Following an epic conclusion to the Adelaide Hills Rally, five drivers have secured a place to run in the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) at the Supercheap Auto Coffs Coast Rally next month.
The penultimate round of the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) season served as a qualification for the APRC finale, with the top three eligible crews and two wildcard places up for grabs.
After winning their second consecutive ARC round, Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin’s victory saw them automatically qualify alongside fellow Adelaide Hills Rally runners-up Richie Dalton and Dale Moscatt.
The third and final official qualifying place from the round was first-year driver Daniel Gonzalez, who alongside co-driver Larisa Biggar, finished the APRC component of the rally in third and placed fourth in the ARC aboard their Skoda Fabia R5.
2019 ARC Champions Harry Bates and John McCarthy were given one of the two wildcard places, after an engine fire on Saturday saw the duo fall well outside of rally contention. Fresh from their WRC summer adventure, Luke Anear and Andy Sarandis received the final spot in what will be their first Australian rally since the Netier National Capital Rally.
The five-strong Aussie contingent are set to take on some of the best rally drivers within the Asia-Pacific region, including Rally New Zealand WRC2 winner Hayden Paddon.
Sharing the same itinerary as the ARC, all regional and national crews will contest 198 competitive kilometres over 14 special stages throughout the highly anticipated finale in the picturesque New South Wales town.
The Supercheap Auto Coffs Coast Rally takes place on the Coffs Coast on 25-27 November.
APRC Qualifying Drivers
Lewis Bates
Richie Dalton
Daniel Gonzalez
Wild Card entries
Harry Bates
Luke Anear
Photo: Daniel Kalisz
