Honda works driver Eli Evans has continued his Bosch Australian Two Wheel Drive Championship dominance by taking a clean sweep in the fourth round, Scouts Rally South Australia.
Evans withheld pressure from second placed Nissan driver Allan Roe over the final treacherous stages to take the win by 1 minute 49 seconds.
The Honda driver’s brother, Simon Evans, took his new Mazda2 to second overall for the weekend, despite losing time on Sunday’s third special stage which he got stuck in mud.
The second works Honda Jazz of Mark Pedder rounded out the top three, a further five seconds behind and moves to second in the Championship points standings.
“It was a fantastic result for the team, particularly given we were up against some fairly strong opposition this weekend and it was particularly sweet beating Simon,” said Eli Evans.
“We are under no illusions, Simon and the Mazda will be very quick when they sort that car and I think the battle for the 2013 title will be very tough indeed,” he added.
New South Welshman Michael Boaden has kept his chase for a maiden Bosch Australian Four Wheel Drive Championship on track with back-to-back round wins.
Boaden now has a 61 point lead over Western Australian Mitsubishi Evo X driver Tom Wilde after an unstoppable weekend in his Mitsubishi Evo IX.
WA driver Nic Box, also in a Mitsubishi Evo 9, took second for the weekend in his first Scouts Rally SA appearance, just seven seconds behind Boaden and has moved into third place in the championship, while Queensland’s Steve Shepheard (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) finished third, a further 51 seconds behind.
“Everything went perfectly this weekend, it was a great rally and it could not have been better,” said an elated Michael Boaden.
“It means we head to our home rally at Coffs in October with a very strong points advantage in the championship and we are looking forward to the fantastic North Coast roads,” he added.
In the Classic Rally contingent, Neal Bates topped the first stage but was forced to retire with split bore in the Toyota Celica RA40 on the second stage and handed the day’s win to two time ARC champion Barry Lowe.
Datsun 180B driver Neville Whittenbury trailed by a mere 2.2 seconds while rally debutant Jac David in the Porsche 911 finished third.
The Bosch Australian Rally Championship heads to New South Wales’ Coffs Harbour region for round five of the series, Snake Racing Rally Coffs, October 13-14.
Scouts Rally South Australia : Standings after Day 3
Bosch Two Wheel Drive Australian Rally Championship
| Position | Crew | Car | Time |
| 1 | Eli Evans/Glen Weston | Honda Jazz | 25:24.4 |
| 2 | Alan Roe/Ray Farrell | Nissan Silvia | 27:13.5 |
| 3 | Mark Pedder/Claire Ryan | Honda Jazz | 27:18.8 |
Bosch Four Wheel Drive Australian Rally Championship
| Position | Crew | Car | Time |
| 1 | Michael Boaden/Helen Cheers | Mitsubishi Evo 9 | 23:38.5 |
| 2 | Nic Box/Ash Ridden | Mitsubishi Evo 9 | 23:46.0 |
| 3 | Steven Shepheard/John McCarthy | Mitsubishi Evo 10 | 24:35.8 |
Bosch Australian Rally Championship Standings
Bosch Two Wheel Drive Australian Rally Championship
| Position | Crew | Car | Points |
| 1 | Eli Evans/Glen Weston | Honda Jazz | 338 |
| 2 | Mark Pedder/Claire Ryan | Honda Jazz | 170 |
| 3 | Alan Roe/Ray Farrell | Nissan Silvia | 165 |
Bosch Four Wheel Drive Australian Rally Championship
| Position | Crew | Car | Time |
| 1 | Michael Boaden/Helen Cheers | Mitsubishi Evo 9 | 306 |
| 2 | Tom Wilde/Lee Tierney | Mitsubishi Evo X | 245 |
| 3 | Nic Box/Ash Ridden | Mitsubishi Evo 9 | 177 |
Final day highlights from Scouts Rally SA
