The FSPORT FIEST AST Rally Team will be racing the clock to have their new car ready to debut at round 10 of the FIA World Rally Championship at Coffs Harbour in early September.
The car arrived in Sydney by ship on Sunday but is not expected to complete the Customs and AQIS processes until at least Wednesday of this week.
The driver, Adrian Coppin is starting to feel the pressure. “I should have the car in Canberra on Thursday but there is so much to do and not much time” Coppin said. “Getting it registered so I can drive it around is just the first step in what is likely to be a frantic couple of weeks before we leave for the event,” Coppin added.
After the car has been registered and checked by a Confederation of Australian Motorsports (CAMS) scrutineer to ensure it complies with the sports regulations, Coppin is hoping to conduct an extended private test on a forest stage outside Canberra on Saturday to get to grips with the left hand drive (LHD) vehicle and get the setup to his liking.
“I have never driven a LHD car before, so I need some time to come to get to grips with that before I start playing with the setup Coppin said. It’s going to be strange and I’m sure everything will look different from the other side of the car but at least I don’t have to worry about driving on the RH side of the road,” Coppin joked.
After the test the car will go to local rally preparation business Total Traction Services to be stripped down and prepared for its debut. The car will be back in Sydney on the 29th of August to receive its new livery.
Team owner, John Mills said, “The timeline is much tighter that we would like but there isn’t much you can do when you are importing a car from overseas. I’m sure the guys in Canberra will get everything done, even it means some late nights.”
With just 12 days before the car has to be back in Sydney, the pressure is going to be on.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
