Whitey
05-01-2007, 09:12 PM
Hyundai Team takes maiden win in Excel Series Final
Battling wind, rain and hail, the Hyundai Excel Rally Team successfully completed the rain shortened four stages of the final round of the Excel Rally Series on Saturday 26th November, completing its last rally for the year with a maiden series win and much improved stage times.
The final round of the '05 Excel Rally Series saw only the Excels of Hyundai's Mick Gillett and new series champion Glenn Farrant face the starter. Missing were Luke "Shab" Anderson and David White, who both had damage due to off road excursions in the rain soaked second heat of the WPS Bathurst Rally.
Stage 1 was a quick and dusty 15 km run. About 9km in Series Winner Glen Farrant & Co Driver Anna Ritson had speared off the road into a blackberry bush and were unable to extract themselves. Gillett and Didzowski lost a bit of concentration upon seeing Farrant's exit, and ran wide on the same piece of road, running into the gutter, launching the car off a small earth drain. Surprised that they had survived, Gillett and Dzidowski continued on and caught the car in front just prior to the end of the stage.
Next up was stage 2, a 25 km test with a fair bit of up hill, the car seemed to be good shape. Gillett managed to catch and maneuver his way past another competitor at the 20km mark and pulled another 48 seconds on him before the finish of the stage.
As the crew headed to Stage 3, fun and games were on order as the rally was engulfed by torrential rain and hail. The stage was ultimately neutralised when a fallen tree blocking the stage.
The storm forced the cancellation of three stages.
Not to be deterred by the weather the Hyundai factory team rallied on through the repeated Stages 4 and 7 which saw Gillett/Didzowski shave 1 minute 12 seconds their time the second run through. Full of straight-on over crests, the team was defiant and braver setting the 29th fastest outright time to win the Excel Series round and tie Luke Anderson for second in the series.
Battling wind, rain and hail, the Hyundai Excel Rally Team successfully completed the rain shortened four stages of the final round of the Excel Rally Series on Saturday 26th November, completing its last rally for the year with a maiden series win and much improved stage times.
The final round of the '05 Excel Rally Series saw only the Excels of Hyundai's Mick Gillett and new series champion Glenn Farrant face the starter. Missing were Luke "Shab" Anderson and David White, who both had damage due to off road excursions in the rain soaked second heat of the WPS Bathurst Rally.
Stage 1 was a quick and dusty 15 km run. About 9km in Series Winner Glen Farrant & Co Driver Anna Ritson had speared off the road into a blackberry bush and were unable to extract themselves. Gillett and Didzowski lost a bit of concentration upon seeing Farrant's exit, and ran wide on the same piece of road, running into the gutter, launching the car off a small earth drain. Surprised that they had survived, Gillett and Dzidowski continued on and caught the car in front just prior to the end of the stage.
Next up was stage 2, a 25 km test with a fair bit of up hill, the car seemed to be good shape. Gillett managed to catch and maneuver his way past another competitor at the 20km mark and pulled another 48 seconds on him before the finish of the stage.
As the crew headed to Stage 3, fun and games were on order as the rally was engulfed by torrential rain and hail. The stage was ultimately neutralised when a fallen tree blocking the stage.
The storm forced the cancellation of three stages.
Not to be deterred by the weather the Hyundai factory team rallied on through the repeated Stages 4 and 7 which saw Gillett/Didzowski shave 1 minute 12 seconds their time the second run through. Full of straight-on over crests, the team was defiant and braver setting the 29th fastest outright time to win the Excel Series round and tie Luke Anderson for second in the series.