Three WA drivers will head east for the final round of the 2013 East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship, Rally Victoria.
WA’s leading ARC driver Tom Wilde in a Renault Clio R3, who’s third on the leaderboard behind Victorians Eli Evans in a Honda Jazz and teammate Scott Pedder, will lead the charge while Nicholas Box confirmed he would not be competing.
It’s been a frustrating year for Box who debuted his Nissan 370Z at the WA round of the ARC, the Quit Forest Rally in April.
The car’s radiator was damaged in the International Rally of Queensland and Box was forced out of the Coates Hire Rally Australia with a blown engine.
Box said financial strains had taken their toll and lamented he probably wouldn’t compete next year either.
“Onslow Contracting have been a great help covering the hardest part which is transport from WA and back every time and we couldn't have done it without them,” he said.
“They are still keen to help me and be part of the team in the future but Emma, I and the kids are a single income family and two years in row competing in the ARC has taken its toll on us financially and it will take some time to recover.
“I hope to return to the ARC in the future and I hope Tom [Wilde] can keep competing next year and do WA proud.”
Also flying the flag for WA at Rally Victoria will be Doug Tostevin in a Subaru WRX (pictured) and Rob Webber in a Mitsubishi Evo IX.
For Tostevin, it’s the first time he’s done a rally outside of WA since 1995 and he said he was ‘talked into’ doing the event by Webber.
Webber said: “I’m looking forward to Rally Victoria. I have no expectations as I have no idea of who the locals will be but I aim sure they are going to have a jump on me with their local knowledge.
“I just want to enjoy the roads which I believe are fast and flowing.”
Rally Victoria is a two-day event that kicks off on Friday November 15. It is run over forestry roads around the Shire of Baw Baw.
Photo: Tim Allott
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