This month’s Netier National Capital Rally will prove quite special for young gun Aidan Peterson as the 24-year-old will compete in the same car his father used at the Rally of Canberra in 1993.
The Daihatsu Charade G100, which former ARC 2WD champion Lee Peterson debuted 28 years earlier, has proved quite proficient for Peterson since making his rally debut almost eight years ago.
Driving alongside co-driver Mitch Newton, Peterson will contest the RSEA Safety Motorsport Rally Championship’s ARC Junior Cup in 2021 as he looks to redeem himself from a difficult 2020.
With the Daihatsu receiving an engine rebuild, Peterson had a strong start to the year by steering a Nissan Sunny GTI to win the BJR Rallysprint outright, before mechanical gremlins saw him struggle to finish multiple events in the Dunlop Motorsport Australia Tasmanian Rally Championship.
Now with the trusty car back in his possession, the Tasmanian is hopeful of a solid year behind the wheel.
“Dad competed in the Daihatsu Challenge in 1993, and even did the Rally of Canberra as it was known then,” Peterson said.
“The current car even uses some parts from the original Challenge car, so it will be very special to drive it across the starting ramp.
“We had a lot of niggly mechanical issues last year, the pace was good but it was frustrating not translating that to results. On the bright side, we were able to gain more experience in pace-noting.
“The ARC Junior Cup is the next logical step for me to measure myself against other drivers and gain experience. It’s a big commitment to ship the car across Bass Strait, but we really want to be there and embrace the challenge.”
Rally fans hoping to see the ARC season opener will be able to attend at specific spectator points with free tickets available.
Click here for more information.
The Netier National Capital Rally takes place in and around the forests of Kowen, Canberra on 26-28 March.
Photo: Angryman Photography
