Just 2.2kms into the Special Stage 1, Harry Bates and Coral Taylor, hit a hole and sustained a 10g crash and it appears that the Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 will be out for the rest of the day at least. Both driver and navigator are okay.
Then on SS3 Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin in the debut of the sister Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia Yaris Rally 2, suffered a puncture and completed the stage 9s off leader Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall. On the following SS4, the last for the morning, Bates and McLoughlin also crashed 2kms in.
So far not a good event for Toyota crews. Luke Anear and Malcolm Read who are in Lewis Bates’ 2022 championship winning Toyota Yaris AP4, was stopped 3mins into SS4 with a blown clutch.
At the lunch break ahead of another four stages, Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall have a 33.6s lead over fellow Skoda Fabia crew, Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey with a further 17s to Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney in their Hyundai i20.
Fifth and first in Production Cup are Ryan Williams and Brad Jones in their Subaru Impreza WRX STi ahead of Peter Rullo/James Marquet (Hyundai i20) and second in Production Cup, Molly Taylor/Andy Sarandis (Subaru). Both the Rullo i20s have cracked windscreens which suggests some big landings.
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