Dmack to follow home rally victory with Rally Australia

From home victory to down under finale in tyre supplier’s most successful WRC season

Dmack is preparing for the final round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship still basking in the afterglow of its debut FIA World Rally Championship event victory at Wales Rally GB. The Kennards Hire Rally Australia, based around Coffs Harbour between Brisbane and Sidney, will bring the tyre supplier’s most successful season to a close. Dmack describes Rally Australia as a demanding way to round off the championship, with a varied mix of high-speed gravel roads on offer.

Elfyn Evans and Dan Barritt will lead the Dmack runners, with the rally-winning DMG+22 gravel tyres set to meet the challenge. The nominated hard GH34 compound will be the main choice, and a maximum of 32 are permitted, while the soft GS84 is also available as the second choice.

Most of the action takes place over public, shire roads but some of the stages venture through thick forests and jungle areas – where dust can hang in the air. The dense rainforests can block sunlight, creating tough driving conditions for competitors.

Another of Rally Australia’s traditional challenges is the huge Nambucca stage, at almost 49km in length. It’s run on Saturday morning before being split in two for a repeat in the afternoon.

The event, famed for its stunning coastal vistas, ventures north for a three-stage loop on Friday before the popular Saturday stages around Bowraville to the south. Then it’s back north again on Sunday for the final stages of the WRC season.

Dick Cormack, Dmack managing director, said: “Rally GB was the highlight of our seven years in WRC and a huge achievement for Dmack. We are looking forward now to Australia which is set to be a really demanding event to finish off the season – its many surfaces and stage characteristics will make it a tough rally.”

Elfyn Evans, Dmack WRC driver, said: “We had an historic result on our home rally just a few weeks ago and achieved one of our main targets for the season. We missed Australia last year so it will be important to cover the miles, get the experience this year and work on our pacenotes.”