Subaru do Motorsport team finished the Netier National Capital Rally in fifth place overall after a more settled day on Leg 2.
Despite wearing yesterday's battle scars on the driver's side rear quarter of the turbocharged Production Rally Car (PRC) class All-Wheel Drive WRX STI, Molly Taylor and co-driver Malcolm Read proved the car was fully functional across today's six stages.
The pair is hopeful of having retained overall fourth in the 2018 CAMS Australian Rally Championship, with points due to be released later tonight.
In the third round of the 2018 CAMS Australian Rally Championship, The Les Walkden Rallying crew's efforts to restore a rear cross member in the WRX STI, after yesterday afternoon's collision with a steel gate post, paid dividends.
Taylor and Read maintained overall fifth going into mid-leg service after the three morning stages.
Saturday's tyre issues were consigned to history, with the pair reporting few problems, other than minor suspension setting tweaks, as they headed into this afternoon's final three stages, again located in the hills west of Canberra.
With a focus on maximising Championship points going into the second half of the season, the duo was content with two fourth places and an equal third on the day's final stage.
Molly said: "After the amount of damage out there yesterday, it made sense for us to focus on maximising our points for the weekend to underpin our championship position.
"To that extent, we've probably done better than yesterday's finish might have suggested, so now we need to re-set, apply the lessons learned and have a really disciplined approach going into the second half of the season.
"Looking at today's performance, there were a lot less rocks to contend with, but it was a bit challenging on the turn-in where there was a lot of sand. But after yesterday's dramas it was good to finish unscathed.
"Next we'll be out to prove ourselves in front of Les's home crowd in Launceston!"
Today's Leg 2 covered a total of 119.08 competitive kilometres across the six stages.
Championship action continues next month with the return of Tasmania to the series – with the Launceston-based Subaru Rally Tasmania.
With Les Walkden Rallying based in the Northern Tasmania city, Subaru do Motorsport will be on a mission to underline their claim for elevation to top three podium honours.
NETIER NATIONAL CAPITAL RALLY PROVISIONAL RESULTS (after Leg 2 - subject to CAMS final confirmation)
1 EVANS/SEARCY, Skoda Fabia R5, 2:41:23.7
2 COPPIN/WESTON, Skoda Fabia R5, 2:46:22.1, +04:58.4
3 GLENNEY/SARANDIS, Subaru WRX STI, 2:47:37.2, +06:13.5
4 BATES/McCARTHY, Toyota Yaris AP4, 2:50:40.3, +09:16.6
5 TAYLOR/READ, Subaru WRX STI, 2:53:07.6, +11:43.9
CAMS AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR 2018
Round 4 – Subaru Rally Tasmania 27-29 July
Round 5 – Adelaide Hills Rally SA, 21-23 September
Round 6 – Kennards Hire Rally Australia, Coffs Harbour, 15-18 November
sts Rip Time From Subaru do
Subaru do Motorsport team endured a rough day on Leg 1 of the Netier National Capital Rally, with rock-strewn stages costing valuable time.
In the third round of the 2018 CAMS Australian Rally Championship, Molly Taylor and co-driver Malcolm Read ran into issues on today's second stage, damaging two rims on the turbocharged Production Rally Car (PRC) class All-Wheel Drive WRX STI, prepared by Les Walkden Rallying (LWR).
But it was on SS3 Wamboin River I – the rally's equal longest at 26.88 kilometres – that problems really compounded, with a puncture dictating a wheel change that demoted the team from fourth to fifth overall.
Completing the morning's short fourth stage, at just 1.69 kilometres, proved a relief, with the Subaru duo emerging in mid-leg service with three bent rims as collateral damage.
Today's action was focused around the Kowen Forest area east of the city and the afternoon proved equally challenging in the woods.
Fourth places on SS6 and SS7 were valuable in consolidating overall fifth.
Then a third place on the day's penultimate stage, SS8 – the repeat of long-haul Hibernian – showed even greater promise.
But another puncture on SS9 – the repeat of Wamboin River, where this morning's puncture occurred - almost proved disastrous.
After changing wheels, the pair was soon afterwards forced to decelerate rapidly from around 200 km/h, when a well-intentioned competitor ahead pulled aside on a left-hand bend, to let the Subaru through.
Insufficient space forced Taylor and Read to collect a steel gatepost, causing severe damage to the rear cross member.
Limping back to service, the LWR crew then had to use every second of the day's final 45-minute service to ensure a restart tomorrow.
It was with some relief that a fifth place felt like a podium after a tough day.
Molly said: "It was a fairly brutal morning on rock-strewn stages.
"Two bent rims on the second stage, the puncture on three, then finishing the morning with three bent rims in total meant we were actually pretty happy to recover to fifth overall going into this afternoon.
"We had a really good time on the second-last stage this afternoon, but as so often happens in rallying, things changed quickly starting with our puncture on SS9.
"The good news is that the car's running well overall, so we'll really need to work it hard to gain some valuable points tomorrow."
Sunday sees the rally head west of Canberra to the narrow, technical stages off Brindabella and Paddys River Roads, where tyre-wear across the six stages can be challenging.
It covers a total of 119.08 competitive kilometres.
The rally concludes with podium celebrations at the Service Park, at Pialligo Estate – close to Canberra Airport - from 4pm.
NETIER NATIONAL CAPITAL RALLY LEG PROVISIONAL RESULTS (subject to CAMS final confirmation)
1 EVANS/SEARCY, Skoda Fabia R5, 1:17:57.0
2 GLENNEY/SARANDIS, Subaru WRX STI, 1:18:43.3, +00:46.3
3 COPPIN/WESTON, Skoda Fabia R5, 1:21:04.5, 03:07.5
4 BATES/McCARTHY, Toyota Yaris AP4, 1:27:23.5, +09:26.5
5 TAYLOR/READ, Subaru WRX STI, 1:27:34.5, +09:37.5
CAMS AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR 2018
Round 3 – Netier National Capital Rally, Canberra, 1-3 June
Round 4 – Subaru Rally Tasmania 27-29 July
Round 5 – Adelaide Hills Rally SA, 21-23 September
Round 6 – Kennards Hire Rally Australia, Coffs Harbour, 15-18 November