Mates help Smart achieve ARC success

Ryan Smart and John Allen have turned heads on the weekend, driving their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 to victory in the 2016 International Rally of Queensland, in diabolically wet conditions on the Sunshine Coast.

Finishing the event almost a minute ahead of second placed and provisional Australian Rally Championship leaders, Harry Bates and John McCarthy, Smart proved that you don’t need fancy signwriting, a big truck or a six figure budget to finish on the top step of the podium. In fact, he only used 8 tyres for the entire event.

“To be honest I didn’t expect to be on the pace. I haven’t done a rally in 18 months, and I had only done a quick shakedown of the car just before I started the rally,” Smart said.

“I wanted to come out and have some fun and see if I still had some pace.

“We’re really stoked to get the result we did and it’s a big thank you to everyone that has helped us this weekend.

“I’ve actually been overwhelmed with the help we have received - people have offered their time, support, spare parts, vehicles for service and expertise for nothing. We wouldn’t have been able to be here without them.”

Smart  and Allen’s rally was not drama free, with brake issues in the first few stages, and the service crew changing a diff at the end of day 1.

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