Great Tarmac Rally 2018

Craig and Mary are on the way home after another great event run by Mountain Motorsport - The 2018 Great Tarmac Rally. Held around Marysville in Victoria, the final round of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship it would definitely be the best round out of the four.

After the tailshaft failure on the last event the car had needed a little work to get it ready for this one, but the boys in the workshop put the time in and it came together for the event. Everyone at Mustang Motorsport has been great in getting the car ready for each event and their time and effort has not gone unnoticed, so thanks to them.

Saturday of the event was the big day, with a short warm up stage, a short competitive stage and then straight into the long stages. Seven stages all up, with the longer ones being about 38km. It is quite a challenging event for navigators, with varying combinations of corners which constantly changes up the timing that the delivery is given. It is challenging also for the drivers, with lots of commitment and a sharp listening ear.

Adjustments were made to the car through the day to try and get the right handling for the conditions, and at the end of the day we finished in third outright. A check over the car at service found a tyre was not holding up to the hammering so some help was sought from Hoosier Tires to put the spares on the rims for us. We are very thankful they came to the event as it saved a lot of time and driving to get the car right for the following day.

Sunday was a bit shorter than Saturday, with 5 stages ranging from 14km to 19km. Craig was feeling fresh for the first stage, winning it by 7 seconds and staying in the top placings for the rest of the day. Saturday's adjustments had the car handling well and, apart from some minor things, we were very happy with the performance from the three of us for the weekend.

We had little idea of times through the day but were very happy to find ourselves in second place outright at the event's end, and first in Showroom 2WD with a surprising third in the Championship Showroom 2WD. Congrats to the winners, Angus Kennard and Ian Wheeler - a well driven event boys, and a well deserved win.

Congratulations to all the other competitors and commiserations also to those that came close to having a great event but didn't. Thanks for the great company! Thanks to the event organisers who put so much time and effort in for us to be able to race. It isn't an easy job and your efforts are definitely recognised and appreciated. Thanks race solutions for keeping the event running smoothly and keeping us safe. We hope you enjoyed the Minties and, if you missed out, be sure to stick out out hand next time and grab one!

Thanks to our sponsors for your support through the Tarmac Rally Championship.

• Crossover Car Conversions
• Rohde Smash Repairs
• Ferntree Gully Bolts
• Road Warrior Plus
• Red Bolt Visual Communication
• Shockworks
• Castrol
• Shelby American

Preparation has already started for the next event - Targa High Country in November. We will see you then!
Craig and Mary.