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Honda And Evans Win The 2013 Australian Rally Championship In Coffs Harbour


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MELBOURNE – Sept 17, 2013: Eli Evans and Glen Weston are Australian rally champions for a second year running, winning this weekend’s Rally Australia and making it 11 wins from 11 starts in their Honda Jazz.

“It’s exciting and something we’ve worked hard for all year,” Evans said. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”

Co-driver Weston is more philosophical. “This one is really special. Last year’s championship that we won was a split championship, as some competitors were in four-wheel drives. This year we’re all in two-wheel drives so it means a lot more to me because there’s no question that we’re the fastest crew in Australia.”

In what was a long and arduous event, Round Five of the ECB ARC – Rally Australia – was also Round 10 of the World Rally Championship, with the best of the best in both fields battling through hundreds of kilometres of dusty forest stages.

“It was a tough weekend,” said Evans.” The roads are really abrasive and we had some long stages where tyre choice became an issue.”

Teammates Mark Pedder and Claire Ryan placed fourth overall. “We struggled at the start and I don’t think I had the set up of the car quite right,” remarked Pedder. “We always knew that this would be a long and hard event, especially with the 50 kilometre stage yesterday. We stuck at it and improved the car over the course of the weekend.”

With two Honda Jazz competing over the last two years, strategy has been very important to the success of the team. “You do plan before events but I think one of the benefits of running two cars is that we learn things twice as quick,” Pedder said. “With the Evans Motorsport team behind us it makes it that much easier, as they’re always working on ways to improve the cars.”

“Mark and I were rivals in years gone by,” said Evans. “When I spoke to him about teaming up, he was pretty excited. It was a natural thing for him and Claire to join Glen and I and now we have the results; with championships not only for first and second in 2012 but now first this year. Hopefully it will be two manufacturer’s titles as well.”

The final round of the ECB ARC, Rally Victoria takes place in Warragul on the 15th and 16th of November. Evans will be in front of his home crowd in the last race with Honda. “I want to congratulate the whole Evans Motorsport team and Honda for a year well done. Hopefully we finish it off with another win and make it 12 from 12 in the Honda Jazz.”