Whitey
05-01-2007, 09:28 PM
Gillett and Dzidowski win for Hyundai.
The factory prepared Hyundai Excel of Mick Gillett and Marek Dzidowski emerged triumphant at the final round of the 2006 Hyundai Excel Rally Series “The Trussme National Capital Rally” run in Canberra last Saturday (25 November) in extremely hot and dusty conditions which took its toll on both competitors and vehicles.
The duo went into the rally with the driver’s championship already wrapped up for Gillett but the co-drivers series still up for grabs between Marek Dzidowski and Harvey Smith, who had sat in the factory Hyundai for Dzidowski for three events. With Smith sitting out the last round at the Natcap rally Dzidowski needed to win the round to win the series. A second place finish to 2005 series winner Glenn Farrant and unregistered co-driver Jason Wood meant that Dzidowski was awarded first co-driver for the round, and the 2006 series title.
Things did not go all the right way for Gillett and Dzidowski during the rally with the team losing the important navigational terratrip (distance counter) on stage three. This really made Dzidowski work for his championship as the equipment was unable to be repaired during the major service by the Hyundai team. The crew also encountered a flat tyre 11kms from the end of stage five which required the crew to stop and change the wheel. “You can drive a few kilometres on a flat but 11km is just too far,” said Gillett. “We had no option but to stop and we dropped about 5 minutes to Glenn plus after the tyre change we were slowed by another competitor’s dust that had just passed us.”
Returning to the series for Canberra was series founding member David White. David and co-driver Hamish Johnstone also had problems with dust and overshot a corner on stage 4. While the car was not damaged the crew was unable to continue with the car beached on the corner. The stage was to be used again later in the event and as such both David and Hamish spent some 7 hours in the forest waiting to be recovered.
The very hot and dusty conditions and the full field of 69 crews entered the Tussme National Capital Rally including 15 Classic Rally cars had both officials and teams working hard to keep the event on track. The conditions certainly affected the amount of crews that finished the event. Of the Classic car field only 6 of the 15 finished and only 21 crews entered in the main event completed all nine stages.
The Hyundai Excels are starting to really show that they are a competitive rally car with Glenn Farrant finishing 8th outright and Mick Gillett finishing 15th after the flat tyre incident in stage 5. The Hyundai team would like to thank the people that have supported their championship win in 2006. They are Eibach Suspension Bond Roll Bars, Lumen Australia, Performance Wheels, Mobis Parts Australia, Cauldwell Auto Body Repairs, Infomedia’s Microcat Market and Hyundai Motor Company Australia. The results for the team have been made possible by the outstanding efforts and dedication of service crew regulars Harvey and Heather Smith, Matt Maltby, Colin Haycroft and Wayne Luxford.
The factory prepared Hyundai Excel of Mick Gillett and Marek Dzidowski emerged triumphant at the final round of the 2006 Hyundai Excel Rally Series “The Trussme National Capital Rally” run in Canberra last Saturday (25 November) in extremely hot and dusty conditions which took its toll on both competitors and vehicles.
The duo went into the rally with the driver’s championship already wrapped up for Gillett but the co-drivers series still up for grabs between Marek Dzidowski and Harvey Smith, who had sat in the factory Hyundai for Dzidowski for three events. With Smith sitting out the last round at the Natcap rally Dzidowski needed to win the round to win the series. A second place finish to 2005 series winner Glenn Farrant and unregistered co-driver Jason Wood meant that Dzidowski was awarded first co-driver for the round, and the 2006 series title.
Things did not go all the right way for Gillett and Dzidowski during the rally with the team losing the important navigational terratrip (distance counter) on stage three. This really made Dzidowski work for his championship as the equipment was unable to be repaired during the major service by the Hyundai team. The crew also encountered a flat tyre 11kms from the end of stage five which required the crew to stop and change the wheel. “You can drive a few kilometres on a flat but 11km is just too far,” said Gillett. “We had no option but to stop and we dropped about 5 minutes to Glenn plus after the tyre change we were slowed by another competitor’s dust that had just passed us.”
Returning to the series for Canberra was series founding member David White. David and co-driver Hamish Johnstone also had problems with dust and overshot a corner on stage 4. While the car was not damaged the crew was unable to continue with the car beached on the corner. The stage was to be used again later in the event and as such both David and Hamish spent some 7 hours in the forest waiting to be recovered.
The very hot and dusty conditions and the full field of 69 crews entered the Tussme National Capital Rally including 15 Classic Rally cars had both officials and teams working hard to keep the event on track. The conditions certainly affected the amount of crews that finished the event. Of the Classic car field only 6 of the 15 finished and only 21 crews entered in the main event completed all nine stages.
The Hyundai Excels are starting to really show that they are a competitive rally car with Glenn Farrant finishing 8th outright and Mick Gillett finishing 15th after the flat tyre incident in stage 5. The Hyundai team would like to thank the people that have supported their championship win in 2006. They are Eibach Suspension Bond Roll Bars, Lumen Australia, Performance Wheels, Mobis Parts Australia, Cauldwell Auto Body Repairs, Infomedia’s Microcat Market and Hyundai Motor Company Australia. The results for the team have been made possible by the outstanding efforts and dedication of service crew regulars Harvey and Heather Smith, Matt Maltby, Colin Haycroft and Wayne Luxford.