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2008 May 2008 April

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Be sure to check out Round Two of the ARC at midday on Sunday 25th May on Network Ten, where you can see all of the action and drama of this month's Rally of Canberra. Local driver Neal Bates and Co-driver Coral Taylor took out the event to extend their lead atop the 2008 point standings.

Crews have headed back into the forest for the final four stages of the Rally of Canberra. TRD’s Simon Evans is 56.6 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, TRD team mate Neal Bates.
While Evans leads Heat Two of the National Rally of Canberra, Bates only needs to hold strong in second to take the event win after taking out Heat One yesterday.

Japanese Wholesale Spares Darren Windus has his sights set on second outright in Heat Two of the National Rally of Canberra today. Windus, who was in second this morning before being caught in the dust of Access Hardware’s Spencer Lowndes has been fighting hard to claw back the time to TRD’s Neal Bates over the last few stages.

The morning stages of the Rally of Canberra have once again taken their toll on the Australian Rally Championship field. By the completion of SS10 (the first stage of Heat Two) Evans Motorsport’s Eli Evans was stranded on the side of the bogged in the soft surface and Access Hardware’s Spencer Lowndes had joined the growing list of competitors to have a run in with a Kangaroo.

Raymond Partners Accountant’s Glen and Matt Raymond are on their way back to Melbourne, forced to retire from the Rally of Canberra overnight. The team’s Group N(P) Corolla suffered rally ending mechanical difficulties during yesterday’s Heat One.

Evans Motorsport’s Eli Evans’ run in the Rally of Canberra has come to an end on SS10, the first stage of Heat Two, this morning. Evans who finished second outright in the Australian Rally Championship, and third in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, in Heat One, slid off the road after going too wide into a corner mid way into the 29 kilometre stage.

CAMS Rally Driver Development squad member Nathan Quinn had a shaky start to his first international event yesterday when the fuel pump on his Mitsubishi Evo V seized, stranding the car in the middle of SS1. The crew were unable to retrieve the car within the allocated times due to the closed roads of the rally and were therefore unable to restart in yesterdays competition.

Subaru rally driver Cody Crocker has dominated the opening day of the International Rally of Canberra, making the perfect start to his Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) defence.

Access Hardware’s Spencer Lowndes has finished Heat One of the National Rally of Canberra in fourth place missing out on a top three finish by just 0.4 seconds.

Toyota Racing Development’s Neal Bates has held off the charging Evans brothers (Evans Motorsport’s Eli Evans and TRD’s Simon Evans) to take maximum points in heat one at round two of the Australian Rally Championship today. However one team that will not feature in Heat Two is Team BK's Brenton Kaitler and Vivek Samy after a roll early in Heat One caused significant damage to their Lancer, resulting in the car being withdrawn from the rally.

Lake Macquarie rally driver Michael Guest’s opening day at the Rally of Canberra came to an early end when he collided with a kangaroo, forcing him to retire his Pirtek Les Walkden Rally Subaru just a few kilometres into the fourth special stage of the eight stages scheduled.

Toyota Racing Development’s Neal Bates is leading the National Rally of Canberra following the first three stages around the nation’s capital this morning. However, with the Asia Pacific field running on the roads ahead of the ARC cars Bates and his fellow national drivers are finding the road conditions a little tougher than they’d like.

It has been an eventful start to the National Rally of Canberra this morning with crews already succumbing to the infamous Canberra roads. Toyota Racing Development’s Simon Evans’ run of poor luck has continued, with the series Champion suffering damage to his S2000 Corolla on the first stage. He has been able to continue on, however his times are suffering as a result.

Leading Mitsubishi driver Access Hardware’s Spencer Lowndes has completed a successful preparation for this weekend’s National Rally of Canberra, round two of the ARC. With significant upgrades made to his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX since the opening round of the Championship last month, Lowndes was on the pace at the Rally of Canberra Shakedown, setting the fifth fastest stage time.

Round two of the 2008 Australian Rally Championship has got underway in the forests around Canberra today; with crews taking part in the official Rally of Canberra Shakedown. Toyota Racing Development’s Neal Bates has continued where he left off from last month’s Quit Forest Rally setting the fastest time, just ahead of his TRD team mate Simon Evans and Japanese Wholesale Spares Darren Windus.

Subaru rally driver, Cody Crocker, is in Canberra this weekend to start the defence of his Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title.

Lake Macquarie rally driver, Michael Guest, will tackle the Canberra round of the Australian Rally Championship this weekend, looking to build momentum in his quest for the 2008 national driver’s title. Guest made his debut with the Pirtek LWR Team in Western Australia in April, taking his Subaru Impreza WRX STI to fourth outright in the opening round of the series, highlighted with an impressive second placing in Heat Two of competition.

TRD Rally Team boss Neal Bates is aiming to extend his winning streak to three this weekend when he and team-mate Simon Evans line up for the team's home event and the second round of the 2008 ARC, the Rally of Canberra. Fresh from winning the season-opening rally in WA, Bates is hoping he can score his third win in a row at his home event.