Rising Canberra rally driver Rhys Pinter will be making the step up into the Australian Rally Championship from 2014.
The 20-year old NSW Excel series and ACT Novice series champion will only be in his third competitive season as a rally driver from 2014 and aims to take out the Rallyschool.com.au Junior challenge.
Pinter has purchased a brand new Ford Fiesta R2 from fellow Canberra driver and current ARC competitor Adrian Coppin at Innate Motorsport and is hoping that this is the right car to do it in.
“I was looking into stepping up for 2014 and needed a more competitive car for Australian Rally Championship events. I was unsure about what car I could afford that was suitable enough until Adrian mentioned the Fiesta to me and we basically took it from there.”
“The car is brand new as it was the car that Molly Taylor (2013 European Ladies Rally Champion) was to drive at Rally Australia however Molly never made it”
“A positive about this car is that unlike the other car Adrian had available this is right hand drive so it will be much easier for me to get settled into the new car”.
Pinter and the team will take delivery of the new car just before Christmas with scheduled testing in early 2014 prior to round 1 of the ARC.
Pinter has had a breakthrough season in 2013 by posting quick stage times including top ten stage times at Myall and finishing in the top 15 at the Batemans bay rally in what was then his Hyundai Excel. “It was always going to be a better year than last and having people like Neal Bates and Adrian Coppin jump in the car with me and to help mentor me has really helped and both agreed that I needed to step up to the next level”.
Pinter is currently aiming to compete in up to three ARC events next year and mix them up with some various state rounds “At the moment we are looking at doing the National Capital Rally and Coffs Rally Australia. I’m really hoping to do another ARC like Rally SA or Rally Queensland but like most things it depends what I can come up with in terms of money.”
Although Pinter has made the decision to step up, it has not always been plain sailing.
“To follow my dream of competing in the ARC and hopefully at some point overseas I have had work so hard to find the funds to get this car including doing shift work and numerous overtimes at my work.”
In a positive for the upcoming season the team has just secured a deal with Mr Pink beverages Australia for 2014 in what could well become a very successful partnership. “I’m really excited to have signed such a big name company for the team as I have heard a lot about the company doing well in America and when I found out that they were coming to Australia I knew it was too good an opportunity to pass up.”
The team is also excited to confirm the resigning of Damesa Industries and Southern Automotive Services for 2014.”These local Canberra businesses have supported me since day one and is great to have them on board again for a third year”.
You can follow Pinter as the team strives to hit the ground running at their home event ‘The National Capital Rally’ in Canberra from February 28 to March 2.
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