The repair job is well underway for Gandewa Sanders and Rhianon Gelsomino’s Pulang Menang Ford Fiesta after their brutal rollover at The Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally last month.
The duo are confident that the car will be ready to go in time for the penultimate round of the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) season at the PowerPlay Adelaide Hills Rally next month, with replacement parts already on their way from M-Sport Poland.
Thankfully, neither were injured during the rollover in Gippsland, but the damage done to the Fiesta required a considerable amount of work courtesy of Activ Rallysport.
Sanders was running in an impressive second place in the White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup, before his and Gelsomino’s weekend came to a tumbling end on the rally’s 12th stage.
Despite the disappointment, the Melbourne based Indonesian driver saw the incident as a learning opportunity and looked forward to returning to ARC in South Australia.
“It was disappointing considering we were running in second right up until the roll,” Sanders said.
“We were only a couple of hundred metres away from the flying finish before we got caught out by a surface change, which we believe ultimately led to the roll.
“At the end of the day, that’s rallying! Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn and when an incident like that one happens, it’s a big learning opportunity.
“The repair job for the Fiesta is well underway and is being prepared for the next round in South Australia, special thanks to Activ Rallysport for always keeping my car in top condition. We have parts coming in from Poland as we speak, and we don’t think it will take too long to arrive.
“I love driving this car and I love competing here in Australia. I’m thankful to have my main sponsor Pulang Menang support me through not only this process, but also my entire rally career.”
Sanders and Gelsomino currently sit third overall in the White Wolf Constructions ARC Production cup Drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship respectively.
The next round of Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship will be PowerPlay Adelaide Hills Rally on 13-15 October.
