Rex Driver #59 Spring 2014 by Beanstalk Creative & Production Pty Ltd

Spring edition Sep - Nov 2014

Rex Driver #59

www.wrxsa.com

33 Woodlands Tce, Edwardstown, SA, 5039 Contact Sean and Jo phone 8277 2222

PO Box 400, Unley, SA 5061

2014/2015 Elected Club Committee: President:

Incorporated in Adelaide, South Australia - May 1999

Sam Jongenelis Mobile: 0402 936 908

Certificate number: AA0024461E

Vice President:

Club Address: Impreza WRX Owners Club of South Australia Inc.

Web Site Address:

Spiro Koulianos Mobile: 0402 311 294

http:\\www.wrxsa.com

Secretary:

E-Mail Address:

Tania Langcake

Information: info@wrxsa.com Club Committee: committee@wrxsa.com Magazine: rexdriver@wrxsa.com

Membership: The Impreza WRX Owners Club of South Australia is a club for motoring enthusiasts with a passion for performance cars. Our focus is on performance oriented Subaru vehicles, including the Impreza WRX, STI, Liberty RS, Forester GT and BRZ’s, but membership is considered from owners of other vehicles.

Club Magazine: The Club magazine Rex Driver is published quarterly and distributed free to all members. Contributions are welcomed from Club Members and interested parties alike and may be submitted email to the Editor direct at: sethcoultas@gmail.com

Treasurer: Damien Hirst

Mobile: 0422 277 109

Membership Officer: Gareth Scanlen

General Positions: Sam Jonganelis (Cruise Master) Damien Hirst (Motorsport Co-ordinator) Nigel McGaffin (Events Co-ordinator) Andrew Kreiger (Webmaster) Rob Gromball ( Social Media) Kylie Singleton (Business Liaison) Jarrad McGaffin, Brendan Moore, Mitchell Bryres, John Tomazos

CAMS OFFICER Matt Knighton Use Club’s mobile number 0413 025 697 for other enquiries to other committee members

Club Patrons:

Layout & design

Cody Crocker, Team Subaru Sam Brand, BrandMotorsport

Seth Coultas (Magazine Editor) Email: sethcoultas@gmail.com

DISCLAMER: The views and/or opinions expressed in any/all articles in this magazine are not to be considered the views and/or opinions of the Club, editorial staff, or any committee member. While all care is taken in the preparation of this publication, the Club, its committee and its contributors accept no responsibility for the accuracy of the whole or any part of the magazine. The club wishes to highlight that that any modifications made to your car may void your factory warranty, and any racing / sporting events may void your insurance cover. Articles regarding either of these matters are for interest value only and are not recommended to our members.

We trust allBiz for all our Rex Driver printing needs. www.allbizsupplies.biz 125 O’Sullivan Beach Road, Lonsdale Ph: 8326 2899

Official Magazine of the

Impreza WRX Owners Club of South Australia Inc. Spring 2014

Contents CLUB RACING

MOTORSPORTS

Mallala Supersprint

World Time Attack Challenge

OzGymkhana National Championship

Collingrove Hillclimb

Australian Dirt Khanacross Championship

SA Rally Championship Walky 100

Global Rally Cross Seattle

Rally America - Lake Superior Rally

Global Rally Cross Las Vegas

Gymkhana Grid

TECH ARTICLES 18

WRXSA Motorsport Advice CAMS Disciplines - Learn about all the different options you have to satisfy that need for speed!

Replacing Wheel Bearings

Suspension Tuning Tips

Special Feature 30

Celebrate 20 Years of the Australian WRX

Front cover: Brendan Moore Photo by Dale Ireland

SOCIAL 45 WRXSA Goolwa Hindmarsh Cruise 52 Franks Rally School Drive

REGULARS 1

Club Info Page

President’s Report

Finance Report

Editorial

Club Championship

New Members Welcome

12 Member Profile : Justin Hanney 15 Member Profile : Alin Daju 16 Member Profile : Shane Sickerdick 50 ‘Classic’ Rex Driver - Celebrating 15 Years!

58 Business Partners 60 Upcoming Events

ARTICLE & PHOTO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you so much to everyone that contributed to make this one of the biggest editions of Rex Driver ! Without your support this magazine would not be possible : Damien Hirst Frank Kutsche Sam Jongenelis Alin Daju Dylan Butler Shane Sickerdick Frank Kutsche "Sticks & Stones" Photography Karen & Jordan Kutsche Justin Hanney Sean Jenner Dale Ireland Guy Wilkinson Felicity Wood MWP Sports Photography Tom Boeck Dave Rudham Jason Lange Tanya Hardiman Falcadore Darren Teagles Car Mods Australia Gymkhana Grid Facebook Page carsales.com.au Subaru of America & Japan Lars Gange

if you would like to contribute or just send in some pics of your car contact me at sethcoultas@gmail.com. 3

Sam Jongenelis Club President

Welcome to the spring edition of Rex driver magazine for 2014. As the end of the year draws closer and closer it’s a good chance to look back at a great year for the club. With the steady growth of the membership base during the year and the addition of two sponsors thanks to our new business liaison officer Kylie, the club continues to go from strength to strength. Its great to still be getting more businesses on board the sponsorship programme as it allows the club to keep offering you the members more and more deals and discounts. So with the expanding member base the sponsors are able to see more of a return for their investment, and therefore more likely to keep supporting us. Everyone reaps the benefits. As we look to the holiday and xmas season I hope every stays safe and has a great Christmas. Don’t forget to spoil your cars rotten with prezzies either. I look forward to another great year with a great bunch of people.

Treasurer’s Report Funds as of September to November 2014 Cash Tin balance: PayPal Account Balance: Cheque Account Balance: Outstanding Debits/Cheques to be Drawn Outstanding Deposits & Income: Net Club Funds after outstanding transactions: Significant Transactions General Operating Costs (mobile, bank fees, stamps, etc. New Memberships (x7) Membership renewals (x33) Cash Tin Deposited into Bank Account 2 x Tyrepower & SA Motorsport Tyres - Gold Sponsorships Club Merchandise - (paid for) Short Sleeve Shirt x5, Long Sleeve Shirt x8, Hoodie x2, Polo x7 Rex Driver Magazine Winter Edition Club BBQ at Collingrove Hillclimb

Outgoing 140

560 1810 800 750 755 717.80 75 181.50 224 588.50 1920 700 200 700

Damien Hirst

Stationary Stamps - Magazine Banner Crew - New Banner & Flag Upcoming Transactions Sponsorships x4 Platinum Sponsorships Due Rex Driver Magazine Spring Edition Postage Stamps Merchandise Stock

477 0 8,679 0 0 9,156 Incoming

EDITORIAL

Seth Coultas

Oh boy, we have a bumper edition for you all this time! First up I would just like to let everyone know that this edition marks 15 years of the Rex Driver Magazine, Check out page 50 for a look at the very first Rex Driver as well as the very first editorial “Look Whose Torquing #1” by Sean Jenner (Club President & Founder). Continuing the anniversary theme, this year marked 20 years of the WRX here in Australia so we take a look back at the WRX’s history. The Subaru's have been busy in the local and international motorsport scene so we have a look at the results from the Australian Dirt Khanacross Championship that took place in Bendigo Victoria; the World Time Attack in Sydney and the Walky 100 here in SA. Farther afield Subaru has been making its mark at the finals of the 2014 Rally America, Global Rallycross and European Gymkhana GRID.

goes to Garry Dodd who finished another very successful year of Motorkhana winning his class and breaking the National Records at the Final that was held in Sydney. There has also been a lot of work being done behind the scenes by our WRXSA committee members, we have been busy planning exciting events for next year; and it has been a while coming but we now have some brand new club merchandise in the form of shirts and hoodies available for members. If you haven't already put your name down for one jump onto the forums and do it now. Finally, thanks to everyone that took the time to respond to the club survey. We got a lot of useful information that will help the committee to organise events and shape the club. Expect to see a summary of the responses in the near future and as always if you have any suggestions or issues please come along to the Club Meetings, everyone is welcome and it is all very relaxed and casual.

At the time of writing this the S&J Automotive Club Championship is about to enter the final round with the Willunga Hillclimb. The final standings really have come down to the wire with first place still up for grabs. Outside of the Club Catch you later, Seth Coultas Championship members have been enjoying success at the OzGymkhana State Final / National Round and special mention

3rd in the OzGymkhana Nationals. Today was a good day!

Round 8: Collingrove Hillclimb

As we continue the 2014 S&J Club Championship after the go kart Enduro, last write up we were awaiting Round 8 Results from the August Collingrove Hill Climb. Jason Bartsch was the Round winner after posting a fast Personal Best and fastest outright on the day of 34.70 in his 06 STI. Damien Anderson was biggest Personal Best scorer setting 36.6 seconds, over 2 seconds off his previous. Brendan Moore (99 wagon) also was near 2 seconds off his Personal Best with a 35.45. Everyone had new Personal Bests on a fine sunny overcast day except Damien and Tania who both struggled to close the gap.

ROUND 8 RESULTS: Personal Best Results:

1st Damien Anderson 36.66 / 38.79 = minus 2.13 : 13pts 2nd Brendan Moore 35.45 / 37.23 = minus 1.78 : 12pts 3rd Jason Bartsch 34.70 / 36.08 = minus 1.38 : 11pts 4th Ben Hersey 36.10 / 37.37 = minus 1.27 : 10pts 5th Dylan Butler 37.54 / 38.29 = minus 0.75 : 9pts 6th Glen Breugem 36.32 / 37.00 = 0.68 : 8pts 7th Russell Badenoch 36.50 / 36.54 = minus 0.04 : 7pts 8th Tania Langcake 37.66 / 37.43 = plus 0.23 : 6pts 9th Damien Hirst 34.75 / 33.7 = plus 1.01 : 5pts

Outright Results:

1st Jason Bartsch 34.70secs = 9pts 2nd Damien Hirst 34.75 = 8pts 3rd Brendan Moore = 7pts 4th Ben Hersey = 6pts 5th Glen Breugem = 5pts 6th Russell Badenoch = 4pts 7th Damien Anderson = 3pts 8th Dylan Butler = 2pts 9th Tania Langcake = 1pt

TOTAL COMBINED CC SCORE:

1st place = Jason Bartsch = 20 points - Round8 winner 2nd = Brendan Moore = 19 pts 3rd = Ben Hersey = 16 points 4th = Damien Anderson = 16pts 5th = Damien Hirst = 13pts 6th = Glen Bruegem = 13pts 7th =Dylan Butler = 11 pts 8th = Russell Badenoch = 11pts 9th =Tania Langcake = 7pts

Round 9: OzGymkhana

A smaller than usual field at the OzGymkhana, Round 9 of the Club Championship. Garry Dodd (99 WRX) drove to a 2nd overall finish! Dylan Butler (02 WRX) kept one point ahead of Jason Bartsch (06 STI) and Tania Langcake (06 WRX) won Standard 4WD Road Class! Brendan Moore (99 WRX Wagon) started but failed to finish with a damaged diff.

OUTRIGHT ROUND 9 RESULTS: Garry Dodd = 9pts Dylan Butler = 8pts Jason Bartsch = 7pts Tania Langcake = 6pts Brendan Moore = 5pts 6

Round 10: Collingrove Hillclimb

The last Collingrove Hill Climb for 2015, WRXSA were there for Round 10 of the S&J Automotive Club Championship. A long time record of 14 WRXSA entrants entered and took over the paddocks and filled the majority of road registered class! A fine sunny day was enjoyed by all with a full club setup, arranged by Damien and Tania with Zoe helping with the cooking of the BBQ. WRXSA highlights were Hugh bringing his Liberty out along with Russell with his Forester to show all Turbo Subaru’s are welcomed among the club. New WRXSA flag was proudly put on display to show the growing strength of motorsport in our club. The day saw some fast runs but with plenty running a little too fast to better their Personal Bests. First timers out were Karn Schumacher in his red 98 WRX with a 38.96 seconds! Next was Andrew Kemmler in his 02 STi setting 38.38 seconds. And by a point of a second was Hugh Mclaughlin’s Liberty setting 38.37 for fastest of the newcomers. Damien Anderson (06 WRX), Mark Gardiner (00 STI) and Dylan Butler (02 WRX) all set new Personal Bests while the rest all ran impressively but not enough to set new results. Fastest on the day were Damien Hirst (99 STI), close to his PB with a 33.94 and Jason Bartsch (06 STI) and Glen Breugem both cutting the 35’s. Round 10 Winner, with a big 17 points on offer due to a large number of entrants, goes to Dylan Butler for cutting almost a second off his Personal Best and 4th fastest for 10 points earning him a huge 27 points total. Great score!

ROUND 10 RESULTS: Personal Best Results:

1st Dylan Butler Subaru WRX 36.33 / 37.54 -1.21 = 17pts 2nd Andrew Kemmler Subaru WRX STI 38.38 / 39.37 -0.99 = 16pts 3rd Mark Gardiner Subaru STI 37.61 / 38.02 -0.41 = 15pts 4th Karn Schumacher Subaru WRX 38.96 / 39.23 -0.27 = 14pts 5th Hugh Mclaughlin Subaru Liberty GT 38.37 / 38.55 -0.18 = 13pts 6th Damien Andersen Subaru WRX 36.52 / 36.66 -0.14 = 12pts 7th Russell Badenoch Subaru Forester XT 36.69 / 36.50 +0.19 = 11pts 8th Damien Hirst Subaru WRX 33.94 / 33.74 +0.20 = 10pts 9th Matt Knighton Subaru WRX 36.42 / 36.14 +0.28 = 9pts 10th Brendan Moore Subaru 36.45 / 35.45 +0.31 = 8pts 11th Glenn Breugem Subaru WRX 35.75 / 35.27 +0.55 = 7pts 12th Jason Bartsch Subaru WRX 35.55/2nd-36.10(-0.55) / PB-34.70 +0.85 = 6pts 13th Tania Langcake Subaru WRX 37.78/2nd-37.86(-0.93) / PB-36.93 +0.85 = 5pts (Jason and Tania draw then calculated by 2nd best run of day for position)

ROUND 10 RESULTS (cont.) Outright Results:

1st Damien Hirst Subaru WRX 33.94 = 13pts 2nd Jason Bartsch Subaru WRX 35.55 = 12pts 3rd Glenn Breugem Subaru WRX 35.75 = 11pts 4th Dylan Butler Subaru WRX 36.33 =10pts 5th Matt Knighton Subaru WRX 36.42 =9pts 6th Brendan Moore Subaru WRX 36.45 =8pts 7th Damien Andersen Subaru WRX 36.52 =7pts 8th Russell Badenoch Subaru Forester XT 36.69 =6pts 9th Mark Gardiner Subaru STI 37.61 = 5pts 10th Tania Langcake Subaru WRX 37.78 = 4pts 11th Hugh Mclaughlin Subaru Liberty GT 38.37 = 3pts 12th Andrew Kemmler Subaru WRX STI 38.38 =2pts 13th Karn Schumacher Subaru WRX 38.96 =1pt

TOTAL COMBINED CC SCORE:

1st Dylan Butler =27pts 1ST ROUND10 WINNER 2nd Damien Hirst = 23pts 3rd Mark Gardiner = 20pts 4th Damien Andersen =19pts 5th Jason Bartsch = 18pts 6th Glenn Breugem = 18pts 7th Matt Knighton =18pts 8th Andrew Kemmler =18pts 9th Russell Badenoch =17pts 10th Brendan Moore =16pts 11th Hugh Mclaughlin = 16pts 12th Karn Schumacher =15pts 13th Tania Langcake = 9pts

Outright Results:

1st Damien Hirst 1m17.88 = 4pts 2nd Jason Bartsch 1m18.37 = 3pts 3rd Dylan Butler 1m24.68 = 2pts 4th Tania Langcake 1m29.74 = 1pt

TOTAL COMBINED CC SCORE: Damien Hirst = 10pts Jason Bartsch = 10pts Tania Langcake = 9pts Dylan Butler = 7pts

Round 12: Willunga Hillclimb

The final round of the S&J Automotive Club Championship is the exciting new tarmac Hill climb up the Old Willunga Hill. A superb event with numerous twisting exciting corners at moderate speed. You wont find a better road event for your WRX! Starting at the bottom off the main street of Willunga and ending up the top of the hill with return road via main south road. There are plenty of great spectator points.

The leader board has tightened close on points with Dylan Butler moving right up between the leaders Bartsch and Hirst and Langcake. Final Round 12 would have been completed as you read this, with final results announced at the annual WRXSA Christmas Lunch. Up for presentation will be award for best new Club Rookie and each Class Winner with S&J vouchers. A runner up to Grand Champion will receive a trophy and A Grand Round 11: Mallala Sprint Champion will be crowned for 2014 with an S&J Third and last Sprint for the year on November 2nd was Mallala with Automotive award of a set of Hankook Tyres! Will fine sunny conditions. 5 entered but Andrew Kemmler couldn’t make Willunga be the deciding result of a Grand Champion his Mallala debut. And with the Sprint being one of three disciplines after the total of nine of your best rounds? Full results in the Club Championship is was a must for those running for Grand Champion. This put Brendan Moore, who couldn’t make it, out of the will be published after WRXSA Christmas presentation. final five runners for the grand prize of a set of Hankook Tyres from S&J Automotive. Great track conditions saw everyone with new Personal Bests and Damien Hirst (99 STI) setting a new WRXSA club record of 1min17.88 seconds! And Jason Bartsch (06 STI) not far behind with 1min18.37! Outstanding times for Real Street registered WRX’s. Unfortunately Hirst popped his trusty motor in the 3rd run and retired early. Tania Langcake (06 WRX) had some overheating issues after a new PB of 1min29.7. Dylan Butler enjoyed his first Mallala run and impressively set a 1min24.6 with his ’02 WRX. Hirst and Bartsch tied on 10 points each and Tania gaining two points over Dylan.

ROUND 11 RESULTS: Personal Best Results:

1st Tania Langcake 1m29.74 / 1m30.94 -1.20 = 8pts 2nd Jason Bartsch 1m18.37 / 1m19.52 -1.15 = 7pts 3rd Damien Hirst 1m17.88 / 1m18.82 -0.94 = 6pts 4th Dylan Butler 1m24.68 / 1m24.78 -0.1 = 5pts

Damien Hirst

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS CLASS RESULTS STANDARD Tania Langcake Hugh McLauglin Karn Schumacher

81 40 15

MODIFIED Jason Bartsch Damien Hirst Brendan Moore Dylan Butler Damien Anderson Russell Badenoch Ben Hersey Andrew Kemmler Glen Breugem Matt Knighton Garry Dodd Nigel McGaffin Seth Coultas Hamish Scott Jarred McGaffin Paul Bugala

108 98 84 84 44 40 38 37 31 29 29 21 18 14 14 9

OPEN / RACE / ASSOCIATE David Rowe

Competitor

RD8

RD9

Jason Bartsch

Damien Hirst

Brendan Moore

Dylan Butler

Tania Langcake

Damien Anderson

Russell Badenoch

Hugh McLauglin Ben Hersey

108

98 84

Matt Knighton Garry Dodd

TOTAL

Andrew Kemmler Glenn Breugem

RD10 RD11 RD12

Nigel McGaffin

David Rowe

Seth Coultas

Karn Schumacher

Jarrad McGaffin

Hamish Scott

Paul Bugala

Welcome New Club

Members! Fellow members please make new members feel welcome at future events. We hope they will enjoy their time in the club, and wish them the very best.

497 Karn Schumacher 498 Damian McGinn 499 Matthew Spriggs 500 Matt Stanton 501 Remo Siciliano 502 Gary Humphries 503 Anthony Schulze 504 Alin Daju 505 Alan Williams 506 Michael Harding Welcome aboard!

We have come to the close of yet another jam packed weekend of getting our cars ready for Rd 11 of the WRXSA club championship so lets take a moment to reflect. With almost perfect conditions at Mallala the day got under way with me taking some hot laps/driver training in the Goose and let me just say that thing is a weapon. Everything Jason told me I forgot when it was my turn to hit the track. But that being said it didn't take me long to find my braking points and before I knew it I was having the time of my life out there chasing down and what not with agroup goal inand mind Not on the list, log Porsches onto the forums or Facebook let us during the week of doing a 1:25/1:26 I was lucky to achieve this in know what you can do! my first session out and then it was time to see how hard I could actually push the Dirtbag. Over the course of the day I managed to keep knocking down my time and ending up finishing with a 1:24.6 so for my first time on lala I'm sure you can all imagine how stoked I was. Without the guidance and hard work of Driven Motorsport none of this would have been possible so a massive thanks to Jon, Megan and Jamie for all their time and work they put in to make my weekend racing antics happen Also thanks to Samantha at Professional Cut & Polish for keeping the Dirtbag not so dirty I must also mention team mate Jason Bartsch for finally getting that 1:18 that we all know was only just around the corner. Congrats to Tania Langcake on yet another PB out there and also Damian Hirst on a flying 1:17.8. We hope to see Damian up and running for the old Willunga hillclimb after blowing his motor. Highlights for the day would have to be having the balls to keep the foot flat through the kink at a buck 85 and OMG how fun is turn 1 oh and last but not least for all the haters of the Goodride Sports RS's they aint that bad. Dylan Butler

Another Feather in the Cap

2014 CARSALES.COM.AU WINNER Best Performance Car Under $100K The Subaru WRX STI remains true to its roots as an engaging and deliciously raw performance car. Real straight-line speed thanks to its bullet-proof turbo boxer engine combine with agile handling – the latter a result of a cleverly-tuned chassis and one of the best all-wheel drive systems in the business – to make this a truly iconic hot four. But more than that, Subaru's latest hero car rates strongly in terms of cost of ownership. The latest model is significantly cheaper and offers a capped-price servicing program for the life of the vehicle. Although it remains uncompromising in some ways, the STI retains its affordable giant-killer tag while also making big strides in terms of interior comfort and convenience. And with four doors, five seats and an ample boot, its practicality is almost unmatched in the category. Feann Torr – carsales.com.au

I wasn't always a Subaru guy. My first car was a manual 1979 Toyota Corona. I scored this with rego for $300 before I had ever actually driven a car, or had a license for that matter. It went well till it finally died and was donated to the emergency services as jaws of life practice. After that it was a shitbox here and there, sold a few and crashed a few. I really fell in love with car audio at first, there was something about bass and stupidly loud systems that inspired me. Then the Fast and the Furious happened. Street racing my then '04 Mitsu magna was life, neons and all lol. 2 kids, a broken engagement, joining the Army and a Mitsu Mirage later and most of my past was put behind me. Fast forward to September 2011... I was sitting down one Wednesday evening with the latest copy of Hot4s, it had a big review of the then MY11 WRX and STI. I instantly fell in love with the WRX, it was something I had to have. I took the Thursday off work to go down to the Subaru dealership with intent to own one. I always wanted a blue WRX, they're iconic.

A few days later I was driving out of the dealership with a brand new (only 6km on the clock) blue MY11 WRX. The mods started flowing after meeting a bloke with a MY12 hatch while I was posted in Darwin. Just little cosmetics at first. Stereo, shift knob, ect. The mod bug bit hard shortly after and I started seriously researching parts for these cars and before long I was rapidly spending my deployment cash on my baby. I dabbled a little in Lap Sprints up in the NT at Hidden Valley while I could before being sent to Afghan but that's about as far as this car has raced so far. I love most racing and if not love, I have a great appreciation for it (moto GP). Looking forward to next years club comp where I hope to participate in all events. I imagine that most reading this now will at least know of my car. For those who don't yet know, the plates are Repeat Offender (RPTFNDR). This isn't based on intent, it's inspired from my old street racing days where I racked up a bunch of traffic infringements. Those days are behind me now and the plates are just a reminder. Someone mentioned WRXSA to me. I can't recall who but I'm glad they did. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of WRXSA thus far. Great people, their cars and the events. I particularly enjoyed the Phillip Island cruise, there was nothing I didn't enjoy that weekend. It's also been a pleasure taking photos for the club, I feel I've really grown as a photographer by getting out to all the race events.

I am a 37 year old car driving instructor, working in this industry for the last 8 years. Studies wise, I completed 3 years as an electrician, equivalent to certificate 4 TAFE, but overseas. I continued in electrical and Refrigeration Prevoc Cert 1 here in Elizabeth, but decided to go a different path. From a young age I was interested in electronics and radio communications, it started in years 3 and 4 at a government club for youth oversees, and later continued in aeromodels. Kids used to call me "the inventor" as I always liked to build things with my hands. My dad was great with his hands working as a maintenance technician in a factory for all his life. I was never interested in cars until 4 years ago when one of my mate's son died in a horrific crash at Elizabeth. After Daniels crash in the Supra I started researching more about it and was keen on buying one and upgrading it. I always preferred tuner cars over muscle, so with that in mind a 1998 TT 2JZ would make sense. So many good components have been placed in that particular model by Toyota especially the Getrag 6 speed German made gear box. However I was setting my goal a little too high on a car that would cost me $30 000+ stock, which made me look at buying my current WRX from a mates son for very little. The state of the car was appalling; everything in the car needed attention. Being used by him as a tradie, tools were thrown all over, dogs sat in the rear seats, you couldn't see a thing through the rear window, broken everything, except the engine and transmission which had 2nd and 3rd gear replaced, I decided that the car needs a little care. I'm not an expert at cars, but I learn fast and I am very pedantic about what I do, so it all started with vacuuming the car. In the process out it came the seats, carpet, trim, windows mechanisms, nothing was left untouched. Rear window took 3 weeks to have the

crackled tint removed. Under the car, apart from gearbox, everything came out, serviced or replaced and painted. Under the bonnet, apart from steering and bell housing, everything had to be either fixed, painted or replaced. The list is ginormous but the main things that I replaced are a VF34 turbo, Process West TMIC, Avo silicone intake, new double size radiator with stainless fan frames, Optima battery, iridium plugs and new ignition wires, new timing belt with water pump, engine rebuilt except the crank and pistons, every pipe has been replaced with either silicone or genuine rubber. ISC coilovers were chosen and I regretted it as soon I drove the car. Unless one buys coilovers proven to work on Aussie roads (Tein), you will ruin your handling. My car is now great at skipping, not handling corners anymore. I had major issues with the clutch as it needed flushing and adjustment as well as the power steering. I was so excited about the electrical work that I paid the electrician in advance; but when the car was returned I had nothing but issues with it. So all in all the Sexy Rexy project has been an exciting process, but a difficult and long one (2 years). At this stage there is a story behind every part of the car and it's not over yet. Above all it was, and still is a therapeutic project helping me recover from a long anxiety and depression episode I've been battling with. I enjoy tinkering on my WRX together with my mate Chris, who was a diesel mechanic in the Airforce for 18 years. Monica, my wife, has been supporting my hobby for the last few years to which I can only be grateful.

33 15

“The White Knight”

from a dealer this was foreign to me. I googled them on the Monday, wrote an email wondering if they were looking for any new mechanics. Turns out they were because one of the guys gave his resignation a week earlier! Right place right time! So come January 2015 I would have been with Sean and Jo for 10 years. Needless to say I love my job and the people I work for and with. We are a family more than a work team. Loving what you do shows in your Met my wife Kelly at Birdwood High School, we are high school sweet workmanship and helps you achieve more at work. hearts! We moved to Modbury together before moving back to the We are all similar people at work which helps when we all treat the Hills in Mt barker to raise our family of 3 Boys. Current ages are Ryan 8, Liam 5 and Mason 2. Kelly and I have been married 10 years customer’s car like it is our own. I have the privilege to be Sean’s but been together for 18 years. As you all well know owning a Subaru right hand man as well as be a part of Dan and soon Brad’s motorsport career’s. I serviced for Sean and Jo when they rallied is a lifestyle, she has put up with A LOT! their Legacy RSR Rally car and also for Dan while he rallied with the SARC and the ARC in his GC8 and MY06 STi Spec C. Travelling across Out of school I worked at Lobethal abattoirs for 4 years before Australia Service crewing these rallies is an adventure I will never deciding that I wanted to be a mechanic, after going to an Adelaide Motor Show back in 1999. Why did I want to be a mechanic? Because forget. These days I only have the time to play a background role in Team DDR and the V8 Super car. I had no idea about cars what so ever and I wanted to change that. I did my apprenticeship through the MTA Group Training Scheme working at 2 small general mechanical workshops before ending up at North East Mitsubishi. During my 3rd year apprenticeship I became the workshop controller and finished up my 4th year in the same role. Starting at the start… Born 24/10/1979 – proud to be a product of the 70’s!! Born in Naracoorte SA. Moved to Para hills when I was 6 months old. Moved to a small country town, Robertstown in the mid north SA when I was 7. Moved to Berri when I was 13. Moved to my family home town Lobethal when I was 15.

I was getting sick of this role and was going to move into new car sales, but Kelly’s Christmas show in 2014 changed that. I was sitting next to one of Kelly’s work mates, who happened to own a WRX. He is also a good mate of mine from this as well. As we got talking about cars he mentioned a place called S&J Automotive and the way he spoke about them made me curious how a customer could have so much passion about the workshop that worked on his car. Coming

“Burney”

I have had a range of cars as follows: Nissan Bluebird, Toyota corolla TE18, VB Commodore, VN Commodore, 2 x Suzuki Swift GTi, Nissan 180SX SR20DET, and Ford laser TX3, Ford Territory and 4 WRX Hatches. The Commodore’s got the usual mods – Rear muffler delete, king super low springs and a K&N intake. The GTi was the first car I seriously modified while I was an apprentice – Full exhaust, springs, koni shocks, swaybar, K&N intake, Group A Cams, port and polished head, match ported inlet manifold and extractors. 2008 - White MY97 WRX Hatch aka original White Knight. VF23 – Hyperflow Billet Top Mount Intercooler – Custom 3” inlet pipe – parallel fuel rails – Malpassi fuel pressure reg – Turbosmart fuel cut defender – GFB Atomic boost bleed – APS CAI – PPG S/C 1-2 H/C 3-4 Gearbox – 200 KW ATW – MY00 WRX wheels powder coated white

“The White Knight MK1”

2012 - Blue MY03 WRX Hatch. Std apart from rear muffler and Ecutek it didn’t even get tuned! Had to sell due to couldn’t sell the family car the Territory. 2013 - Blue MY05 WRX Hatch aka Burney. VF34 – Injectors – Custom 3” hard inlet – Custom CAI – MRT TMIC – Custom Exhaust from MRT Collector to Jun Bl muffler – Ecutek 98 and e 85 tunes – 215 & 230 KW ATW – Whiteline rear sway bar, front and rear links, super low springs, positive shift kit and ALK – MYT13 WRX wheels powder coated white. 2013 - White MY04 WRX Hatch – MY05 WRX update interior – VF34 – Injectors – Custom 3” hard inlet – Custom CAI – MRT TMIC – Custom exhaust into MRT TR muffler with STi Tip – Ecutek 98 & e85 tunes – 220 & 235 KW ATW – Whiteline rear sway bar, front and rear links, super low springs, positive shift kit and ALK – Sedan front guards – STi Side Skirts – Prodrive front bar – Carbon fibre mirrors – Custom projector Bi-Xenon retrofitted blacked out headlights – Sedan alloy control arms – BBS LM Replica 18x9” rims with 235/40/18 Goodride RS. I bought Burney with blown head gaskets, soon found out the heads had been toasted! Bought a cheap motor that had been in a torched car (hence Burney) and put all the good bits onto that motor. I detailed the engine bay and engine while it was out with who knows how many cans of wrinkle paint! I spend many long nights at the workshop after hours getting Burney up and running as I had given myself a deadline to get it done. I would start at 5 after work then get home at 12am get a bit of sleep then head back to work for my 6am start to do it all again. This car was a labour of love, so I was devastated when it was written off after I was the meat in a 5 car pileup. So more long days and I stripped Burney and converted it back to standard before the insurance company took it away. Now to find a new car. I had my mind set on a blue MY03-05 Hatch again. Jarrad came along for the drive as we looked at all the blue hatches for sale on carsales.com. Then we decided to look at the white one that I wasn’t at all keen on because it was too “rice” with its black roof and scoop and chrome aftermarket headlights. But on inspection it was MINT original apart from a few things I could change. So back to late night’s (this time I even had a couple sleep overs at the workshop!) putting all the good bits back onto what is now “The White Knight”, but I also had the opportunity to add a few more things to make it my dream car! Sedan front end with Prodrive front bar and blacked out projector headlights were another late night job. The projector headlights took no less than 4 month from when I decided to do it to when they were finally installed.

I love Subaru’s and I love the Subaru culture. When I first started at S&J the subie culture was big and WRXSA was a HUGE part of that. I have seen it fall by the way side a little bit but I am happy that it has taken off again and has gotten even bigger and better! Being a part of it as both a member and rep for S&J is extremely rewarding. I have had the chance to make a whole heap of new friends and spend time with a great bunch of guys and girls who are kindred spirits. I am hoping to start doing some motorsport events when family life is less hectic, that will happen right?? I look forward to spending more time with you all at future events and cruising with a great bunch of people with a fantastic mix of cars! Shane Sickerdick

WRXSA Motorsport Advice

CAMS Disciplines AUTOTEST EVENTS: A good place to start out is a non-speed event; these are generally easier on the car while still testing the ability of the driver. Motorkhana and Khanacross events are held regularly around Adelaide and are usually the cheapest events to compete in. Motorkhana This is an event designed to test the acceleration, braking and general manoeuvrability of the vehicles and the skill and judgment of the driver. In Adelaide Motorkhana events are regularly held on both dirt and sealed surfaces, however I would only recommend a dirt Motorkhana if you do not care about stone chips (or worse) appearing on your pride and joy. They are generally held on fairly rough, gravelly surfaces. I have seen in some states Motorkhana’s that have been run on softer, grassier areas but recently at least there hasn’t been anything like that here in Adelaide. If you are interested in giving a Dirt Khanacross a go the Southern Districts Car Club run regular events at their new Mid Murray Motorplex.

The “Cloverleaf” Motorkhana Test Layout

So your car is ready, you have got your CAMS license and you are ready to go! Where to start? Here is a list of some of the different CAMS disciplines that you can take part in along with various events around Adelaide where you can try them out.

Sam Jongenelis in action at the Mallala skid pan Motorkhana

most Motorkhana’s here are organised by the Porsche Club of SA (who also run the current Club Championship Supersprint events). The new SA Motorsport Park will also include facilities for Motorkhana events but we will have to wait until at least late 2016 to have a go there. Motorkhana is a great option if you are just starting out as it doesn’t require a helmet or much else in the way of other non-standard safety equipment. The only trick is remembering where to go. Khanacross A competition conducted on unsealed surfaces, bitumen or a combination of both and involving a series of timed tests of various layouts. No straight section of the course may exceed 100 metres in length without a turn of at least 90°.

Sealed Motorkhana events are usually held at either the Big W Distribution Centre in Monarto or at the Mallala Skid Pan. An event consists of a number of tests (usually around 6) that range from simple to extremely complex. The challenge comes from remembering which way to go. Monarto is a concrete surface and hosts the State Championship rounds run by various South Australian Car Clubs. It has room for 2 cars to compete the tests side by side which makes for some very interesting competitive match ups and what’s more these are the cheapest events to compete in, usually no more than $50.

Khanacross events are held regularly around Adelaide and like Motorkhana’s are held on both dirt and sealed surfaces. Unlike Motorkhana where you are unlikely to get out of first gear, Khanacross will probably see you get up to speeds that require 3rd gear and potentially 4th depending on your ratios. Along with the Southern District Car Club, the Walkerville All Cars Club also hosts dirt Khanacross events.

Mallala is usually a bit more expensive due to the venue hire charges but it is a good setup with a good quality asphalt surface,

The only sealed Khanacross events in Adelaide are known by another name, “OzGymkhana” and run by Ultimate

Dan Day Dirtkhana rally practice Motorsport Events (UME). These events only started running at the end of 2012 but have become quite popular, particularly among WRXSA club members. The combination of technical challenge and moderate speed create an exciting event that WRX’s are well suited for (WRXSA members Garry Dodd and Brendan Moore won the last 2 events outright and at the time of writing this Garry is in a very good position to win the State Championship). Thanks to the antics of Ken Block it has also become popular overseas with Gymkhana Grid Events run in Europe and America. The difference with these events appears to be that only a single layout is used for a whole weekend, where here the layout changes almost every run. Khanacross events generally require the same safety equipment (helmet, fire extinguisher, full length clothes, etc.) as Supersprints and Hillclimbs.

The track itself is 750 metres of challenging asphalt, climbing nearly 70 metres from the start line to the finish. For spectators the track offers numerous great vantage points and picnic areas. Events are held throughout the year including the South Australian Hillclimb Championship and come & try days for beginners to familiarise themselves with the course. This year the Collingrove Club Championship rounds have been very popular with members, this is set to continue next year so if you are interested keep an eye on the coming events.

Legend of the Lakes: The Legend of the Lakes Hillclimb is a 3 day event held in early November and this year was the 8th time the event has been run. As one of the state’s premiere Hillclimb events it attracts competitors from interstate on a regular basis, and is also arguably the most picturesque. The closed road course starts at the base of the Valley Lake volcanic crater (adjacent to the Blue Lake, Mount Gambier) and climbs up and out via Davison Drive before turning onto Elliott Drive at the top. The main pit area is set in relaxing parklands with lots of shade that makes it very easy for spectators & competitors to enjoy the show. The course on the other hand is a much more nail biting experience. The first few corners feel very technical & claustrophobic when compared to Collingrove or Mount Alma, due to the number of crash barriers and lack of runoff room. The top of the course opens up a lot more and if you have the power you can build up quite a bit of speed. One of the fastest Subaru drivers up the hill is Damien Brand who achieved a time of 54.96 seconds in 2014 which was enough to give him 6th outright.

Willunga Hill Climb: In an effort to make the 2013 Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally financially viable, 2013 saw the introduction of the Willunga Hillclimb, the longest hillclimb in SA. Utilising the Willunga Hill Road Closure and run in conjunction with the Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally the event generated a lot of interest with a full field of drivers and lots of spectators. After the success of the first event and the cancelation of the 2014 Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally even more people were looking forward to its second running in November. Entries filled up fast and look out for a full run down of this years event next issue. Future Hillclimbs? Wickham’s Hill: After the success of the Willunga Hillclimb the organisers are keen to run another hillclimb to make up for the loss of the Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally. Nothing has been finalised yet but Whickam’s Hill has been suggested, pending council approval of course. Like Willunga Hill it is an exciting piece of road and has always been a popular Rally Stage in the Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally.

Alan Driver about to launch up Mt Alma

Mt Alma Mile: Held over 2 days each April in the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula district of Hindmarsh Valley next year (2015) will be the 7th running of the Mount Alma Mile Hillclimb. The 1.6km track (closed road) plays host to a field of up to 160 competitors. The Mount Alma Mile Hillclimb combines times from all runs to rank the competitors, this system rewards consistent drivers with reliable vehicles, as one wrong move or a mechanical failure could put you out of the running. Spectators also get to see each car attempt the maximum number of runs.

Seth Coultas at Legend of the Lakes 2009

Damien Hirst taking the first corner at Collingrove

SPEED EVENTS: Hillclimb By definition a hillclimb is an event where each automobile takes the start individually to cover the same course ending with a finish line situated at a greater altitude than the start line. In South Australia there are a number of popular hillclimbs that club members can take part in: Collingrove: A private track owned and operated by the Sporting Car Club of South Australia located in the Barossa Valley. It is situated approximately 7km south of Angaston off the Angaston > Mt Pleasant Rd and has been in operation since the early 1950's.

The old SDCC Lanac Park Circuit, popular for Autocross

SPEED EVENTS Continued... Sprint (Drags): An event on a sealed or unsealed surface, usually conducted on a permanent circuit, track or dragway. If you want to hit there strip in Adelaide the most popular option is the Adelaide International Raceway (AIR). Located on Port Wakefield Road, Virginia it has been in operation since 1972 and regular “Street to Strip” events are held here. So if you want to see what your car can do over the ¼ this is probably the best place to go. Some events are also run out at Tailem Bend but generally only allow a single car to run at a time (for now at least).

Currently the only track near Adelaide for supersprints is Mallala, various clubs and groups run events there with the WRXSA club championship rounds run by the Porsche Club South Australia.

Turn 1 at Mallala

Supersprint A multiple vehicle speed event conducted on a suitably-licensed sealed circuit in which a maximum of two vehicles may start simultaneously. After a suitable interval, additional vehicles in pairs or singularly may start. The maximum number of vehicles permitted on the track at any one time for a Supersprint is determined by the track itself (noted the Track Licence). Overtaking between vehicles is permitted but competitive “racing” between vehicles is not permitted. Elapsed times and not relative positions at the finish line determine event placing’s.

There has been one resent exception however, as part of the 2014 Adelaide Motorsport Festival opened up a portion of the Victoria Park / Clipsal Circuit to a select number of racers. Considering the success of the event there is a very good chance that we will see it return in 2015, hopefully giving more people access to this nice little course. This SA track monopoly is set to be shaken with the development of the SA Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend. While we are still waiting on the final track layout to be announced we have been told that it will be a fast and flowing 5km course featuring multiple configurations including the option for it to operate as two completely independent tracks. On top of this there will be a Group 1 drag strip, burnout pad, rally track, 4WD adventure park and go kart circuit. This new facility is scheduled to have its first race meeting before the end of 2015.

Autocross Autocross is a type of event involving timed laps of an earth, grass, gravel or similar circuit (although some sealed surfaces may be included when the event is conducted on a permanent circuit) by day or night or both. Being timed over a distance of more than 200 metres, it falls within the definition of a “speed event”, but racing as such is not permitted in Autocross. However, for convenience, it is permitted to have up to three cars on the circuit at the one time, provided that the circuit is of adequate length and that they are widely spaced, separately started and individually timed. The only Adelaide Autocross events are run by the Southern Districts or Walkerville All Car Clubs. These are all dirt / gravel based and if you have a suitable car it can be an exciting day (and night!) of racing and is a good introduction to Rally Sprints and the like.

Rallycross A speed event conducted on a combination of sealed and unsealed surfaces as part of a permanent circuit. Each competing automobile shall be separately timed, the winner being determined by the lowest individual time recorded in one event or the lowest aggregate time over a predetermined number of heats.

Race A competition held on a closed circuit between two or more automobiles, running at the same time on the same course, in which the result is determined either by the order in which the automobiles cross the finish line after completing the specified number of laps, or by the distance covered in the specified time.

Rallycross is currently very popular in Europe and increasing in popularity in America. The difference being that, at the National / International level events at least, drivers complete directly against each other in a typical competitive race environment.

If you would like to step things up a notch and go wheel to wheel with fellow drivers currently the only place to compete in race events around Adelaide is Mallala. If you’re interested in finding out how to get started the Sporting Car Club of SA run a number of different series’ that might be suitable.

The tight courses, that usually include some significant jumps and strong competition, tend to mean that the cars suffer quite a beating making it a great spectator sport (definitely worth a watch if you have a few minutes to kill on YouTube). The Top Gear boys have even done an episode where they each entered a budget priced car into a grassroots level event that was also run like a circuit race and they had a ball! In Australia Rallycross used to be quite popular back in the 70’s and in 1979 Tailem Bend hosted the first (and last) CAMS sanctioned Australian Rallycross Championship. In some exciting new news it has been announced that the sport is set to return in 2015 with the introduction of the Global Rallycross Championship Australia. Stay tuned for more details on that!

Rally A road event which is run entirely or partly on roads normally open to traffic. A “rally” usually consists of a single itinerary which must be followed by all automobiles. The route may include one or several special stages, that is events organised on roads closed to normal traffic, and which together determine the general classification of the rally. The SA Rally Championship covers a range of dirt / gravel road events held over the year all over the State; these events require the cars and drivers to adhere to strict safety requirements (such as roll cages) so competing in a road car is not usually feasible.

Tarmac Rallies also generally have strict safety requirements (for good reason) however there are some class exceptions. The Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally (AHTR) has run a Touring Class in the past that limited the maximum speed of competitors to 130km/h, the upside was that safety requirements were more or less the same as what is required for hillclimbs and track days. If anyone is interested in getting a taste of tarmac rallying this is a great entry point, having acted as lead car for this class in the 2013 AHTR I cannot recommend this enough! There are also other forms of rallies that eliminate the element of speed altogether. Touring Assemblies & Touring Road Events are organised with the object of assembling participants at a point settled beforehand. Similar to our regular club cruises all relevant road laws must be adhered to but the event can be spiced up by adding economy or observation tests to the mix. Touring Road Events also include at least one special speed or skill test not carried out on open roads (such as motorkhana, navigation, khanacross, auto test or average speed). These events do not appear to be particularly popular in SA but some clubs do occasionally run observation or economy cruises. Seth Coultas

Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally 2011

Damien Brand showing excellent car control

The Subaruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have once again asserted their dominance over OzGymkhana at Tailem Bend in the final round of the 2014 State Championship and only National Competition Round. While the field was a little smaller than usual with 30 cars, it included 15 of the top 16 point scorers in the 2014 Championship, meaning there was still a lot of very skilled driving to enjoy.

but that did not eventuate. While it opened the completion up for the rest of the drivers it was disappointing to see the only interstate driver fail to finish, especially when it is such an impressive car to watch.

At the start of the 2 day event it looked like the previous National Champion Zac Edwards in his Evo Mirage (Mirevo?) would once again be the driver to beat as on the very first test he got the fastest time and was a good second and a half ahead of Garry Dodd in second place. This pattern continued through the first day of racing with Zac getting the fastest times on 5 of the first 7 tests, and was 3rd fastest on the other 2 tests. Unfortunately for Zac mechanical issues meant that he had to bow out of the competition before the end of day 1; there was some talk of the car getting some late night repairs and coming back for day 2

Zac Edwards while the car was still in action

Jason Bartsch sliding the GOOSE

Garry had to switch to the TREX after breaking a drive shaft

The first few tests also demonstrated that there would be some tough competition for the remaining top 8 shootout positions behind the favourites Garry Dodd & Damien Brand (their times were considerably faster than the rest of us). In the first test there was barely a second and a half separating 3rd and 11th placing. Damien Brand (who has just signed up as a member at the time of writing this), had a couple of sketchy runs over the weekend but was consistently first or second fastest and definitely earned his 1st place position going into the shootout, and carrying that through to the outright placing. Garry Dodd had a great day on Saturday never slower than 3rd fastest and sitting first outright at the end of the day; but a broken drive shaft early on Sunday almost put him out of competition. Luckily his fiancée Talitha came to the rescue lending him her WRX (which he also drove to victory in the National Motorkhana Championship this year). It only took a couple of tests and some furious swapping of wheels for Garry to get the feel for the car again, quickly getting into the top 10 on each test and even got back up to 2nd fastest on the final test before the shootout. Thanks to a healthy time gap that Garry had earned on Saturday, even with all the dramas he never dropped below 2nd outright and this is where he stood going into the State shootout gaining him the MOD 4WD 3500+ Class win. He held that pace into the 1st stage of the shootout but then went the wrong way in the 2nd stage relegating him to 4th.

beat me on a good number of tests it was my higher average placing that kept him at bay going into the shootout and allowing me a chance to contest the National title. Going into the 1st stage of the shootout I knew that I would have to push to get into the top 4 and in doing so I got a little too close to a barrel and eared my very first OzGymkhana penalty. I wasn’t too upset because even without the extra 5 seconds I would not have had the pace to keep up with the top 4 drivers, but it did sting a little. Being pushed down to 6th place gave Brendan the opportunity to nip past me, but he wasn’t able to make it past the 1st stage either and ended in 5th place outright.

Despite a couple of mistakes early on Saturday Brendan Moore had some cracking runs especially at the end of the day with his last 3 runs 2nd or 3rd fastest. My fastest runs might not have been as quick as some of Brendan’s but I was able to keep my times consistent and going into Sunday there was only a second between us. This lead to a very interesting second day of racing where we would continue to go toe to toe with our 2 very different driving styles. While my goal is to keep things clean and smooth, Brendan demonstrated that there is a lot of fun and speed to be found amongst tyre smoke and tight hand brake turns. While he was able to

Keeping it clean and smooth Photo By: MWP Sports Photography

Brendan enjoying the smell of burning rubber!

Jason Bartsch definitely found his rhythm early and on the very first test he made his presence known by getting a time that was 3rd fastest! He was able to keep that pace going for most of the tests staying in the top 10 outright all day Saturday and then improved on Sunday with another 3rd fastest test followed by 2 runs where he was 2nd fastest each time. This saw him climb up to 5th outright for the shootout and then in the first 2 stages of that he managed the 2 fastest times! He was beaten in the final stage of the shootout by a determined Damien Brand who somehow found 4 seconds of improvement on the last run to win the event; but Jason was still happy to walk away with 2nd place outright. Considering Ben Hersey hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had a lot of OzGymkhana experience he did extremely well, rounding out the WRXSA contingent of the Top 8 Shootout in 6th place. Ben was very receptive to tips and put them to good use with most of his times in the top 10 and even managed 2nd fastest on two separate tests on the Sunday. Unfortunately he got relegated to 7th outright in the shootout but it was still a top drive.

National Shootout: The National results were determined by a 2 run final between the top 3 drivers after run 19. This meant it was Damien Brand against Garry Dodd and myself (an all WRXSA final!). While there were plenty of chances for mistakes across the 2 difficult tests everyone stayed clean, quick and consistent meaning that the each of us maintained our positions; meaning I got 3rd, Garry claimed 2nd and Damien won 1st place. Everyone worked hard all weekend (including all the volunteers running the event) and all results were well earned. Even better there were two all WRX podiums (Event & National Comp) to cap off an amazing year of OzGymkhana!

Against some very stiff competition (and despite a couple of penalties) Dylan Butler still managed a very commendable 13th position outright. At one stage he was as high as 10th place thanks to some good runs including one where he was 4th fastest!

Dylan Butlers â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dirt Bagâ&#x20AC;? living up to its name

Things god a little wild at the end of Saturday! Photo By: MWP Sports Photography

State Championship Results: After the previous 4 rounds of competition the State Championship came down to the wire with Garry Dodd holding a 1 point lead over Damien Brand. With Damien storming to victory in the final and taking the maximum 58 points he also claimed the State Championship title. Garry Dodd was left with a hard earned second place while 3rd went to Brendan Moore, an amazing effort for his first season of OzGymkhana! So in summary the top 3 cars were a 2 door STI, a WRX and a WRX wagon, go WRXSA and Subaru! In the AWD Class Championships it was Subaru’s as far as the eye can see, with no signs of an EVO or Nissan. In Standard 4WD it was 2 ladies, Michelle Green and Tania Langcake (WRXSA) that got 1st and 2nd and because he started the year in the standard class Brendan Moore won 3rd. Winners are grinners, our National OzGymkhana Champions are Damian Brand (1st), Garry Dodd (2nd) & Seth Coultas (3rd)

“Huge thanks to UME and all of the officials that made this weekend so smooth and enjoyable. See you next year!” Ben Hersey

Modified 4WD up to 3500cc was a WRXSA whitewash with the win going to Dylan Butler with good results across 4 rounds. 2 class wins saw me gain 2nd place; and again, because he started the season in Standard Class, 3rd place went to Brendan Moore. It is worth noting that 4th and 5th places went to fellow WRXSA members Ben Hersey & Hamish Scott and with 14 drivers contesting this class it was far and away the most popular. With 4 class wins Garry Dodd took out the Modified 4WD over 3500cc followed by Jason Bartsh who had his results spread over 3 different classes (that’s what happens when you upgrade and build your car up over a year). Finally it was Damien Brand who convincingly won the Race / Rally Drift 4WD up to 3500cc. Article by: Seth Coultas Photos by Felicity Wood, MWP Sports Photography & Dale Ireland

This year’s World Time Attack Challenge took place at the Sydney Motorsport Park on the 17th, 18th and 19th of October. For those not familiar this is an event that started out as an annual National Time Attack event in 2008. From there interest and participation in the format grew, organiser saw an opportunity to create an event on a scale previously unseen in time attack competition. The idea was to create a truly international event where the best time attack teams from around the world could compete directly against each other, and not just represent their respective tuning houses, but also their country; and gain the glory of being crowned World Time Attack Champion.

The Subaru’s had reasonable representation, particularly in the Clubsprint Class with 4 cars. There were only 3 in the OPEN Class and none in the PRO.

The inaugural World Time Attack Challenge was held in 2014 at Eastern Creek Raceway, and was a great success, attracting teams from USA & Japan. Each year the lap times fall and attendance grows, this has been attributed to the relative affordability of the sport, at least compared to other forms of motorsport. While creating a PRO level car is not cheap, the lower level Clubsprint & Open classes give Club level racers a chance to compete on the World Stage alongside international superstars. For anyone temped by all this bear in mind that entry fees start at $899, and a full weekend spectator pass is $100.

The winner of the event and this year’s World Time Attack Champion was Garth Walden driving the Tilton Racing EVO to a time of 1:24.8412.

David Lord from Tunehouse Racing managed second fastest in Clubsprint with a time of 1:40.604 only 0.633 seconds behind the 1st place Evo. The fastest Subaru there was the Car Mods Racing WRX, driven by Nev Scott who managed a time of 1:34.705 netting him 13th place in the OPEN Class.

For comparison the current V8 supercar lap record is 1:30.9123 set by Garth Tander in 2012. The fastest GT Sports Cars driver is Jack Le Brocq with a time of 1:27.9783 in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. The only cars with comparable times are the likes of the Formula Threes & Formula Holden’s with lap records of 1:22.629 & 1:22.5131 respectively.

Brendon Paynting (1st Place) The WRX’s have once again shown themselves to be kings of the dirt! Last year the championship was run here in This year’s Australian Khanacross championship took place at the Adelaide and it was Michael Clements in Bagshot Raceway in Bendigo, Victoria; and top honours went to another WRX that was the fastest. Brendon Paynting in his red classic. Brendon finished the 2 day event Seth Coultas less than 10 seconds ahead of fellow Victorian Brad Hall in another Photos by Tanya Hardiman WRX. Third was taken by Barry Nowell in a buggy but the rest of the (Bendigo Car Club) top 5 were also WRX’s driven by John Hardiman and Colin Wright.

1998 GC8 Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement The Twister cruise could have been more fun for me if we only would This is what it looks like once secured: have not forgotten to dent the hub-nut after tightening it to 137fp. Here's what it looked like after some strange noise coming from left rear of the car like when the pads are grabbing the disc.

The other pad was a pain in the backside to hold still, so I had to be creative to hold it in place, so I can have my hands free. So I took the hub off, bought another brand new bearing from a retailer for $80 and had it pressed in by my mate at work for free. Beers coming thru for him!

Placed the hub back in, done up tight all bolts except wheel alignment till the end. The pain was attaching the handbrake pads. Unless you have an extra pair of hands, I HIGHLY recommend using some sort of a clamp to keep those pads in place till you secure them with the spring/washer/nail like thing. That's how it looks like one is in place .

Next thing is sliding in that black spacer with the spring, don't forget about it.

Job nearly done.

Disc and calliper back in. I had to place the adjuster the wrong way around as I did the same to the other side so they need now to be tighten by sliding it downwards rather than upwards.

AND FOREMOST, DON'T FORGET THE HUB-NUT DONE UP TO 137FP TORQUE AND DENTED SO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE NUT IS DENTED IN AND GOING NOWHERE. Upper springs and the retaining washer .

I used a punch for this one. TIP: Don't be a knob head and buy brand new hub-nuts for at least $20 each on special order from retailers, but simply swap left to right rear to rear and front to front. It'll work perfectly. Alin Daju

20 Years of the WRX

Celebrating 20 years of the Australian WRX I think that it is safe to say that if you are reading this then chances are the WRX needs no introduction, it is the car we all know and love but how well do you know its pedigree? For those new to the scene you might have a vague idea where it all started and I will try to fill in some of the blanks; for the veterans among us this may serve as a trip down memory lane and who knows you may even find some interesting titbits you weren’t aware of.

For Rally Team Australia Peter ‘Possum’ Bourne led the charge, dominating the Australian Rally Championship, winning 7 years in a row from 1996 to 2002 before he passed away in April 2003. Cody Crocker continued the Subaru dominance with 3 more championship wins in 2003, 2004 & 2005. Together they won 10 straight years of Drivers Championships and 8 Manufacturer titles (1998-2005) helping to cement the cult following here in Australia that the WRX has attained.

The WRX name is derived from World Rally, as it grew from rally inspired technology; and while there doesn’t seem to be definitive agreement, it is widely noted that the X stands for eXperimental. The first WRX was available in Japan from November 1992 and included rally like all wheel drive, stiffened suspension and turbo charged four cylinder engines. It also became available in the stripped down WRX Type RA version that was targeted directly and race and rally market. In order to save weight the RA versions did away with unnecessary components such as soundproofing, electric windows, air conditioning and anti-lock brakes; and added features like more robust engines, driver controlled centred differentials and shorter gearing ratios. The popularity of the WRX grew with the success of the car on the World Rally Stage. The Subaru World Rally Team first debuted the WRX at the 1993 Rally Finland, the Prodrive developed Group A Impreza rally car, known as the Impreza 555 performed well and finished 2nd. The first event win came in 1994 when Carlos Sainz joined the team and took out the Acropolis Rally in Greece. McRae also gained wins at New Zealand and Great Britain. In all the Subaru World Rally Team won the manufacturers’ championship 3 times (1995, 1996 & 1997) and Drivers Championship 3 times (1995, 2001 & 2003). The momentum was difficult to maintain however and following 2 disappointing seasons in 2006 & 2007 the team withdrew from WRC competition at the end of 2008.

Peter “Possum” Bourne - Rally Queensland 1998 Photo by: Falcadore

The distinctive blue & yellow 555 livery comes from a sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a cigarette brand popular in Asia.

Petter Solberg - 2007 Wales Rally Great Brittan - Photo by: Darren Teagles

Gary Brown - Wattle Range Rally - Photo by: Frank Kutsche

1st Generation “Classic” WRX 1994 - 2000 MY 94-00 - Engine Details: 2.0L Boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 155-160kW@5600-6000rpm and 270-290Nm@4000-4800rpm. 0-100 km/h = 5.6-6.6 seconds

consecutive numbers. Mechanical improvements over the WRX included blueprinted performance-tuned engines, transmissions and suspension.

It wasn’t until February 1994 that the first WRX arrived in Australia and with the combination of All Wheel Drive and a 155kW 2.0 litre turbo charged engine it quickly gained a reputation as a giant killer. Consistently pitted against much more expensive and exotic cars it never failed to impress. The rear spoiler, bonnet scoop and front driving lights gave it enough character to separate it from the rather plain looking Impreza.

To celebrate their 3rd World Rally Championship and mark their 40th anniversary (tracing back to the introduction of the 360 in 1958), Subaru created a special 2 door, wide body edition of the WRX called the 22B. Iconic among diehard Subaru fans, there were only 400 produced for the Japanese market, with an additional 25 exported around the world, only 5 of these were allocated to Australia.

There were some minor cosmetic changes over the years and when you are trying to spot the differences look out for the things like the single cross bar on the front grill for the 94-96 models with a more open design MY97 onwards. Wheel sizes increased from 15 inches to 16 inches on the MY98, and 5 spoke wheels became 6 spoke on the MY00. The two ‘bars’ adjacent to the driving lights become one on the MY99 onwards and the MY99 also changed the brakes from 2-pot to 4-pot callipers. Other changes to the MY00 include the biggest rear wing and colour coded door handles and mirrors.

This truly special car featured a 2.2L engine, widened fenders, lowered Bilstein suspension and a WRC influenced front facia and adjustable rear wing giving the 22B the looks to match its Power wise there were no big increases in the WRX models, growing performance potential. from 155-160kw but the 0-100m times did fluctuate a bit because of The sticker price was around $125,000, weight gains due mainly to increases in structural rigidity and approximately 3 times additional safety features (such as dual airbags in the MY99 more than a regular onwards). All WRX sold up to the year 2000 carry either the GC8 WRX but this didn’t chassis code for sedans or GF8 for the hatchback. The upgraded Subaru Tecnica International (STI) models were delivered to Australia stop the entire stock selling within 2 days. in limited quantities from 1999 onwards and each is marked with

2nd Generation WRX 2000 - 2007 The “Bug Eye” 00 - 02 The “Peanut” 03 - 05 MY 00-02 - Engine Details: 2.0L Boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 160kW@5600rpm and 292Nm@3600rpm. 0-100 km/h = 6.2 seconds

MY 03-05 - Engine Details: 2.0L Boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 168kW@6000rpm and 300Nm@3600rpm. 0-100 km/h = 5.7 seconds

The 1st generation WRX was always going to be a hard act to follow, so Subaru played it safe, building on the strengths of the old car and addressing some of the issues that became apparent over the last 8 years of production. High on the list of improvements was structural rigidity, this was done to make the car strong enough to take on the toughest WRC stages. This strength came at the cost of additional weight, approximately 150kg, impacting on the cars agility; but on the up side according to reviews it also improved the refinement, ride comfort and even noise levels inside the car.

Responding to the criticisms of the ‘bug-eye’ look Subaru introduced a facelift in 2003 that went for more elongated headlights that gave the car a more aggressive front end. The redesign was carried out by Peter Stevens who had worked on WRC rally cars previously. It was well received and combined with some additional punch under the hood resulted in increased sales; just what Subaru was hoping for. There were minimal changes over the next few years but sales remained strong thanks to minor improvements along with strong WRC results.

Visually the expected elements were there, strong lines, bonnet mounted scoop, driving lights, and rear wing. However the body designer Mamoru Ishii also introduced a rather radical change with the large round headlights, these generated some rather strong negative reactions even before the car hit showrooms; but over time the look has grown on a lot of people, especially the STi.

The “Hawkeye” 06 - 07

Cabin comfort was another area that got some attention, the internal space was 21mm wider and headroom was increased by 30mm. Height adjustable seats were also a welcome addition. While it may not have had as strong sales the second generation WRX received strong critical acclaim with Wheels magazine crowning it “Car of the Year”. The MY02 model got some shorter gear ratios to improve acceleration but apart from that there were no significant changes.

MY 06-07 - Engine Details: 2.5L Boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 169kW@5600rpm and 320Nm@3600rpm. 0-100 km/h = 5.9 seconds The MY06 model not only saw another facelift but also the replacement long standing 2.0 litre engine with a 2.5 litre version. While there was no real increase in power the new engine provided more torque and it was accessible lower in the rev range. The new front end design brought the Impreza in line with other models in the Subaru family. The design included three sections of mesh grille, which was said to resemble a jet intake and wings, paying homage to the origins of Subaru in the Nakajima Aircraft Company.

3rd Generation WRX 2008 - 2014 The “Betty” 08 - 14 MY 08 - Engine Details: 2.5L Boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 169kW@5200rpm and 320Nm@2800rpm. 0-100 km/h = 5.8 seconds MY 09-14 - Engine Details: 2.5L Boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 195kW@6000rpm and 343Nm@4000rpm. 0-100 km/h = 5.3 seconds The MY08 WRX came with an all new design, bringing with it new levels of safety, comfort, features and value. The 2.5 litre engine got a new turbo charger for improved mid-range performance. But as with the previous introduction of an all new generation there was controversy over the looks of the car, particularly in relation to the fact that the new model was only available as a hatchback. It was a 12 month wait until the sedan arrived, and with it a significant increase in performance.

This additional power was a direct response to what the completion was doing, there was an increasing trend towards more powerful hatchbacks and it was eating into the market that the WRX had traditionally occupied. Another significant change was that the door windows were now full framed, reducing wind noise at high speed.

After their withdrawal from the WRC and considering the tough financial times it was unsurprising that sales started to dwindle. To many it seemed that the WRX had lost its hard edge. To address this in 2011 the WRX received another styling makeover adopting the aggressive style of the STI and enticing people back to the brand. In Europe Subaru UK went to the Isle of Man TT course and former British Rally Champion Mark Higgins recorded a record lap. The STI also competed at the Nürburgring 24 hour race, winning the SP3T class.

4th Generation WRX 2015 + The “New WRX” 15+ Engine Details: 2.0L Direct injected, turbocharged horizontally-opposed Boxer 4 -cylinder engine producing 197kW@5600rpm and 350Nm@2400-5200rpm. 0-100 km/h = 6 seconds Surprisingly the new WRX has not been met with the same levels of criticism that came with the arrival of previous generations. Only half hearted comments that “it wasn’t as extreme as the concept model” or “it looks like an EVO” were to be herd (and quickly dismissed). The only concern that purists have been hung up on is the lack of the traditional WRX rumble thanks to the equal length headers used in this model. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, praising the price, styling and performance; and unsurprisingly it has also been winning quite a few car of the year awards. Article By: Seth Coultas White STI Photoshoot by Guy Wilkinson

Danny Phillips at Southside Tyrepower 159 Main South Road, Morphett Vale 5162 (08) 8186 0622 or 0401 311 320

Matt Stanton at Kensington Park Tyrepower 382 Magill Road, Kensington Park 5068 (08) 8431 5856

Damien Hirst

Jason Bartsch taking a little excursion

Andrew Kemmler

Russell Badenoch

Today saw the WRXSA boys take on Collingrove. Firstly a super huge massive thanks to Driven Motorsport for getting the Dirtbag in tiptop shape to tackle the hill with out you guys my car you be no where near what it is, and Professional Cut & Polish for keeping the Dirtbag tidy. With a bit of light rain early in the morning it made for a slippery first few runs and I must say we all had some sketchy moments pinning it up the hill! Once the weather warmed up at bit and the track dried out a bit there were some seriously fast times being put down. Congrats to Day-mow for knocking another .39 off his PB. Also well done to fellow team mate Jason Bartsch who fought hard all day to adjust to his new setup. Keep working and working man, a high 33 is just around the corner. Must also mention Brendan Moore, Mark Gardiner, Tania Langcake, Hugh, Matt, Hirsti, Russell Badenoch and Glenn Breugem for all slogging it out.

Karn Schumacher

Dylan Butler’s ”Dirtbag”

So last but not least I absolutely smashed my PB today dropping to a 36.33 down from a 37.54 none of this would have been possible without the team at Driven Motorsport, Jon Langhan, Megan Langhan and Jamie Kim you guys are awesome! Ohhhh and quickly Ryan, Bonny, Penny and David thanks for coming out to show some support. Dylan Butler

Glenn Breugem

Photos By Alin Daju

1st Place

SUBARU

In front of a sell-out crowd Subaru Rally Team USA driver Sverre Isachsen stormed to Subaru’s first Global Rally Cross victory in the series’ penultimate round held in Seattle. Isachsen moved into the lead early on the first lap in his #11 Subaru WRX STI rallycross car and never looked back, leading the entire 10 lap final to take a decisive win.

“Subaru is very proud of Sverre and our technical partner Vermont SportsCar for this victory,” stated Rob Weir, Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager. “Putting the WRX STI on top of the podium on the most diverse course of the season and in front of so many loyal Subaru fans was amazing. We hope the series will return to this location soon.”

Isachsen’s Subaru Rally Team USA teammates Bucky Lasek and David Higgins were unable to join Isachsen on the podium but showed impressive pace all weekend. Higgins, who drove the team’s DirtFish Isachsen, a three-time European rallycross champion, joined Subaru Rally School Subaru WRX STI was stymied by race incidents. In his in 2012 to spearhead the team’s new rallycross effort and to develop heat race Higgins was impacted twice by competitors, which caused the Subaru WRX STI rallycross car into a championship contender. “It serious damage to his Subaru in the process. Then in the crucial semiis really important for the team,” said Isachsen at the finish. “We had final Higgins jockeyed for position with rival Tanner Foust and in the process was hit with a stop-and-go penalty, forcing Higgins into the built a new car for this season and everybody put a lot of effort and last chance qualifier (LCQ) where he had a clean run to finish in time into the car. It’s really important because to develop a car like second position. Fighting from near the back of the grid in the final this takes time. You do something wrong, but then something right, Higgins ran as high as fourth before dropping to eighth after losing and of course we have a fast car. So it’s really important for everybody, all the Subaru guys, and especially also for me. I’ve fought power from an unknown issue with his vehicle. Photos by Lars Gange courtesy of Subaru of America such a long time here.”

The event, representing round nine of the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship, was held at the DirtFish Rally School. The course featured more dirt and gravel than other typical GRC races. The highlight of the course was a run through the planer building, a massive structure formerly used for lumber operations. The victory for Subaru Rally Team USA was made all the more special by the fact that it was done in front of droves of Subaru fans who came out to cheer for the team. Subaru has a strong foothold in the Pacific Northwest. The parking lots at the DirtFish Rally School were full of Subaru vehicles and the fans created a veritable home field advantage for the Subaru team. The team celebrated in the paddock with their fans long after the podium celebration concluded.

Four-time Rally America Champion David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew put an authoritative stamp on a near-perfect 2014 season with a win at the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR), their seventh of the season from eight events. Higgins was locked in a tight battle at LSPR with Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Travis Pastrana for a majority of the treacherously wet and muddy Houghton, Michigan based rally. Pastrana briefly took the lead from Higgins late on the final day before Pastrana’s Subaru became stuck in a muddy ditch along the edge of the road, ending his rally with just four stages to go. Higgins then cruised to victory.

punctured tire and an intermittent fuel-pump issue that was caused a loss of power. Pastrana moved into the lead of the rally for one stage but then subsequently ran afoul of the conditions, getting stuck just off the road in the mud on a tricky water logged corner. Pastrana tried in vain for minutes to drive his un-damaged but very stuck Subaru out of its’ muddy predicament. Pastrana eventually was able to free his Subaru and drive out of the stage but had lost too much time and was over the maximum permitted lateness to the next time control.

LSPR is widely regarded as the “oldest, meanest, toughest rally on the circuit” and it certainly lived up to its hype in 2014 with treacherously wet and muddy conditions. Constantly changing grip levels, slick mud and ponding water in the road provided an immense “We went like hell. We were battling pretty well with Higgins, we saw challenge for all the teams. The conditions amplified LSPR’s usually that he was having problems and we were still pushing when we hit it high-level of attrition. a big pool of water in the road. We were not too far off the road but half the car was in knee deep water and mud!” explained Pastrana. “This was one of the most challenging events we have ever done, the “Big thanks to Subaru for a great year, our Subaru WRX STI was grip levels would go from good to nothing, worse than ice, within a amazing again and you wouldn’t want any other vehicle in these turn. There were huge ponds of water in the road to skim across,” conditions.” explained Higgins at the podium. “It feels great to finish the season with a win and in such bad conditions, this feels like a real Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager Rob Weir added “We’re accomplishment just to finish! Big thanks to Subaru, the team and very proud of the efforts made by our drivers and our technical Craig Drew for an incredible season.” partner Vermont SportsCar that earned Subaru their fourth consecutive Rally America Championship title; and proved the WRX Higgins built a small 22 second lead on Pastrana and co-driver STI is still the car to beat in the most adverse racing conditions found Chrissie Beavis after the first day of competition, which featured in rallying.” nearly two-thirds of the event’s stage mileage. Early on the second day Higgins’ lead suddenly vanished as he was slowed with a Photos by Lars Gange courtesy of Subaru of America

Subaru Rally Team USA closed out the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross Season in Las Vegas with another podium via a determined drive by factory team driver Bucky Lasek in his Subaru WRX STI. In one of his best performances of the season Lasek took victory in his semi-final race and then earned a hard fought third overall in the final. His teammate Sverre Isachsen came from the back of the ten-car grid in the final to earn fifth overall. “A great way to end the season! Our Subaru was dialled and working well, we took some big hits today but were able to just keep going,” explained Lasek at the finish. “The win in the semi-final was huge for me and set things up nicely for the final, being able to start on the front row. The team has worked so hard all season, it’s great to end the year with another podium.” The Las Vegas round of the Red Bull Global Rallycross was held in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. The track featured a slippery dirt section in which Lasek, to the delight of the fans, made a daring pass on the outside on rival Scott Speed late their semi-final race to take an impressive victory in the semi-final. Then a flawless drive in the final earned Lasek his third podium of the season. Isachsen, full of confidence after winning the previous GRC round in Seattle, advanced to the final by handily winning the Last Chance Qualifier. He then had to fight through a stacked field in the final from that back of the ten-car grid, working his way to fifth overall. “Fifth from the back of the grid is a good result for us, I’m very happy,” said Isachsen. “Subaru is now always fighting at the top and we are always improving, it’s been a very good season.”

The podium in Las Vegas capped off a memorable year for Subaru Rally Team USA. The team, managed by technical partner Vermont SportsCar, competes in both the Rally America National Championship and Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship. In Rally the team dominated, winning all but one event and earning the Driver’s Championship for the fourth consecutive year with driver David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew. In the GRC the team earned five podiums including their maiden win at the Seattle GRC round. “The momentum we’ve felt all season within the team is now seen in front of the world out on the track,” stated Rob Weir, Subaru Motorsports Marketing Manager. “It’s a testament to hard work of our drivers and our technical partner Vermont SportsCar, combined with the capability of the WRX STI.” Photos by Lars Gange courtesy of Subaru of America

“CLASSIC”

Celebrate 15 years of Rex Driver! Spring 1999 – Spring 2014 Look Whose Torquing #1 – Sean Jenner (Club President & Founder) “Where do I start?” the question came from the guy scanning the flier I had just stuffed in his hand. Well in a Galaxy far, far away – not quite, but it does almost seem like a lifetime ago. It was January of this year, and I was on holidays from work, bored stupid and looking for an outlet for my enthusiasm of the WRX. I scoured the Internet for something suitable and found WRX Club in Victoria, but nothing here in Adelaide. I was amazed, all these WRX’s driving around and no club for them here. So I contacted Susan Jensen in Melbourne and asked her if she knew of a WRX club or any owners here in Adelaide. No luck of course with the club, but she did forward my request to several other local Rexers who she had on her contact list. Tim Maitland replied to my e-mail, agreeing that a club was long overdue in SA. He advised me of a cruise that the SCCSA was holding and that a few other scoob’s would be attending. At this event I met Roger Canty and several others. Everyone was in favour of starting a club here in Adelaide, and that we should make it happen. At last something seemed to be underway. However two weeks past, and while we had gained a few more contacts nothing else had occurred. So being one to seize the moment, I felt it was time to get things started. I organised a cruise, advising everyone on our contact list, sticking fliers under wiper arms and at the Subby dealers all over the city. I nervously waited at the arranged time, not knowing if anyone was going to show.

A trickle turned into a flood, as first one Rex appeared, then another, and before I knew it 19 cars had arrived. From this first meeting we got a working party together to develop a constitution, which Shayne Harmsen finalised. Next thing we were having a Club formalisation meeting, voting on the constitution and committee members. While we may have lost some of those original starters along the way, the Club has developed into a fun and enjoyable organisation in which to belong. The benefits we have already gained for the members are just the start, and the committee intends to keep everyone amused with activities for all. Yes it has been hard work, and it would not have been possible without the strong support and valuable input of all of the committee members, but the challenge has just begun…

Drive Photos KAREN & JORDAN KUTSCHE story FRANK KUTSCHE & TOM BOECK On November 2 Thomas Boeck and I did a rally drive session at Rallyschool at Tailem Bend. Our mates had gotten each of us a 6 lap voucher for our 50th birthdays. Out at the track we immediately upgraded to 8 laps + one hot lap. I recognised Declan Dwyer and Michael Busby there from my rally photography activities (the other 3 teachers were also rally drivers). Howard (Howie) Ryan was the mc for the morning and organised everyone to sign on before handing over the reigns to Declan for a bit of a tech talk on car characteristics when rally driving. The choice of cars to drive was between of 3 Mitsi EVOs and one 03/05 Subie. A second Subie was out of action so there was concern if a lot of people wanted the sole Subie. There were was quite a few people there and everyone stated their preferences. The EVOs comprised two

EVO 7 - 9s (don’t ask me, the boxy shaped ones) and one ‘tired’ looking red Tommi Makinen 6.5 type. It was a case of “don‘t judge a book by its cover”. The Tommi Makinen one was a European spec Asia Pacific rally car and it had loads more power and torque than the others! There was a catch, there always is….it was Left Hand Drive, and that scared off many people. I originally said ‘Subie for me thanks’ thinking how could you not being a Rex driver! When we upgraded and Thomas had picked the Subie (I was in the same group), I decided any of the cars would do and it would be interesting how a Mitsi behaves….I even said yes to the ‘Tommi Makinen’ as it is one of my favourite rally cars and I gradually got over the trepidation of driving a LHD. The other people had their drives and the butterflies in the stomach started.

Then it came time to don our fetching hair nets(!) and a helmet. The clothes were ‘come as you are’ but long pants and closed shoes. Thomas got into the Subie and then waited to hear what I was allocated. Howie had recognised me as a rally photographer and with a cheeky grin he said “we’ll give you the red EVO”. Excellent, scary but fun! When I squeezed into the car and got harnessed in I saw that Declan was my instructor!!! Double bonus as he is a 3 times SARC champion! OK, there were a couple of kangaroo hops thanks to the bitey clutch exiting the car park but then through the short throw gearbox through 1st..2nd…3rd where it stayed. The EVO flung you back in your seat….scary grunt on Declan Dwyer teaching me the finer points of rally car control

Thomas, plenty of power...in the Rex

Very fetching, I’m sure real rally drivers don’t wear these

Was a dusty ole day gravel and the torque did all the talking. Rex….Schmex, I thought for a brief second. At the lesson I had guessed correctly that rally drivers look for previous drivers wheel ruts, and that would be crucial to getting the best speed and control come lesson time. I would like to say the first lap was about learning the circuit, but it was more about relearning LHD after many years of not having driven one. Usually when people drive a ‘Leftie’, changing gears results in doors/windows being opened or grabbing whatever is closest to your left hand.

Who put that steering wheel on this side?

The last time I had driven a Leftie in anger was in Europe in 2001 including the Mecca of rally stages, the Col de Turini (well it was a ‘spirited’ run for safety reasons since I didn’t have pace notes!), and a 2Litre turbo diesel Peugeot 206 was very different from this Mitsi rally car on gravel. Having someone like Declan guide me through the nuances of the car was simply the best way of 1) knowing what the car was doing, 2) how to make it change direction, ie balance and weight transfer, and 3) the importance of reading the conditions way up ahead as well as close and looking for those wheel ruts for

Frank in the ‘Tommi’ hunting down Thomas in the Rex

Smiles all round

more grip. Driving on loose gravel looks specky but equals slower speeds and far less control, in fact up to 50% less grip according to Declan. It is worth mentioning again “god, that EVO goes fast”… again! ;-)

Unfortunately I caught Thomas a few times in the Subie (see his story) and with the dusty conditions I had to pull over twice for a few secs to allow the dust to dissipate and create a safety gap again. Declan said “I bet you didn’t come here to park a rally car”. I think Declan also sensed I was ‘getting it’ or to compensate

for the stoppages, he said we would do 2 extra laps. If anything to show me what happens to the car if braking in the corners. Or maybe it was also because of being a rally photographer. No complaints from me there! I noticed I was braking far too long coming up to a corner because the braking feel was simply absent in the EVO (it’s there...eventually, but is unnerving). I did get it sideways a few times coming too quick into the corners but managed to avoid spinning, instead driving through the trouble with car control. Overall I only had one ‘moment’ where the EVO pushed wide into the loose stuff to come close a tyre wall. Declan (being closest to the tyre wall didn’t

say anything. It was good to know the feeling of little grip. My hot lap was in the Rex with Stewart Gregory (owner of potent Datto 180B and the same guy Thomas had as instructor). It was a very different feeling not being in control on the loose stuff and you have to appreciate rally co-drivers work. In proper hands he had the car sideways in all of the corners…unlike us avoiding a spin. The hot lap was over way too quickly!

Photo by Jordan Kutsche of Dad in the ‘Tommi’

On the day Karen and our 5yo ‘new paparazzi’ son Jordan took photos….and he used some of them for his school ‘sharing’ project on ‘movement’….rapid movement that is! J. We would like to say a BIG thanks to the great guys at Rallyschool for making this such an awesome ‘bucket list’ event. Sadly my pockets aren’t deep enough to own a rally car! I’d take the red Tommi ;-).

Photo: Jordan Kutsche

Hot lap in the Rex for Frank

TOM BOECK’S RALLY REXPERIENCE

After the usual sign your life away deal, the briefing began and we put in vehicle preferences. One Subie available only, as the other one had a mechanical problem. Plenty of EVO’s, including a LHD ex Asia Pacific car, which looked like it had had a hard life but apparently was the quickest car there. Frank and I opted for an upgrade on the package we had received (as a birthday present) which gave us 2 more laps + a hot lap with the instructor at the end of the day.

An early morning and a perfect day was a great start to the day ahead. I took off in the old faithful MY00 WRX hatch which spends most of its time in the shed now. We met Frank and family at the servo at Tailem Bend (wee stop) and it wasn’t long before we took off for the location just off the start of the road to Sydney. The drive in was pretty bad, road was in very bad condition, not for people that are precious about their cars ! Luckily I’m not. I was surprised to see the number of people attending the day

Anyway it wasn’t long before we were underway. I was in the Subie and Frank behind me was in the LHD car.

Thomas as the passenger seat being shown how it’s done!

The car felt not dissimilar to my road car, just a bit harsher. I felt quite at home, not bad considering I was a complete novice when it came to rally car driving. Was a blast though, and of course it was all over too soon. I would have liked to have gone faster though, my instructor kept telling me to slow down. I guess he was just trying to teach me good technique rather than letting me throw the car around too much. Last but not least was the hot lap. Just before we took off I gave the instructor a smile and said “go as hard as you are allowed too”. He did not disappoint, being a rear wheel drive rally competitor. Plenty of tail out action. An excellent finale to a fun day. RD

The Red Beast in the dust! Yeah that’s dust hanging in the air.

Photo: Frank Kutsche

Sure it wasn’t enough to get 1st place but Jake Archer drove extremely well but unfortunately the matchups didn’t go his way Jake was extremely excited just to share the track with a driver of his calibre. This and he ended up 3rd in the class. excitement carried through to quite a few Their results also gained them entry into the celebratory doughnuts to mark the occasion! Supercar Class final against Ken Block, and a After all the smoke had cleared Jake had this slew of other extremely capable drivers. After 2 days of practice & racing it was to say: Gymkhana veteran Dmitrij who took out the “So ... Wow ... What an emotional day ... So Dmitrij squared up against Finnish Rally AWD Class, making the title his for the 3rd Champion Riku Tahko in his Mini (powered by many up and downs I was gutted I threw straight year! “I think that was something I could not imagine 3 years ago, but hard work a Mitsubishi Evolution engine and drivetrain). away street car, just pushed a bit too hard...then to get told that wasn’t the final has paid off with Massive thanks to all my In what looked like a close match up, a friends, family and sponsors as without them mistake by Riku in the first run all but handed then getting told I was 3rd?!? But then I would not be able to come even half way.” Dmitrij the win and 3rd place on the Supercar getting bumped up into the supercar final and podium. finding the two seconds I should have had earlier to take Dmitri and then have to take It was not all smooth sailing though, during on the master Ken Block ... Nothing to lose practice Dmitrij went wide on a corner and Thanks to some improved times it was Jake Archer who had the opportunity to challenge and ending up a second off the pace of a half lost grip thanks to the dust and sand sitting a million pound supercar I'll take second off the racing line. The car slid into a concrete Ken Block in the final. The first run saw Ken place all day long, most important thing of finish with a 5 second lead. But that didn’t barrier breaking the front suspension, the day tho was all the friends and family that dampen Jakes determination and for the jamming the front wheel and knocking the made the trip over to support me and all the second run he had a blinder, shaving 3 rear wheel out of alignment. Thanks to the beautiful messages I've had from so many seconds off his previous time and getting dedication of his UK teammates they people I really can't thank you all enough!!!” managed to fix the car and get it back on the within 1 second of Ken. Photo courtesy of the Gymkhana Grid track in time for qualifications. Facebook Page Madrid has once again played host to the Gymkhana GRiD Finals and while Ken Block may have been the star of the show, Subaru fans were keeping their eyes on Dmitrij Sribnyj and Jake Archer in their Subaru’s.

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Club Sponsors / Partners

Platinum Partner - $480 (annual) Includes: 4 x full page ads in Rex Driver Naming rights to cruises or charity events etc… Website Advertising Forum & Facebook Group access Copies of the Rex Driver publication. Gold Partner: $250 (annual) Includes: 4 x 1/2 page ads in Rex Driver Website advertising Forum & Facebook Group access Copies of the Rex Driver publication

Effective 2013/2014

General Advertising / Single Issue Full Page Colour: $100 per issue Half Page Colour: $60 per issue 1 /3 Page Colour: $30 per issue All advertisers will receive a copy of Rex Driver Publication

Silver Partner: $150 (annual) Includes: 4 x business card sized ads Forum access Copies of the Rex Driver publication

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PDF or JPG files preferred for advertising. The editor reserves the right to select the location of advertising space. Articles submitted by members can be submitted in Word or Publisher format, however desired fonts must be supplied or a substitution will be applied. Please ensure all photos submitted are high resolution so they can be fully appreciated. No responsibility is accepted for error occurring in the printing of material which is incorrectly supplied. The editor reserves the right to reject any advertising material deemed inappropriate for the Rex Driver publication.

WRXSA Business Partners PLATINUM

Full handbook servicing using genuine Subaru parts; Stockists of all MRT Performance parts & accessories; ECUTEK tuning and diagnostics ; Full range of performance upgrade packages from mild to very wild; Heavy Duty Brake & Clutch upgrades ; Subaru Gearbox specialists.

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PARTNERs

WRXSA Business Partners Page

Support the partners that support WRXSA!

GOLD PARTNERs

Danny Phillips at Southside Tyrepower 159 Main South Road, Morphett Vale 5162 (08) 8186 0622 or 0401 311 320

Matt Stanton at Kensington Park Tyrepower 382 Magill Road, Kensington Park 5068 (08) 8431 5856

SILVER PARTNERs

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to mark these dates in your calendar!

WRXSA Boxing Day Cruise

WRXSA Club Meetings

Friday 26th December - 9:30am departing by 10am Marion Shopping Centre (SE corner car park)

Every 2nd Tuesday of the month Astor Hotel 437 Pultney Street

This cruise is designed to wear off the Christmas cheer and test out your Christmas presents for your WRX! This is a long cruise so ensure you have a full tank. Lunch & a well deserved rest for the WRX at Victor Harbour and a chance to socialize and speak of our pressies that Santa gave us for being good Boys & Girls.

Everyone is encouraged to come along to our monthly club meetings and catch up with your fellow club members. We kick things off with dinner at 6pm followed by the meeting at 7pm, usually finishing up around 8:30. Upcoming Dates: 13th January 10th February 10th March