Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia’s Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin are one step closer to a second Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship title after winning the PowerPlay Adelaide Hills Rally.

The reigning champions were victorious in Heat 2 after a runner-up finish in Heat 1 aboard their Toyota GR Yaris AP4. “It hasn’t been the easiest weekend, but we never gave up. We kept fighting the whole way and we put ourselves in a good position at the end, so we’re absolutely over the moon,” Bates said.

Finishing Heat 2 in second were Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey (Skoda Fabia R5) after a battle with Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney (Hyundai i20) with the former ahead by just 1.5s.

For all but one of the 11 stages, it was Heat 1 winners Toyota’s Harry Bates and Coral Taylor who looked likely to take the second heat and the overall result.

But a 25-second penalty on Stage 22 and a spin on Stage 24 saw the duo drop to fifth for the heat. Even a win in the final part, the EROAD Power Stage, could not improve their standings. Overall they finished second ahead of Maguire and Brakey.

Third on the final stage were Luke Anear and Malcolm Read (Ford Fiesta Mk2) who produced a strong comeback on Sunday to finish the heat in fourth place, and fifth overall behind Rullo/Glenney.

Brothers Jamie and Brad Luff (Yaris) were next ahead of Troy Dowel and Bernie Web (Fiesta Rally 2), Daniel Gonzalez and Daymon Nicoli (Skoda), and Peter Rullo and James Marquet (Hyundai). Tenth place was taken by Molly Taylor and Andy Sarandis who also took out the heat and outright win in the White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup.

The final round of the ARC will be the Subaru Canberra Rally of Canberra in and around the forests of Canberra on November 17-19.