Driving their Toyota Corolla Group N (p), the Raymond team along with Neal Bates and Simon Evans all had a mathematical chance of winning the championship.
Heat one was instantly flat out for the three crews. Raymond was to finish the heat in 2nd outright behind Simon Evans, with Neal Bates disappointingly succumbing to electrical problems after entering the last stage of the stage 0.4 seconds in front of Raymond.
“It was a shame we didn’t get to have a battle with Neal (Bates) and Coral (Taylor) on the last stage,†said navigator Matt Raymond at the end of the first day. “However, this cements our second place in the championship and we will lift-off tomorrow for a finish in Heat 2.â€
Heat 2 bought an easy result for Raymond, cruising through to finish 3rd Outright for the Heat and 3rd Outright for the event.
“We are very happy with how this year has gone. This year we worked on consistency, and thanks to the mechanical preparation by Mammi Motors, we were able to finish every stage of every rally,†stated driver Glen Raymond. “To finish second outright in between two multiple Australian Champions is very exciting. Next year we hope to be in a more competitive car and hopefully take the next step up the podium.â€
The Raymond’s now look forward to the Pirelli Star Driver Shootout at Australia’s World Rally Championship Round in Northern New South Wales in September. Competing against 9 of the Asia Pacific’s fastest under 27 year old drivers, if successful Glen and Matt Raymond will receive a fully sponsored drive in 6 rounds of World Rally Championship in 2010.
The team would like to thank its supporters who make it possible to compete at national level: Raymond Partners Accountants, JNJ Electrical Contractors, Bendigo Bank, Mammi Motors, Pirelli Tyres, Blackwell Bodyworks, Quality Site Welding, Melbourne Performance Centre, Warragul Signs, Moe Engines, Jen's Dinkum Discounts and VicParts.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
