Windus, who finished a brilliant fifth outright in this year’s Australian Rally Championship, has his Subaru Impreza WRX tuned to perfection as he readies himself for his first start in Australia’s premier rally.
Together with WA co-driver Jon Mortimer, Windus is contesting the event after a stellar season at national level, competing against the might of the factory teams from Toyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford.
A privateer with no factory support, Windus has received sponsorship for Rally Australia from Japanese Wholesale Spares, a locally based vehicle importing business that has supported his rallying for the past few seasons.
“We had a great season in the ARC, and we see Rally Australia as the perfect end to the season,” Windus said. “Although it’s difficult to predict what sort of result we can achieve against the best drivers and teams in the world, we’re confident that we can perform well.”
Windus and Mortimer will form part of the 10-car Golden Eggs Rally Team, which includes fellow high-profile West Australian rally drivers Tolley Challis, John Macara and Warren Tuckett.
“Ideally we’d like to be able to challenge for a top five placing in the production Group N class,” Windus added. “But over a three-day event like Telstra Rally Australia, you never know what lies ahead, so getting to the finish will be the first goal.”
Windus and Mortimer have the skill, the teamwork and the machinery necessary to achieve that top five position, and those in the know will be keeping a close eye on their stage times.
The Subaru-mounted pair see the event as a stepping stone to an even bigger rally program in 2007, where they hope to be even closer to the head of the pack in the Australian Rally Championship.