On the coldest Victorian May weekend in three years, overnight leaders Michael Harding and James Thornburn prevailed to take out the Lake Mountain Sprint.
The second round of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championships was held out of Rally HQ in the Marysville Community Centre. The winners embraced the cold and snow to win the day by 26.7s, and the event by 43.9s.
The second day schedule of stages (nine through to 14) had to be juggled due to the weather and amounted to 77.3 kilometres. Harding and Thornburn (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) came out of the blocks with the stage nine win where Paul Dowie and Bernie Webb (Porsche 911 GT3 RS) were second ahead of Jason and Fiona Wright (Nissan GT-R R35).
Harding also won the next two stages, both ahead of Dowie, with Barrie Smith and Anthony McLoughlin (Audi TTRS) third in each. Harding was 56s in front midway through the day before the Wrights mounted a second half charge.
Wright won the last three stages to climb from fourth to second. Dowie was second on all three while Harding, Jeremy Dennison and Casey Rumble (BMW M140i), and Smith had thirds. Dowie finished the day third in front of Smith, Dennison, and Xavier Franklin and Jaidyn Gluskie (Porsche Cayman GT4).
In the combined times from Saturday and Sunday, Dowie was second overall with Smith third. Then came Wright, Dennison, Neil and Sue Cuthbert (Lotus Exige 350 Sport), Franklin, Allan and Kerry Hines (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X), Greg Bass and Peter Cooke (Toyota Yaris GT) and Scott Coppleman and Matt Van Rooye (WRX), tenth of the 41 finishers.
In Classics, Keith Morling and Tracey Dewhurst consolidated the class lead they built on Saturday, and finished 24th overall in their (Ford Escort MkII RS1800). Second were Bruce Power and Russell Hannah (Mazda RX-7) with Peter Gluskie and Ray Farrell (BMW E30 325e) third.
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