The 2017 CAMS Australian Rally Championship is away to a fantastic start after one of the most tightly contested rounds in recent history.
In today’s Heat 2, multiple Australian Champion, Eli Evans drove his Peugeot 208 Maxi to victory over yesterday’s bridesmaid, Nathan Quinn by just 7.5 seconds.
In hot and dusty conditions in the low 30’s, the battle see sawed all day with Evans and Quinn swapping times and only a handful of second separating them at any point winning.
And yesterday’s hero Harry Bates was in the mix all day as well, keeping both Evans and Quinn very honest being only 1.4 seconds adrift at the end of competition.
The fourth placed driver was defending champion Molly Taylor, who fared much better in the dusty conditions today and finished 41 second down on Bates.
Local Ballarat driver Aaron Windus finished fifth in the ARC field and was also the winner in the accompanying round of the Victorian Rally Championship.
After the points, have been awarded for the two heats of the Eureka Rally the championship point score is:
1. Harry Bates/John McCarthy 70
2. Nathan Quinn/David Calder 68
3. Eli Evans/Glen Weston 63
4. Marcus Walkem/Scott Walkem 46
5. Molly Taylor/Bill Hayes 44
The next round of the Championship is the Make Smoking History Rally in Western Australia on 21/23 April.