It was a fiery end to the rally, literally, when a fire in a local barn got out of control in the forest surrounding the competition stages. With the event sending its fire and medical crews off to that emergency the final two stages had to be cancelled.
Wilde/Tierney remained consistent and clean across the weekend and had a great battle with fellow West Australians Nicholas Box/Ash Ridden (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) before that crew left the road on SS15 and were forced out of the event.
It is the second ARC round win for Wilde/Tierney and now sees them sitting comfortably on top of the championship leader board.
“To be the first local to win the event in such a long time is an amazing feeling, there have been a lot of guys that have come close over the years but this year with the guys that were in it we were able to make it happen and I’m just so happy,” Wilde said.
“We had an awesome event, it was a shame to see Nick fall off the road as we were pushing hard to keep up with him all weekend, but we had a blast,” he continued.
The crew of Michael Boaden/Helen Cheers finished in second with Mick Patton/Bernie Webb in third.
In the Two-Wheel-Drive Championship Eli Evans/Glen Weston, competing in a Honda Jazz, took the lead on the second stage of the event on Friday and stretched their lead across the weekend, winning both Heats by more than two minutes.
It is their maiden victory at the Quit Forest Rally, and their second event win for the year. Returning to the ARC after a six-year break, Jack Monkhouse and his co-driver Dale Moscatt finished the event in second with John Bruinsma/Adam Tillett in third.
“Perth is one of the toughest events on the calendar; the conditions, the ball bearing surface that everyone is a little terrified about, it’s hard to drive out here so it’s nice to get a win but it’s never easy,” Evans said.
“We’ve got a nice little lead now going into Queensland, it’s not an easy event and we’re expecting Mazda to be there so it’s nice to have a buffer going in. We’ll take this confidence and hopefully continue on,” he continued.
The battle between the two seventeen-year-old entries in the RallySchool.com.au Junior Challenge was closely fought across the weekend but in the end Dan Day and co-driver Steve Glenney (Subaru Impreza WRX Sti) took the win ahead of Dylan King and Andrew Hannigan (Ford Escort).
As winners of the event Day and Glenney will now go to contest the final at the Coffs Coast Forest Rally in October.
The Quit Forest Rally included rounds of the Australian Four-Wheel-Drive, Australian Two-Wheel-Drive Championship, West Australian Rally Championship, Quit Forest Rally Moto, Western Australian Clubman Cup Series and the Shannons Busselton Sprint.
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