APRC 2016: Gill wins Rally of Queensland
Skoda MRF team drivers scored another 1-2 result in the Rally of Queensland, the second round of the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific series, shortened when heavy rain started to fall over Australia's famous "Sunshine Coast" area on the second day.
Gaurav Gill and co-driver Glenn Macneall their way to victory for Team MRF Skoda at the APRC Rally of Queensland
Gaurav Gill led all the way winning every stage except for two, heading teammate Fabian Kreim. Rains in the weeks before the event had caused alarm but went away as the event approached, only to return during the rally. The second loop of the Day 2 stages were abandoned, with only a short super special being run in order to enable full championship points to be awarded. Michael Young was third, the top non-Skoda driver.
The next round of the series will be run at Zhangye, a regular national Chinese championship rally venue, near the Mongolian border. Eight APRC cars started and all finished. Winner of the concurrent Australian championship round was Mitsubishi driver Ryan Smart. Easily the fastest local driver was Simon Evans who took off his helmet when carrying out repairs during a stage but inadvertently carried on without it. He was then delayed when he had to walk back to retrieve it!
Rally of Queensland Results:
1. Gill/Macneall: Skoda Fabia R5 1:43:45.3
2. Kreim/Christian: Skoda Fabia R5 +1:59.6
3. Young/Read: Subaru Impreza WRX Sti +2:45.7
4. Quinn/Calder: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +8:47.0
5. Masumura/Nakagawa: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +14:09.6
6. Takahashi/Nakamura: Subaru Impreza WRX Sti +22:22.1
Photo courtesy Ridder
