Tyler ready for ARC 2WD Magna debut

Prominent South Australian rally driver Guy Tyler’s return to the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) will look a little different as opposed to previous years.

When he lines up at the Netier National Capital Rally in April, it will have been more than 12-months since his last ARC round – a spectacular rollover in his Mitsubishi Evo prematurely ending his season early in Canberra last year.

It was a disappointing moment for Tyler who had formed quite the formidable partnership with his Evo in previous year, but in 2022 will steer a unique Mitsubishi product.

For 2022, Tyler will campaign a Mitsubishi Magna and run in the Shamrock Haulage 2WD Cup, where he will compete in four rounds – starting with the Canberra.

The South Australian then intends to take a three-round break for the championship to focus on the birth of a new child, which is due in May just after the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, before re-joining for the Gippsland Rally.

He will then contest the remaining two rounds, starting with his local Adelaide Hills Rally and then the Coffs Coast Rally – giving him four rounds and making him eligible for the 2WD Cup.

Ahead of his new chapter, Tyler was excited to bring out the Magna and to showcase its quality.

“I think I needed a more sustainable car, one that was easier to fix and cheaper to run, which is why I thought the change to the Magna was needed,” Tyler said.

“Before I sold the Evo, I took a lot of the parts and put it in the Magna so it’s pretty strong.

“I have been club racing the Magna for years. I really like the chassis and the way they handle and to be honest, I don’t envisage it being much slower than the Evo as it’s actually lighter.

“No one would believe that it’s lighter, but it is, so there is a bit of an advantage there and I think on some of the faster rallies, it will actually run quite well, whereas I don’t think it will be amazing in Canberra.

“I am also excited because it has a 3.8 litre V6 engine and it sounds amazing. I think people will really like hearing it around the forests.”

Competing in the Shamrock Haulage 2WD Cup ranks, Tyler can now focus on having fun at events as opposed to dealing with the pressure of going for outright stage wins.

With the shift to the Magna and 2WD Cup this year, Tyler hasn’t completely ruled out a return to top-flight competition in the future.

“We will see how we go in 2022. Having the Magna means I can drive a bit harder because I am not as scared to do some damage because it’s cheaper to fix, which helps,” Tyler added.

“If I can be anywhere near Ryan Williams, I will be really happy but the car is light and just as powerful so there could be a surprise.

“I know it’s cliché, but I am going to see how I go round by round and hopefully I can run in all rounds of the South Australian Championship and win the 2WD Cup in the ARC.

“I would say that now is a chapter where it is more about having fun, so I am looking forward to that.

“Of course, I want to go back up to the ARC outright again, but at this point I can’t justify going back again – maybe if we can attract some sponsors, then sure I would love to go back to taking on the top contenders.

“Honestly, it’s a life goal to win the ARC, so that is why I want to be involved and keep my foot in the door. It would be a dream to win a national class, so it would be nice to win the 2WD.”

The RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship gets underway with the Netier National Capital Rally in Canberra on 1-3 April.