the Quit Experts Cup, the good news for Markovic is that his car is in good condition for the next event.
His team will install a new sequential dogbox from sponsor Pfitzner Performance Gearbox ahead of the Lewana Stages around Kirup and the Grimwade Plantation on July 25.
Markovic will be the first driver in Australia to run the gearbox and will have to adjust his driving style to suit it.
"The plan is get out and test with the new gearbox the week before the Lewana Stages," he said.
PIC by Gemma Lucas, Drift Images: Markovic drove the best stage of his rallying career on stage one of the Quit Experts Cup
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