| 2006
Darling 200
What started out as the longest Clubman Rally Series seen for many
years at the start of 2006, finished as a much shortened season by the last round held at
the end of November. During the year one combined state and Clubman rally had to be
cancelled due to date and environmental tangles, whilst the last Rally Australia Trial
Event had to be cancelled due to a large police search for a missing bush walker.
So it was that the last rally for the year would decide the winner of
the four round Clubman series.
The Light Car Club Darling 200 rally was run out of Jarrahdale, a small
town within half an hour of the Perth metro area. The fast and often dusty roads around the
forests in the area always produce spectacular rallying. 27 teams lined up to contest this
year’s event which would cover 70 competitive kilometres via six special stages.
Trevor Chudleigh and Tamara Adams had drawn car one in their Ex Rob Webber
Toyota Sprinter. An unfamiliar car and road sweeper for the loose Jarrahdale gravel gave
the pair a 7th fastest for SS1. Series contenders Dave Thomas/Paul Church took
an early lead in their Ford Escort from Steve Davies co-driven by brother Mark (Corolla)
with Kingsley and Ros Foster (Celica) 3rd for the stage. Greg Miles and Kaylin
Miller exited the rally early with front suspension troubles in their Daihatsu Charade.
For SS2 the same names were again in the top three, albeit in a
slightly different order. Davies/Davies won the stage with Church/Thomas second and
Foster/Foster third. More competitors were retiring early from the rally. In SS2 Jon
Nannen and Alyson Flood (Hyundai Lantra) broke a driveshaft, Daniel Adams/Tristan Coppin
suffered fuel problems in their Celica and Steve Vass/Matt Green (Escort MK II) retired
with electrical problems.
The green Honda Civic of Kevin Sleep and Alex Kirkhouse came to the
fore in SS3 with a stage win. Behind them the Davies and Fosters were fighting for
placings although Nigel Anderson/Greg Weryk equalled the third fastest time in SS3 in
their new Nissan Sunny. Thomas and Church suffered a problem which lost them nearly 2 and
a half minutes to the leaders, effectively ruining their chances of a rally win.
Tim Williams and Paul McGriskin suffered over heating problems in SS3
and were forced to retire with a suspect blown head gasket.
Before SS4 could start, more teams were forced to retire.
Chudleigh/Adams were not able to repair their Sprinter in service after a promising start,
as did the normally fast pair of Aaron & Karel Foster who had suspension problems with
their Hyundai Excel.
Behind the top three Leo Iriks and Paul Van Der Mey were having a good
event in their Ford Escort. The pair finished fifth in SS4 in front of Gary Whittle/Craig
Hendry in their Datsun 1600.
On the penultimate stage Thomas and Church tried hard to recover lost
time. The pair took back five seconds from Davies/Davies, unfortunately it was not going
to be enough to make the podium. Sleep/Kirkhouse were keeping the pressure on, having set
the third fastest time through SS5, finishing the stage just four seconds behind
Davies/Davies. Philip Johnson and Abby Jones retired in SS5 with mechanical problems in
their Toyota Levin.
The last stage of the rally and indeed the 2006 Clubman series
was only a short stage. So tight were the times that the 5 quickest cars through the stage
were separated by only 6 seconds.
As the last cars finished the rally, Duetime quickly calculated the
results and the top ten were in.
Mark Stevens and Paul Scally (Hyundai Lantra) were tenth behind
Father and Son, Stan and David Pisulak on first their gravel rally in ninth. Next was the
youngest competitor in WA rallying. On his L plates, 16 year old Jack Flanagan made his
rally debut. Co-driven by his 2006 State Championship winning mum, Dianna Madlener, the
pair took their Nissan Sunny to eighth place. Graham Harper/Kori Mez (Lantra) were
seventh, Whittle/Hendry sixth and Anderson/Weryk fifth. Iriks and Van Der Mey drove well
to fourth place with Foster and Foster third. Sleep/Kirkhouse brought the Civic to second.
With a lead of just over one and a half minutes, Steve and Mark Davies won the rally
outright.
Thanks to the Light Car Club for organising the event, to Duetime for
their brilliant results service and support of WA Rallying and all of the officials that
assisted on this event and on all the rallies this year.
WA Rallying now takes a well deserved break to allow for the silly
season. The first rally for 2007 will run on the 31st of March.
The 2006 DVD reviews of the State and Clubman competitions will be
ready for release shortly. Watch this space for details.
For full results, points and seedings of the 2006 WA rally season
visit: www.duetime.com.au
Karl Drummond
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