Top notch performance gives Lewis rally win

After winning Heat One, the GR Yaris Rally2 pilots weren’t always the leaders on Sunday, but as the day progressed, so did their impressive speed.

The fourth stage of the day was their first of three stage wins in a row, as they flexed their muscle on the repeat runs of the morning’s stages.

It was on the first of the three wins that they took the lead of the rally, and their consistency meant they never looked like losing the lead.

They held their strong speed to not only maintain their lead, but to also take Power Stage points.

“Anthony and I felt at one with the car the whole weekend and we’ve had some pretty good pace,” Lewis said at the end of the Power Stage.

Unlike some of his other wins, this was won from the front, and getting the better of his brother, Harry, on both days of competition is a first for 27-year-old Lewis.

“I think that’s something that Anthony and I can be really proud of,” he added. “I think we managed our pace really well and we pushed where we had to.

“We were just happy to get through (the Power Stage). We just didn’t want him (Harry Bates) to catch that seven second lead we had for the Heat.”

The two Heat wins, plus their Power Stage points, propels them up the championship order into third.

For Harry Bates and Coral Taylor aboard their trusty GR Yaris AP4, their mission for the weekend was completed with second overall on Sunday.

Not only did they keep their championship lead, they extended it, and now head into the final round of the season with a remarkable 75 point advantage.

While no doubt disappointed with the penalty received late on Saturday, they’ll be comfortable with their balanced performance through Sunday and be looking forward to getting back aboard their Rally2 car at the season finale.

Fellow title contender Scott Pedder had a day he’d like to forget.

After starting with a stage win, another mistake on the day’s second stage put he and Glenn Macneall out of contention for the Heat.

They are now effectively out of title contention given they only managed 10 points from a dismal Sunday.

Rising up from his Saturday performance of fifth was Hyundai driver Alex Rullo.

The multiple podium place getter this season returned there after a tough couple of rounds, and showed better speed and consistency through Heat Two.

Two Power Stage points are also reward for he and Steve Glenney’s weekend, which can be seen as a rebounding effort after their mistake in Queensland and unfortunate engine problems last time out in Victoria.

Rullo led a mini battle back during the day between himself and the Maguire brothers, who ended the day in fourth and fifth respectively.

For Eddie Maguire, the day and weekend was a true rollercoaster as various issues hampered he and Zak Brakey on the fast roads.

Punctures and small mistakes hampered their Saturday, while their Sunday was a fightback mission after a puncture on the third corner of the day.

A stall in the rally-ending Power Stage was less than ideal, however, their time was still fast enough to overcome teammate Steve Maguire for fourth.

Steve and co-driver Ben Searcy did hold third throughout part of the day, but their focus to bring home a straight car meant the times dropped away towards the back end of the Heat.

Both Maguire brothers can now look forward to what will be their highlight of the season – an Australian Rally Championship round out of their hometown, Burnie, in late November.

The Luff brothers’ freshly green GR Yaris AP4 finished in sixth despite an ever-present vibration.

Some work will need to be done between rounds to diagnose the issue, however, their confidence will be as high as ever going into the final round of the year after consistent drives through the last four rounds.

Eighth, two fifths and now this result makes them arguably the most consistent performers of the middle part of the year.

Behind them, Peter Rullo’s borrowed Skoda Fabia finished in seventh, ahead of the impressive Production Cup winner, Bodie Reading.

Reading was never challenged in his quest for the Cup win, and showed his immense talent and speed yet again aboard his somewhat basic Subaru Impreza WRX.

Like the Maguire brothers, his home rally is up next, and will be eager to impress further.

Danny Traverso finished the Heat as the second Production Cup runner ahead of Jaidyn Gluskie.

Gluskie and co-driving sister, Lucy, had their best weekend thus far in the Australian Rally Championship, taking both Heats in the Junior Cup.

Despite their strong performance, it wasn’t enough to stop Mitch Garrad and Taylah Murphy from clinching the series win with a round to spare.

Sunday brought trouble in the Subaru WRX Challenge. Gary Yeomans rolled on the penultimate stage, leaving Tim Hiles and Glenn Brinkman as the sole Challenge cars at the finish line.

Hiles made a small mistake in the morning, but it was Brinkman who took the Heat Two honours.

Peter Dimmock yet again took the Classic Cup win aboard his Datsun and extends his class lead ahead of Dave Thompson.

The Australian Rally Championship finishes its season in two months’ time with the all-new Rally Tasmania awaiting crews out of Burnie.

Harry Bates and Coral Taylor will be hard to beat for the title, however, four crews remain a mathematical chance to take the title in the Apple Isle.

Adelaide Hills Rally – Heat Two Results

1. Bates/McLoughlin, Toyota, 45m17.7s
2. Bates/Taylor, Toyota, +5.7s
3. Rullo/Glenney, Hyundai, +1m17.0s
4. Maguire/Brakey, Skoda, +1m43.3s
5. Maguire/Searcy, Skoda, +2m03.7s
6. Luff/Luff, Toyota, +2m45.9s
7. Rullo/Marquet, Skoda, +2m57.7s
8. Reading/Young, Subaru, +2m57.7s
9. Traverso/Carr, Mitsubishi, +5m45.5s
10. Gluskie/Gluskie, Subaru, +6m19.7s