Posted on

Searcy sizzles to take his maiden win

After a three-year hiatus due to pandemic-closed Western Australian borders, interstate rally drivers were welcomed back for the Make Smoking History Forest Rally held on the weekend in Bunbury and Nannup (20-22 May 2022).

A total of 70 teams took to the forest roads, racing the clock over 17 stages and 182.5 competitive kilometres, vying for points in either the national RSEA Safety Australian Rally Championship (ARC) or the Dunlop Western Australian State Rally Championship (WARC).

Split into two heats, teams scored points after each heat according to where they placed, and the team with the most points across both heats, wins. 

Main image: 2022 WARC winners Ben Searcy and Daymon Nicoli.  Credit: CMR Photographic

ARC winners Harry Bates and John McCarthy. Photo: Tim Allott

 

ARC

In the ARC, it was a Toyota 1-2-3 podium finish.

Harry Bates and John McCarthy in a Toyota GR Yaris AP4 produced a mighty effort to climb their way up the order after a number of setbacks including a fuel pump issue, a puncture, and an 80-second penalty for late check in.

It was the misfortune of Eli Evans and Adam Wright – their Mini Cooper AP4 caught fire at the end Stage 12, forcing them to retire – that put Bates and McCarthy in the lead, which is where they stayed to take the outright win.

Second outright was Lewis Bates and co-driver Anthony McLoughlin in a Toyota GR Yaris AP4, and rounding out the top three was Richie Dalton and Dale Moscatt, also in a Toyota GR Yaris AP4.

Full results of the ARC can be found here.

2022 WARC winners Ben Searcy and Daymon Nicoli. Photo: Tim Allott

WARC

Ben Searcy in his 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 was elated to take his maiden victory.

Searcy, with co-driver Damon Nicoli, had a few issues, but persevered, taking a stage win, finishing five stages second fastest, and the remaining stages in the top six.

“To finally get a first outright in the State Championship is amazing, we’ve tried over many years, and to finally crack it, and in some really tough conditions, is just awesome,” Searcy said.

“We had some boost issues in the first heat which lost us a lot of power, so we had to come out on the second day and show what we could do.”

Searcy came out firing on the first stage of Heat 2, to take the WARC lead by 11 seconds which was enough to keep ahead of Craig Rando and Scott Beckwith in their 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX STI who were nipping at their heels for the remaining four stages.

Rando and Beckwith won three of the 17 stages to finish on the podium in second place.

“Heat one we were fighting with Max and heat two we were fighting with Ben, and we were hoping Max would be there too – the stages were fast and flowing, it was just so enjoyable,” said Rando.

Rookie driver Daniel Gonzalez with co-driver Caleb Ash were consistently faster after each stage and finished impressively in third outright in their 2018 Hyundai i20N.

“The biggest goal was to do every stage, every kilometre, and not mark the car, and learn as much as we could, and we achieved that, it was absolutely brilliant,” said Gonzalez.

Heat 1 was dominated by 17-year-old Max McRae and co-driver Mac Kierans in their 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, the duo fastest on seven of the 12 stages to finish the day with a 20-second lead over Rando and Beckwith.

In Heat 2, McRae had an off on the second stage, and while it didn’t end his rally, he lost too much time to be in contention for a podium place. He recovered well, pushed hard, winning two more stages to finish in fourth place outright.

Full results of the WARC can be found here.  

Craig Rando and Scott Beckwith. Photo: Mark Medlock Unlabelled Photography

 

Daniel Gonzalez and Caleb Ash. Photo: Mark Medlock Unlabelled Photography

 

Max McRae and Mac Keirans. Photo: CMR Photographic

 

2WD

Glenn Alcorn and Jonathan Charlesson set a blistering pace from start to finish, winning all but four stages in a 2WD 1980 Ford Escort RS to take the WARC 2WD title.

The weekend wasn’t without dramas, a clutch issue almost ending their rally but Alcorn and Charlesson were able to hang on. 

“On the last stage of the first heat, I drove the last six kilometres on full throttle, the cable was stuck, and it ended up damaging the clutch, which kept slipping after that. Then we lost the clutch completely in the last three stages of the rally,” Alcorn said.

“It was hard work, we didn’t think we’d get through, but when the car was going, we pushed hard trying to make up lost time.

“Jonathan did an excellent job on the notes and kept me calm, and the service crew did a great job as usual, and my sponsors too.”

Finishing in equal second place was Gary Mills and Mitch Gray in their 2005 Ford Fiesta, and Alex and Lisa White in their 1989 Nissan Silvia S13.

Glenn Alcorn and Jonathan Charlesson. Photo: Tim Allott

Clubman Cup and Clubman Masters

The WA Clubman Cup and Clubman Masters competitors competed in Heat 1 only, 12 stages and a total of 121 competitive kilometres.  It is designed to make rallying accessible for competitors not able to commit the time and budget to do longer events. 

Winning seven of the 12 stages to take a convincing outright win in the Clubman Cup was Hayden Wright with co-driver Adam Wright in their 1998 Hyundai Excel.  The duo finished 53 seconds ahead of Damien Cadoux and Gaetan Taglialatela in their 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer, and finishing in third place, a further 8 seconds behind, was Michael Connore and Eden Hughes in their 1999 Hyundai Excel.

In the Clubman Masters, rally veteran Andy van Kann and co-driver Catherine Saayman won every stage in their 1974 Toyota Corolla TE27 to take the title 5:30 minutes ahead of Carter Smith and Lachlan White in their 1999 Hyundai Excel.

Andy van Kann and Catherine Saayman. Photo: Tim Allott

 

Posted on

WACC hopeful of ARC returning to WA

With Western Australia’s border situation still uncertain, event organisers and Motorsport Australia will wait until early March before making any further decisions on the running of the Make Smoking History Forest Rally in 2022.

The decision to wait until the start of next month came as a result of the mutual desire between Motorsport Australia and the West Australian Car Club (WACC) to run the Make Smoking History Forest Rally as a national championship round for the first time since 2019.

While the popular rally has still been held over the previous two years, it has taken place solely at state level, acting as a round of the Dunlop Tyres Motorsport Australia WA Rally Championship (WARC) and the Clubman Cup.

Should the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship finally make its way out west this year, are some exciting changes planned for Australia’s best rally crews, many of whom wouldn’t have been in the state since Harry Bates and John McCarthy dominated the event three years ago.

One of the major modifications to the traditional Forest Rally itinerary include the rally’s starting point, which will no longer run at the Ferndale plantation, but instead, closer to Nannup with the Folly and Brockman Stages.

The Brockman Stages will also look a bit different this year due to the Nannup council having built a $2 million mountain bike venue, meaning the stage has been altered to avoid the area.

2021 Make Smoking History Forest Rally. Photo:  Jarrod Sierociak

Outside of the changes, the event will predominantly be the same as it has in previous years, which will run over three exciting days of action.

Starting on the Friday opposite the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre and with the Leschenault Inlet as the backdrop, the rally will then host a Super Special Stage at Bunbury Speedway and Autocross complex in the evening,

Heat one will then continue early on Saturday morning with crews to tackle a number of stages in addition to Folly and Brockman Stages, such as the Healthway and Ellis Stages, taking the total heat distance to 125 competitive kilometres.

With the Clubman Cup to finish up on Saturday, a shorter day on Sunday awaits just the ARC and WARC crews as 75 competitive kilometres on the schedule, including two runs of the Ferndale Stages and the Nannup Power Stage – the latter of which will be run in the Folly Plantation.

Event Clerk of the Course Ross Tapper was hopeful the event would take place in 2022 and was looking forward to welcoming the ARC to Western Australia again.


Max McRae in Action. Photo: CH Images

“The West Australian Car Club is working hard with the ARC with hope that the Forest Rally and WA can return to the ARC after missing the last two years,” Tapper said.

“This event has been a round of the ARC since 1985 and we are really keen to re-join the championship after a long break, so hopefully the border situation eases up within the next few weeks.

“I truly believe that we will be able to run as part of the ARC this year, but we are also mindful that we need to plan this carefully, so we are also making a backup plan for a state-only event if the current situation doesn’t change.

“If this is the case, it will be the same event regardless of ARC or not. The only difference will be that a testing session on Thursday morning will not take place.

“Still, we’re aiming to have the ARC here in May and we can’t wait to see a large contingent of ARC competitors back in the west for what has always been an iconic round of the national championship.”

The Make Smoking History Forest Rally is scheduled to take place around Nannup on 20-22 May as round two of the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship.

 

Main Photo: Harry Bates & John McCarty at the 2019 Make Smoking History Forest RFally. Credit: CMR Photographic

Posted on

O’Dowd and Feaver victorious in muddy battle at Forest Rally

John O’Dowd and Toni Feaver conquered the precarious conditions and held off their rally rivals to cross the finish line of the Make Smoking History Forest Rally with an outright win.

Sunday’s final Heat of the gravel rally event saw competitors contesting for WA Rally Championship (WARC) points over 191 competitive kilometres of technical forestry roads in the Nannup region.

After missing out on the top podium place last year by a mere half a second, O’Dowd and Feaver in the Skoda Fabia R5 were determined that history would not repeat. The duo held off a charging Ben Searcy and Daymon Nicoli in the Mitsubishi Evo 9 and claimed the outright win.

O’Dowd said the close competition between the top teams had been an enjoyable part of the event.

“First two stages were good today, and then the rain came,” said O’Dowd. “But, we managed to hold it together to earn some good points.”

 “We’re fighting for a Championship. Ben and Craig have done a fantastic job, so it will be a good year if they keep driving the way they are driving.

“You want to win it by small margins, not big ones – so it’s good for everyone. That’s good racing!

“Toni and I have been in the car together for three years, and we’re working beautifully together. She’s been a fantastic help writing the notes and helping me with them – all I’ve got to do is try and commit to them, which is the hard part.

“The Fabia R5 is not a car that you can say ‘I’ll take it easy here’ because it’s not designed for that. So, you’ve got to be on it and get in late with the braking, get the car squatted down, get the diff working and go! That’s hard to do when you’re going flat out into a wet, slippery corner that’s just been rained on before you get there – you don’t know what it’s going to be like.”

Despite missing out on the outright win, Ben Searcy and Daymon Nicoli’s comeback from 24th place on Friday to finish the event in second place, was a competition highlight that will likely be a talking point in the local rally scene many years to come. 

Searcy said the team found the conditions for the final Heat a bit of a mixed bag.

“Brockman and Folly were awesome, and we had much more grip than I expected to have after last night,” said Searcy. “Then following stages were a bit rocky and a bit loose. But the last stage was like driving through the Swan River!

“We’re really happy to grab a whole bag of Championship points today – that was the main thing.”

Craig Rando and Stephen Wade took third place in the Subaru Impreza WRX with a narrow 38.1 second gap.

Rando pointed out that the harsh rallying conditions this weekend made finishing an achievement in itself.

“I don’t know what sort of car would be best here,” said Rando. “It was tricky no matter what you had.

“After yesterday, we had a good push through those really wet conditions and it paid off. We got a bit of time back. But if you kept it on the road in this event, you did well.”

It was only the second event for Rookie Championship leader Ali Aslam, but he and co-driver Michael Wood clinched a Top 10 finish in the Subaru WRX STi and finished with just over a five minute gap to the leaders.

“Forest was a different experience to Baker’s Hill – faster over the blind crests and slipperier as well,” said Aslam.

“We had a bit of a mishap on the second stage yesterday, but other than that, it was all good. Everything was under control.

“The car performed well – thank you to my dad and the service crew. They’ve done all the hard work, and we’ll be setting it up for the next one.

“Our main purpose this year is just to finish all the events, and then once we get more experience, we can build up more and more.”

 

WA 2WD Championship

The 2WD competitors particularly felt the slippery conditions. Just over half of the category’s starters crossed the finish line.

Glenn Alcorn and Jonathan Charlesson won yesterday’s Heat and things were looking good for the pair until the diff on their Ford Escort RS let go on the first stage of the day.

A close battle between Mark Travers and Jeremy Edwards in the Toyota AE86 Sprinter and Alex and Lisa White in the Nissan S13 unfolded, with both teams taking a couple of stage wins each.

In the end, it was Travers and Edwards that emerged victorious, claiming the top spot on the 2WD podium.

Travers said the car had been solid over the weekend.

“We’ve fully rebuilt the car over the past three years, and it’s amazing what little things we thought we had right, just haven’t been right in the past,” said Travers. “But, this weekend there’s been no dramas at all.”

“It’s a long event and the weather played a big part yesterday, but our last rally event was torrential rain as well. We enjoyed it I think.”

The Whites crossed the finish line with less than a minute gap, while David Farnworth and Tim Jackson  in the Toyota Carolla FX-GT took the third spot on the podium.

WARC competitors now turn their attention to preparing for their next round. The Safari Rally will be the third round of the WA Rally Championship and Clubman Cup, and will be held in the Jarrahdale region on June 19.

The Forest Rally is sponsored by Healthway and the Make Smoking History message, Tourism WA, Shannons and the Shire of Nannup.

To see the full results for the 2021 Make Smoking History Forest Rally please see the results page of the Forest Rally website.

Posted on

Forest Rally competitors relentless like the rain on WA Rally Championship’s second day

The second day started with promise for Make Smoking History Forest Rally competitors with quick times set on the first couple of stages, but the competitor’s focus changed to preservation when the heavens opened mid-morning. 

Before the downpour, spectators turned out at the designated viewing points to watch the 45 teams expertly navigate their way on the first two stages of challenging Nannup forestry roads. However, unrelenting heavy rain saw two of the planned stages, SS9 Dugite 2 and SS10 Snake 2, cancelled from the day’s program due to safety concerns.  

With their final two stages cancelled, Clubman competitors finished their event early. 

The final two stages of the day for WA Rally Championship and 2WD Championship proceeded ahead as planned, but with a day of rallying still left to go for these categories, it was no time for bold strategies. 

 

WA Rally Championship

John O’Dowd and Toni Feaver made the most of the early morning’s clear skies, winning the first three stages in the Skoda Fabia R5 before the wet roads saw them employ a more cautious approach. 

“We got the first four stages over with, and then the next two were cancelled,” said O’Dowd.

“To be honest, the last two were diabolical – but that was the same for everyone.

“We had a good margin up our sleeve from this morning’s effort, so we backed off on those two stages and still managed to come home with a win, which is good. Our strategy worked!”

O’Dowd and Feaver finished the day as the outright leaders.

Ben Searcy and Daymon Nicoli performed a stellar comeback in the Mitsubishi Evo 9. The duo charged up the timesheets – going from finishing Friday’s stages in 24th after a mechanical issue, to finishing today in second outright, just 24.5 seconds behind the leaders. 

Craig Rando and Stephen Wade finished third outright in the Subaru WRX STI, but are still very much in the hunt tomorrow with only a 38-second gap to the leaders.

WA 2WD Championship

Despite a couple of mechanical gremlins to contend with and an off-track excursion on the final stage, Glenn Alcorn and Jonathan Charlesson finished the day leading the 2WD Championship. Their team will be working hard overnight on the Ford Escort RS to repair a broken diff. 

Mark Travers and Jeremy Edwards started the day in ninth place in the Toyota AE86 Sprinter. They successfully narrowed their gap to the leaders finishing the day in second just 1.22mins away from Alcorn and Charlesson. 

Current third-place occupiers Mike Joss and Megan Logue’s day closed on a low point when they had an event ending off in their Nissan Silvia S15 on the Ellis stage. Their misfortune will bump Alex and Lisa White into third place in the Nissan Silvia S13. The Whites currently have a gap of 2.09 mins to Alcorn and Charlesson. 

 

Clubman Cup and Masters

Rain and two cancelled stages didn’t dampen the spirits of the Clubman Cup and Masters competitors today. There was plenty to celebrate in the service park with an impressive milestone and a rookie win. 

Andy Van Kann’s love of rallying has outlasted many romances. Today marked exactly 50 years since Van Kann’s first rally, and with a win in the Clubman Masters category, the milestone was celebrated as planned.

Usually behind the wheel, Van Kann co-drove this event, entrusting his Toyota Corolla TE27 to Nannup local Tom Wilde. Wilde said the weather didn’t hold the team back. 

“We were expecting the weather, and to be honest, it suited me fine,” said Wilde. 

“For me, this is the first round of the Forest Rally I’ve experienced on roadbook as a driver. So that was a bit different. There were so many sections that I knew were super-fast, but you just can’t commit without your pace notes there as reassurance. I still had a ball!”

Carl Rattenbury and Ashley Burton had a good weekend in the Ford Escort Mk1. Their consistency secured them second place on the podium with a 3.09 minute gap to the leaders. 

In their wild Datsun Mazda hybrid, John Ludham and Murray Hynes clinched third, 3.47 minutes behind Wilde and Van Kann. Ludham said the car was a handful to drive in the wet.

“It’s a bit like a two-stroke – it comes on the power quite strong!” said Ludham. “So, I was a bit nervous in the wet and decided that preservation was the key today. We backed off just a bit to make sure that we got through to the end. 

“The competition with Tom and Andy was great – it was a good rivalry. 

“I had Murray Hynes as my co-driver, and he is great with calling notes and is just a joy to have in the car.”

Rookie team Michael Connor and Eden Hughes driving the Hyundai Excel took out top honours in the Clubman Cup. The team had close battles in the timesheets with Glenn Cawood and Murish O’Connor all event. In the end Connor and Hughes pipped Cawood and Murish in the Mitsubishi Lancer by 18.7 seconds.

Connor said the result was far better than he expected, especially because it was only his third rally. 

“I thought a Top 5 would be a great finish,” said Connor. “But to get on top of the podium is amazing.

“I only started rallying last year. I used to do Khanacross and service crew for rally teams running at the top of the field. It’s been a natural progression through grassroots level motorsport. 

“About four years ago, I decided to build a car and do it (rallying) for a year. 

“The Excel is a neat, affordable car. It’s not overly endowed with power, but you put a few of the right bits on them, and they are a lot of fun. It’s relatively cheap motorsport compared to some of the faster machinery out there, and I’m pretty happy with that. 

“I actually enjoyed the wet stages. There were a few moments where we were going along the road and the car was spinning up in gear, aquaplaning and bouncing across the ruts, but it never felt too far out of control.” 

Fellow rookie Tiana Chapman and co-driver Graham Mogg crossed the finish line 1.48 minutes later in the Subaru Impreza, which was enough to clinch them third.  

Tomorrow the WA Rally Championship and WA 2WD Championship competitors are back in the forest for five more stages before they cross the finish line. The final stage will be another new addition to the Make Smoking History Forest Rally programme – the Nannup Power Stage. 

The Nannup Power Stage will see all competitors completing the fast 3.5km loop style stage, with the Top 10 competitors running in reverse order, from 10th to first for a nail-biting finish to the event. 

Podium presentations will then happen at approximately 3.15pm at the Nannup Sport and Recreation Centre. 

The Forest Rally is sponsored by Healthway and the Make Smoking History message, Tourism WA, Shannons and the Shire of Nannup. 

For further information on the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, please visit forestrally.com.au.

Posted on

Make Smoking History Forest Rally off to a roaring start in Bunbury

Image: CMR Photographic

 

Teams in the Make Smoking History Forest Rally roared off from the Bunbury start line to the delight of local crowds who turned out yesterday evening to see the action.

The Bunbury Super Special stages combined parts of both Bunbury Speedway and the Autocross track to form a tight and technical 1.8km course for the 45 rally teams to cut their teeth on before they head out today into the forestry roads of Nannup. 

 

WA Rally Championship

John O’Dowd and Toni Feaver took three stage wins and were the fastest overall. O’Dowd said the Skoda Fabia R5 performed well on the challenging course. 

“The car is absolutely awesome,” said O’Dowd. “It’s a great car, a lot of fun and makes me look good!

“It’s tricky out there, but it is the same for everyone. We’re enjoying it. It’s tight and twisty, and you can’t afford to make a mistake – otherwise, you’re into those tyres!

“I missed out on a podium last year by half a second. So, if I can improve on that this year – that’d be great. But, we’re not too worried – we’re going to go out and run our own race, and if we finish, that would be great.”

Craig Rando and Stephen Wade finished second place 14.2 seconds behind the leaders, while Kody Reynolds and Anthony Staltari finished with a 15.3 second gap. Both teams were driving Subaru WRX STIs. 

Image: CMR Photographic

 

WA 2WD Championship

With less than 10 seconds separating the Top 3 in the WA 2WD Championship, it was evident that there will be some close battles within the category this weekend. 

Despite its light backend, Mike Joss and Megan Logue managed to keep the Nissan 200sx straight enough to post the fastest time for the category. 

“It’s been an awesome tight and twisty little stage and great to see so many people have come out to watch,” said Joss.

“My two greatest challenges tomorrow will be Glenn Alcorn in the Escort and also the rain. 

“We won the Championship last year, and you can’t do much better than that, but we have the same aim to win again, and we’ll see how we go.”

Glenn Alcorn and Jonathon Charleston in the Ford Escort are just 2.4 seconds behind the leaders, with Gary Mills and Mitch Gray have a 9.2 gap in the Ford Fiesta. 

 

Clubman Cup 

Glenn Cawood and Murish O’Connell’s event could not have started better, setting the fastest time on all four stages in the Mitsubishi Lancer. 

One of three Hyundai Excel driving teams in the category, Michael Connor and Eden Hughes will be working tomorrow to close the 14.4 second gap they have to the leaders.

Currently sitting in third with a 17.8 gap is Bruce Lake and Peter Hall in the Datsun 240Z. 

 

Clubman Masters

A tight battle is unfolding in the Clubman Masters with Carl Rattenbury and Ashley Burton in the Ford Escort Mk1, narrowly beating Ludlam and Hynes in the Mazda powered Datsun 1600 by only 3 seconds. Finishing the night in third for the category is Tom Wilde and Andy Van Kann in the Toyota Corolla TE27.

The Make Smoking History Forest Rally will continue Saturday when the 45 teams tackle 121kms of forestry roads in and around the Nannup region. For information on where best to view the rally, please consult the Spectator Guide [link]. 

The Forest Rally is sponsored by Healthway and the Make Smoking History message, Tourism WA, Shannons and the Shire of Nannup. 

For further information on the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, please visit forestrally.com.au

 

Posted on

Event Preview: 2021 Make Smoking History Forest Rally

Oxley / Wood in full flights on stage near Nannup (2019)
Credit: CMR Photographic

Western Australian rally drivers will be back to contest the WA Rally Championship on the forestry roads near Nannup for the 2021 Make Smoking History Forest Rally on May 21 – 23.

 

The Forest Rally will be the second round of the WA Rally Championship (WARC) and Clubman Cup, with 45 entered teams hoping to collect sought after points for their 2021 season campaigns. 

 

The event commences Friday night (May 21) on the Bunbury Super Special Stage at the Bunbury Speedway circuit and Autocross track. A new addition to the Forest Rally programme, this stage offers an arena-like atmosphere with two crews competing simultaneously on the 1.8km course under lights.

 

On Saturday (May 22), competitors will head to the gravel forestry roads around the picturesque Nannup region to start Heat 1. WARC competitors will have eight stages and 129 kilometres of competition to set their best time before returning on Sunday, where Heat 2 has a further five stages and 62 competitive kilometres in store.

 

The pressure will be on Clubman Cup competitors who cross the finish line a day earlier than their WARC counterparts, having just ten stages and 101 kilometres to set their event winning times in. 

 

Clerk of Course Ross Tapper said organisers and competitors were glad to be back in the Nannup region after the pandemic forced a change in the course last year.

 

“You could say that the pandemic caused a bit of a break in the usual programming last year, but we’re thrilled to be back in the area that Forest Rally is synonymous with,” said Mr Tapper. “The locals are always very welcoming, and the roads provide plenty of variety for teams. It’s a pity our competitors will be going too fast to enjoy the scenery because that’s quite stunning also!

 

“We do have a couple of new additions to the Forest Rally programme this year in the Bunbury Super Special Stage and the Nannup Power Stage. Both stages should be quite the spectacle to watch and provide some close quarters rallying.”

 

Being one of the highlights in the WA Rally Championship calendar, the Forest Rally entry list sees many familiar names in Western Australian rallying.

 

Current WARC leader and no stranger to the Forest Rally podium John O’Dowd will be returning with co-driver Toni Feaver in the Skoda Fabia. O’Dowd and Feaver will no doubt be seeking another round win to further their Championship lead.

 

In search of a podium place will be Ben Searcy and co-driver Daymon Nicoli in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. Searcy has shown his versatility in the sport by transitioning from a sought-after co-driver to a driver who consistently places in the Top 3.

 

One to watch is rookie driver Ali Aslam. Aslam finished the first round of the WARC in 5th place – an impressive first event result considering the quality of the field he was up against. Aslam is paired with co-driver Michael Wood and will be driving a Subaru Impreza.

 

In the 2WD category, 2020 championship winners Michael Joss and Megan Logue’s season couldn’t have started better – the duo took first place in Round 1. They’ll be back in the Nissan Silvia S15.

 

The Clubman Cup and Clubman Masters is a lower cost category that offers great rallying competition with less time and budget commitments.

 

Round 1 Clubman Cup winner Tom van Kann will be returning with co-driver Steven Proctor, in the Datsun 200B.

 

Back from recently competing in the Rally of the Heartland in South Australia, Bruce Lake and Peter Hall are back in the West and looking to expand on their Clubman Cup points in the Nissan 260Z.

 

With the Current Clubman Masters leading driver absent from this round’s entry list – one of the category’s three contesting teams will cross the Forest Rally finish line to be equal points leader. 

 

The competition in the Clubman Masters Category is predicted to be tight between the three contesting teams. Nannup local and accomplished rally-driver Tom Wilde and co-driver Andy van Kann is one pairing to watch. Wilde will be piloting van Kann’s 1974 Toyota Corolla.

 

John Ludlam’s rotary-powered Datsun 1600 nicknamed the Dazda is likely to be a crowd favourite which will keep the heat on both Wilde/van Kann and Carl Rattenbury and co-driver Ashley Burton in the Ford Escort. 

 

The Forest Rally is sponsored by Healthway and the Make Smoking History message, Tourism WA, Shannons and the Shire of Nannup.

 

For further information on the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, please visit forestrally.com.au.

 

Make Smoking History Forest Rally – Where to see

Please consult the event Spectator Guide for the best and safest areas to view the rally.

Bunbury Super Special Stage

Friday Evening, 6pm – 8.30pm

The Bunbury Super Special stage incorporates parts of the Bunbury Speedway circuit and Autocross track, delivering a similar style of rallying action as the highly popular Rally Australia Langley Park stage.

The stage sees two cars competing simultaneously on the 1.8km course, starting side by side before splitting off in different directions, then coming back alongside each other in time for a dash to the finish line.

The venue offers plenty of viewing vantage points for spectators.

 

Nannup Service Park

Saturday and Sunday

The Nannup Sport and Recreation Centre will be the home to the behind-the-scenes action on Saturday and Sunday. The service teams based here will be ready to spring into action, checking over the rally cars and refreshing competitive crew in between runs. The public are welcome to visit, see the cars up close, and experience a rally service park’s bustling atmosphere firsthand.

Nannup Power Stage

Sunday, 12.40pm

The Nannup Power Stage is the final stage of the Forest Rally. All competitors will complete the fast 3.5km loop style stage, with the Top 10 competitors running in reverse order, from 10th to first for a nail-biting finish to the event.

 

Podium Presentations

Clubman Cup and Clubman Masters, Saturday 5pm

WA Rally Championship, Sunday 2.45pm

  

Congratulate the 2021 Make Smoking History Forest Rally winners and experience the podium celebrations at the Nannup Sport and Recreation Centre.

Posted on

New Bunbury Super Special Stage Headlines Make Smoking History Forest Rally

Copyright Photo: Blake Rattenbury 

The opening kilometres of this year’s Make Smoking History Forest Rally will kick off May 21 on the new and highly anticipated Bunbury Super Special stage.

The Bunbury Super Special stage incorporates parts of the Bunbury Speedway circuit and Autocross track, delivering a similar style of rallying action as the highly popular Rally Australia Langley Park stage.

The stage sees two cars competing simultaneously on the 1.8km course, starting side by side before splitting off in different directions, then coming back alongside each other in time for a dash to the finish line.

Clerk of Course Ross Tapper says the Bunbury Super Special stage will be a programme highlight for both competitors and spectators alike and sets the scene for a great weekend of rallying.

“The Bunbury Super Special stage is a first for the Make Smoking History Forest Rally programme, and we expect it will deliver some sensational rally action,” said Mr Tapper.

“Having two cars competing at the same time under lights gives both competitors and fans something not often seen in WA rallying, and the venue offers plenty of viewing vantage points.”

WA Rally Championship (WARC) and Clubman Cup competitors will have four runs each on the tight and technical 1.8km Bunbury Super Special stage, before the competition moves into the picturesque forestry roads of Nannup on Saturday and Sunday (May 22 – 23).

During the event weekend, WARC competitors will battle for championship points over 191.9 competitive kilometres, with the Nannup Power Stage the final challenge before crossing the finish line on Sunday. The Nannup Power Stage is another new addition to the Make Smoking History Forest Rally programme and sees the Top 10 competitors running in reverse order, from 10th to first, for a nail-biting finish to the event.

The Clubman Cup is contested over a shorter event, with competitors crossing the finish line on Saturday afternoon after battling for points over 101 competitive kilometres. 

Unlike previous years, the Make Smoking History Forest Rally will not be a round of the Australian Rally Championship (ARC). 

“Due to the uncertainty in regards to COVID-19 and state borders, this year’s event is only open to local competitors,” said Mr Tapper. “But we are looking forward to welcoming our interstate ARC competitors back to the event when access to our State is more certain.

“COVID-19 also may affect our ability to have spectators at the Forest Rally. We’re monitoring health advice and will communicate any developments that may affect the event through our online channels. However, we are planning for spectators and remain optimistic that we’ll be able to welcome them to the event.”

Competitors have less than two weeks left to enter the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, with entries closing 8pm Thursday, May 13. Entries are to be submitted through the Motorsport Australia Portal.

The Forest Rally is sponsored by Healthway and the Make Smoking History message, Tourism WA, Shannons and the Shire of Nannup.

For further information on the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, please visit forestrally.com.au.

 

 

Posted on

Tight battle on epic stages in perfect conditions – Make Smoking History Forest Rally

In near perfect conditions, 46 local gravel rally competitors ripped through some of Australia’s best rally stages yesterday (13th September 2020) for the Make Smoking History Forest Rally near Harvey and Collie, south-west of Perth.

Young / Beckwith. Copyright Photo: Tim Allott 

After a chilly start with some low morning fog, the sun came out and the crowds flocked. There was enough moisture in the soil to keep dust low and give the roads grip, which competitors seem to relish.

In the WA Rally Championship, it was a tight battle with four different leaders throughout the rally, three stage winners, and loads of sideways action and dirt being flung that kept hundreds of spectators entertained. The ex World Rally Championship stages that were used for Rally Australia were a hit with drivers and spectators alike.

Competitors tackled 135 kilometres of flat out competition on eight closed road Special Stages including a mammoth 32-kilometre stage around Wellington Dam that was run twice, and travelled a total distance of almost 300 kilometres.

The last two stages saw nine retirements, most of which were mechanical failures besides a major non-critical incident on the final stage where a driver and co-driver and were taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital for precautionary checks.

Of the 46 starters, 36 completed the Make Smoking History Forest Rally.

O’Dowd / Feaver. Copyright Photo: CMR Photographic
Searcy / Marquet. Copyright Photo: Travis Barnes

WARC

 
It was closely fought battle in the WARC that was won by the narrowest of margins. Perth-based New Zealander Mike Young and co-driver Scott Beckwith won four of the eight stages to take the win in their Maximum Motorsport Subaru WRX STI just half a second (0.5 second) ahead of John O’Dowd and co-driver Toni Feaver in their WRC2 spec Truck Wholesale WA Skoda Fabia R5.
 
Rounding out the top three 1:08 minutes behind O’Dowd was Ben Searcy and co-driver James Marquet in their Swift Motorsport Mitsubishi Lancer.
 
Young, 27, is no stranger to the podium or tough competition having won two Asia Cups and having finished runner up four times in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.
 
“It was a big battle all day and it’s always good when a rally is being fought until the last stage,” Young said.
 
“Between myself, John (O’Dowd) and Ben (Searcy), we kept each other honest and kept pushing each other, each trading times, which made us all drive a bit faster.
 
“The stages were awesome, in great condition and super smooth, it was really enjoyable.”
 
It was the first time Young had driven the Maximum Motorsport prepared WRX, and it was the first win for his co-driver Scott Beckwith.
 
“The car ran smoothly, Maximum Motorsport produced a good car, it was great to drive all day,” he said.
 
“I took it easy to start with, the first stage I was little slow and as I got more comfortable in the car and more confident, I started pushing a bit more.
 
“Ross and his team do an awesome job organising the rally, the choice of stages was a good mix and really enjoyable to drive.”
 
Usually the power of the R5 sees O’Dowd significantly faster than his rivals and he still showed pace winning three of the rally’s eight stages.
 
“The first two stages were slow, maybe I need time to warm up. We got on it and were 20 seconds or so in front of Mike (Young) going into the seventh, and we came across a car that went off, which put me off and I overshot a corner and lost 24 seconds, that’s not an excuse, it’s just what happened,” O’Dowd said.
 
“The stages were excellent and I enjoyed the battle with Mike (Young) and Ben (Searcy). The car ran perfectly, Toni (Feaver, co-driver) and Race Torque did a magnificent job as always.”
 
Third-placed Searcy started off with a cracking pace and was leading the rally after the second and third stages but was unable to maintain the lead and keep pace with Young and O’Dowd.
 
The first stage of the day was won by Peter Major and Declan Stafford but their glory was short-lived as they rolled on the second stage, forcing their retirement.
 

Overall WARC
PosCar
No		CrewVehicleTotal
Gap 1st 
16YOUNG
BECKWITH		Subaru
WRX STI		1:32:30.1
+
24O’DOWD
FEAVER		Skoda
Fabia R5		1:32:40.6
+00:10.5
31SEARCY
MARQUET		Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo 9		1:33:48.6
+01:18.5
Box / Nicoli. Copyright Photo: CMR Photographic

2WD

 
In the 2WD, Nic Box and his new co-driver Daymon Nicoli were quickest on every stage taking a clean sweep to win convincingly by 3:14 minutes in their Alistar Garage Nissan Silvia S13 ahead of Michael Joss and Megan Logue in their Mike Joss Racing Nissan Silvia S15.
 
Rounding out the top three a further 1:25 minutes behind was 16-year-old rookie and learner driver Max McRae and co-driver Bill Hayes in their Dirtfish Ford Fiesta ST150. After McRae’s debut at Bakers Hill which resulted in a DNF, it was great to see the youngster finish his first rally and take his first step onto the podium.
 
Box said that entering the Make Smoking History Forest Rally was a last-minute decision.
 
“I didn’t do any preparation as I had just got back from a fishing trip the day before the rally, I hooked up the trailer, got some fuel and went racing, and the car was perfect, no issues at all,” he said.
 
“The stages were some of WA’s best roads ever, it’d be great to drive on them more often.
 
“The rally was perfect in every way – perfect weather, perfect stages, perfect car, perfect organisation, the only thing that wasn’t perfect was my co-driver, but I gave him a hard time and did what any self-respecting driver would do, which was 90 per cent of the effort while he put in 10 per cent, just enough for me to get the job done!” quipped Box.
 
As well as taking title honours in the 2WD category, Box / Nicoli finished fifth outright.
 
Usually one of the front runners in the 2WD, Razvan Vlad and his co-driver and wife Ioana had an off on the first stage, which looked like it was going to force a retirement, but they managed to rejoin in the sixth stage.  
 
“It took us a while to dig the car out which only sustained cosmetic damage – bumper, lights, panels, so we missed the first five stages and rejoined after the service – I’m just sorry we didn’t get to drive on the first two stages which were really nice,” Vlad said.
 
 

Overall 2WD
PosCar
No		CrewVehicleTotal
Gap 1st 
12BOX
NICOLI		Nissan
Silvia S13		1:37:46.5
+
211JOSS
LOGUE		Nissan
Silvia S15		1:41:01.0
+03:14.5
325MCRAE
HAYES		Ford
Fiesta ST150		1:41:18.2
+03:31.7
White / White. Copyright Photo: Tim Allott

Clubman Masters and Clubman Cup  
The Clubman Masters and Clubman Cup categories are designed to be more accessible to those with less time, less budget or those who are new to the sport. Competitors completed the first five stages of the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, racing the clock along 79 competitive kilometres.
 
Both competitors in the Clubman Masters finished with Alex and Lisa White fastest in their Information Proficiency Nissan Silvia S13, 3:38 minutes ahead of Graeme and Kathy Miles in their Miles Landscaping Mitsubishi Lancer.
 
Winning two out of two rallies in the Clubman Cup category was Abe Tuckett and Australia’s most decorated co-driver, Glenn Macneall in their Humble Bee Finance Hyundai Excel. In second place, 3:06 minutes behind were rookies Glenn Cawood and Murish O’Connell in their Shedforce Mitsubishi Lancer. Rounding out the top three was Bruce Lake and Peter Hall in their Carol Lake Datsun 240Z.

Overall Clubman Masters
PosCar
No		CrewVehicleTotal
Gap 1st 
139WHITE
WHITE		Nissan
Silvia S13		1:02:26.8
+
242MILES
MILES		Mitsubishi
Lancer		1:06:04.8
+03:38.0
Overall Clubman Cup
PosCar
No		CrewVehicleTotal
Gap 1st 
141TUCKETT
MACNEALL		Hyundai
Lantra		1:03:09.7
+
243CAWOOD
O’CONNELL		Mitsubishi
Lancer		1:06:16.2
+03:06.5
345LAKE
HALL		Datsun
240Z		1:09:37.2
+06:27.5
Tuckett / Macneal. Copyright Photo: CMR Photographic

As a result of COVID-19, the Forest Rally was compacted from a three-day to one-day rally and held around Collie and Harvey (usually Busselton and Nannup), and it’s the first time in 35 years that the Forest Rally hasn’t been a part of the Motorsport Australia Australian Rally Championship (ARC) national competition.

For more full results, visit https://forestrally.com.au/

Next
The next rally, Round 3, is the Trade Hire Karri Rally on 3rd October 2020 and will be held around Manjimup in Western Australia’s south-west.

For more information, visit http://rallywa.com/events/

Young / Beckwith. Copyright Photo: Travis Barnes

Posted on

Big local field for Make Smoking History Forest Rally

Forty-six local gravel rally competitors are ready to race the clock at the Make Smoking History Forest Rally on Sunday 13th September 2020 taking place near Harvey and Collie, south-west of Perth.
 
The Forest Rally has been run since 1983 and part of the Australian Rally Championship (ARC) national competition since 1985, with this year being an exception due to restrictions surrounding COVID-19.
 
Clerk of Course Ross Tapper said that Western Australia is the only state that has run a round of the ARC continuously since 1974 (different rallies to the Forest Rally).
 
“Only a pandemic has stopped us from having a national rally,” Tapper said.
 
“The pandemic means we’ve had to make other changes that include running the Make Smoking History Forest Rally and the Experts Cup at the same time as part of the Motorsport Australia WA State Championship.
 
“It hasn’t stopped local competitors though, we have a strong field who are excited to be driving along some of the former World Rally Championship stages that were used when Rally Australia was held in WA, the last time it was held here was in 2006.”
 
Leading the State Championship after the first round, Bakers Hill, is John O’Dowd and co-driver Toni Feaver in their WRC2 spec Truck Wholesale WA Skoda Fabia R5. In the past, the power of the R5 has seen O’Dowd significantly faster than his rivals, but this time he’s got competition.
 
“At Bakers Hill, Craig Rando and Ben Searcy were quick and closing the gap, but throw in Nic Box, Mike Young and a big field and I reckon there’ll be lot of competition, which is the way I like it, and it should make for a good rally,” O’Dowd said.
 
“My strategy is just to be on it from the start, write a good set of notes and commit to them, and hopefully the speed will come.
 
“I’m looking forward to it, the roads are good, and I like the Wellington Dam stages.”
 
Perth-based New Zealander Mike Young and co-driver Scott Beckwith will be ones to watch in their Maximum Motorsport Subaru WRX STI.
 
Young by name and young in age at just 27, Mike Young is a nine-year veteran in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, driving for Japanese team, Cusco Racing. A regular on the podium, Young has finished runner-up in the APRC four times and was crowned Asia Cup Champion last year and also in 2013.
 
“I’m feeling fairly confident, although I haven’t rallied since October last year, and I don’t know these roads, but the good thing is that some of the stages are new, which should help,” Young said.
 
“I’ve not tested this car, but I’ve driven a very similar car in the Asia Pacific, it’ll be like riding a bike.
 
“I’m itching to get back out there after a long break and I’m sick of watching everyone else have fun, so I had to get out there and do it myself. I can’t wait,” he said.
 
Returning to rallying are former State Champions Doug Tostevin and co-driver Tammy Adams in their 1992 Subaru Liberty RS, the duo likely to shake up the front end of the field.
 
In the 2WD, competition is expected to be fierce between Nic Box and co-driver in Daymon Nicoli in their Alistar Garage Nissan Silvia S13, Glenn Alcorn and Jonathan Charlesson in their BMG Autos Ford Escort MK2, husband and wife Razvan and Ioana Vlad in their MAXYRally Ford Fiesta, Mike Joss and Megan Logue in their Mike Joss Racing Nissan Silvia S15, and Mick Steele and Katie Oxley in their NATRAD Malaga Nissan Silvia S13.
 
Carrying a famous rallying name, sixteen-year-old rookie Max McRae will be with experienced co-driver Bill Hayes in their Dirtfish Ford Fiesta ST150, hoping to finish his first State Championship rally.
 
In the Clubman Cup, Alex and Lisa White in their Information Proficiency Nissan Silvia S13 are favourites however Rod Fowler and co-driver Keith Mayes in their Sussan Fowler Peugeot 206 GTI and Able Tuckett and Glenn Macneal, WA’s most decorated co-driver having competed in over 100 WRC rallies, are likely to be making a charge for the top step in their Humble Bee Finance Hyundai Lantra.
 
Competitors will tackle 140 kilometres of flat out competition on eight closed road Special Stages including a mammoth 31-kilometre stage around Wellington Dam, travelling a total distance of almost 300 kilometres.
 
The Make Smoking History Forest Rally is free for spectators and there are dedicated spectator points for the best vantage points to watch the rally action. Get a close look at rally cars in the Service Park based in the centre of Collie and see how crews miraculously fix huge mechanical problems in record time.
 
For more information including spectator points and maps, please visit https://forestrally.com.au/

Posted on

Ex-WRC stages ready for Make Smoking History Forest Rally

The Make Smoking History Forest Rally has competitors raring to go, starting on one of the old Rally Australia stages near Harvey before moving towards Collie on Sunday 13th September 2020.
 
Usually a round of the Australian Rally Championship national competition, changes have had to be made due to COVID, which sees the Make Smoking History Forest Rally and the Experts Cup held concurrently as part of the Motorsport Australia WA State Championship.
 
Rally Australia was a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and last held in Perth in 2006, attracting the world’s best drivers who competed on some of the best rally roads in the State.
 
Clerk of Course Ross Tapper said that although this year’s Make Smoking History Forest Rally has a compacted format, it’s a course that has drivers excited.
 
“Arguably, the stages around Wellington Dam and the old Rally Australia stages of Harvey Weir, Brunswick and Wellington are some of the best rally stages in WA, if not Australia,” Mr Tapper said.
 
“The famous ball-bearing gravel adds an extra level of complexity for drivers, it’s like trying to control a car driving at speed on thousands of marbles.”
 
Competitors will race the clock along 140 kilometres of flat out competition on eight closed road Special Stages including a mammoth 31-kilometre stage around Wellington Dam and travel a total distance of almost 300 kilometres.
 
A rally differs from other forms of motorsport in that the cars do not compete on a ‘circuit’ instead they compete on closed road sections that they have only driven over twice in order to make their ‘pace notes’, a short-hand system of symbols that enables the co-driver to describe to the driver what lies ahead, hides around the next corner or over a blind crest.
 
During a rally, drivers may only see a particular corner four times and given that the gravel conditions will be different each time with the traversing of a field of competitors, it can be argued that rally drivers are the most skilled of all motorsport competitors.
 
The Make Smoking History Forest Rally is free for spectators and there are dedicated spectator points for the best vantage points to watch the rally action. Get a close look at rally cars in the Service Park based in the centre of Collie and see how crews miraculously fix huge mechanical problems in record time.
 
For more information including spectator points and maps, please visit https://forestrally.com.au/