The Subaru WRX of Michael South and Kirrilee Gentleman has withstood a punishing day of high speed racing to take out the 2011 Peter Rodgers Real Estate Bathurst Rally on Saturday.
The Central Coast pair were in devastating form, setting the fastest time on seven of 11 stages and finishing 56 seconds ahead of Adam Casmiri and Adriana Pallister in their Mitsubishi Evo 7 with Adam and Grant Kennedy third in an older Lancer Evo 3.
Bathurst Rally organiser Gwyn Mulholland was happy with how things played out.
“It went very well. All the drivers came back with big grins. We had 12 out of 17 drivers finish the state championship class and 10 out of 12 complete the Clubman class. Everybody was extremely quick, especially through the Forestry stage at Pennsylvania,” he said.
“Michael South won the event and young Adam Casmiri wasn’t too far behind him, so it was a very tight race.”
However, there wasn’t good news for local driver Leigh Gotch who was looking to take the lead in the NSW Rally Championship with just one round remaining.
After the withdrawal of series leader Peter Roberts, all Gotch had to do was get a high finish to pull ahead, but he had gearbox issues and was forced to retire after completing one stage.
Roberts was forced to withdraw ahead of the event because he couldn’t get parts for his Mitsubishi Evo 6 which was damaged during the Rally Australia round of the World Rally Championship a fortnight ago.
The result now brings South right back into contention for the title.
Casmiri was a surprise contender given that he hadn’t driven the car at all before the event and there are no guarantees that he will be behind the wheel for the final round of the season, the National Capital Rally, next month.
“Adam Casmiri is only 21-years-old and he was able to con his father Carlos into letting him drive his new Evo 7 Lancer at the event. Adam normally runs a Honda Civic and goes very well, but he somehow got a drive in his father’s car. His father said he won’t get to drive it in Canberra though because he wants to have a go,” Mulholland said.
It wasn’t just those at the pointy end of the field that had a good time according to the organiser.
“Young Phil Kessey was the best of the locals because Leigh fell out of contention with mechanical problems,” Mulholland said.
“His [Leigh’s] father Gerry got conned into competing and had a good time and so did another who hadn’t competed in 15 years, Keith Byrn.
“Keith owns Premier Panel Beating and he did up a Mark 2 Escort for Ed Mulligan and was offered a drive. He loved it and said he will be doing it on a regular basis in the classic section.”
Mulholland said that the rally wouldn’t have been possible without support from local councils and businesses.
“We were very happy with the event and very happy with the involvement of Peter Rodgers Real Estate. Michael Whittacker has been extremely helpful,” he said.
“Blayney Council have also done a very good job. We wouldn’t have been able to run the rally without them and even with the resignation of their General Manager, it all went very smoothly.”
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