The first leg of the Hoosier Challenge gets underway this weekend with six South Australian crews confirmed to battle during the AGI Sport Adelaide Hills Rally.
Forming part of the Motorsport Australia SA Rally Championship’s huge field of 50 crews, the Hoosier Challenge participants will be fighting for the prize of a free ticket to one round in next year’s RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) season.
Headlining the six-crew field will be prominent South Australian rally driver Aaron Bowering and his co-driver Heath Weedon with the duo likely to be contending for the outright victory in their Carlin and Gazzard Subaru WRX.
Bowering won’t be the only driver in the Hoosier Challenge steering a WRX with Ryan Poel to run in the Poely’s Custom Fabrication WRX alongside Rebekah Cutting.
Another crew behind the wheel of the iconic Subaru and the one most likely to offer the biggest challenge to Bowering will be Rick Powell and Karien Heimsohn with the former entering his first event since he stood on the Adelaide Rally podium last December.
Behind the wheel of the Nisscare Subaru WRX, Powell will be using the weekend as a way to get some much needed seat time ahead of 2021.
“The course is looking really good. There has been a bit of drizzle but it should clear up by the event,” Powell said.
“It’s really exciting. I have been waiting 12 months now to get back into a rally car and I am looking forward to it. Can’t wait.
“I was planning to do a few ARC events this year until everything got cancelled. I wanted to get as much experience as I could in the Hoosier tyres so next year, when it does kick on again, I already have a bit of practice with them and won’t have to worry.
“To win that prize would be fantastic and it goes a long way in my little budget, but the official aim is to get some vital seat time and get used to driving again. There is some pretty stiff competition in the Hoosier Challenge anyway so I think it’s better just to practice.”
In what is a Subaru dominated field, Stuart and Lincoln Bates will be running in the fourth and final Subaru, only they’ll be in an Impreza instead.
Rounding out the Hoosier Challenge field are some familiar names to the ARC with national regular Kevin Raedel to steer his iconic Taxi Tech Ford XR6 alongside Peter Hellwig, while 2019 ARC debutant Stephen Mee will line up in the Muscle Car Mufflers Toyota Corolla with Jason Page in the passenger seat.
The AGI Sport Adelaide Hills Rally takes place around Birdwood on 17-18 October.
Hoosier Challenge Entry list
– #3 Carlin and Gazzard Subaru WRX – Aaron Bowering and Heath Weedon
– #19 Muscle Car Mufflers Toyota Corolla – Stephen Mee and Jason Page
– #20 Nisscare Subaru WRX – Rick Powell and Karien Heimsohn
– #43 Poeley’s Custom Fabrication Subaru WRX – Ryan Poel and Rebekah Cutting
– #36 Subaru Impreza RS – Stuart Bates and Lincoln Bates
– #55 Taxi Tech Ford XR6 – Kevin Rardel and Pete Hellwig
