Toyota's local rally 'family' was in action in Rally Australia, and came away with mixed results and plenty to look forward to.
Harry Bates drove the team’s new 4WD Yaris built by his father's organisation Neal Bates Motorsport. Younger brother, Lewis, competed in Neal's 2008 title-winning Corolla S2000.
Harry Bates began the rally with impressive pace, posting the fastest time of any Australian driver in the first stage, but his rally was sidelined by technical issues.
"Our new Yaris rally car is clearly quick and nimble with great brakes and impressive suspension travel," he said.
"An extensive test program over the summer will ensure the car lives up to its full potential next season."
Lewis Bates was impressive on his first drive in the S2000 Corolla.
Lewis Bates, competing for the first time in a 4WD car, rounded out the event with 13th fastest time against all WRC entries (and second-fastest Australian) in Stage 19 and the 15th overall in the Power stage.
"The whole weekend was about gaining experience through the 320km of competitive driving," Lewis Bates said.
"I built up confidence on the Friday, lost some time on Saturday replacing a punctured tyre mid-stage and came through very tricky conditions on Sunday morning with the rain storm.
"It was still muddy and slippery when the sun came out, but I am very happy with the stage times we did at the end."
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