Adrian Coppin and Erin Kelly will take on a different look during the second round of the CAMS Australian Rally Championship (ARC) thanks to a change of car.
For the remainder of the Championship, the pair have replaced their Peugeot 208 with the slick Skoda Fabia R5.
In a historic moment for the Championship, the Make Smoking History Forest Rally in Western Australia will mark the first time an R5 spec rally car has lined up in the ARC.
The experienced Race Torque Engineering will run the car after leading it to six consecutive winner’s trophies in six years at the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.
“Lindsay and I are very excited to run Adrian and Erin in the Skoda Fabia R5, and look forward to introducing another brand with a strong rally heritage to the ARC,” Lane Heenan of Race Torque said.
After finishing eighth in The Courier Eureka Rally at Ballarat, the change of car is expected to be a boost for Coppin and Kelly.
“I’m very excited and fortunate to be able to drive the Skoda Fabia R5 car,” Coppin said.
“It was always the plan to campaign one of these cars this year, but we just couldn’t make it work before Ballarat. I’m very grateful to Lane and Lindsay for the opportunity.”
While the rally veteran is keen to get into his new set of wheels ahead of the team’s ‘home’ rally in Western Australia, it’s the Netier National Capital Rally where he hopes to make up ground on the Championship leaders.
“I grew up rallying in Canberra and I know the forests well so I’m confident we can get a good result there,” Coppin said.
The Make Smoking History Forest Rally in Western Australia’s southwest takes place on the 27-29 April while the Netier National Capital Rally will be held on the 1-3 June.
