Harry Bates and Coral Taylor have once again proven their dominance in Australian rallying, securing back-to-back Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) titles with a stellar victory at the 2024 Buckby Motors Rally Tasmania. The Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia duo clinched the win by 13 seconds, cementing their status as champions with an impressive 398 Championship points.
For Bates, this marks his third ARC title, while Taylor celebrates her sixth—a remarkable achievement for the co-driving legend. Together, they also claimed the prestigious Possum Bourne Memorial Trophy.
“Three Championships feels very special; it’s almost surreal to think about the company you’re in once you’ve got three,” Bates reflected. “It’s been an incredible year. A huge thank you to my amazing team, to Coral for doing such a great job in the car, and we’re very excited for 2025.”
A fierce battle for runner-up
Behind the newly crowned champions, the fight for second in the championship standings went down to the wire. Harry’s younger brother, Lewis Bates, alongside Anthony McLoughlin in their Toyota GR Yaris, put up a strong performance. They secured second overall at the rally and clinched victory in the Galvanize Insurance Power Stage.
However, it was Tasmanian Eddie Maguire and co-driver Zak Brakey who edged ahead in the season standings to finish as championship runners-up. Maguire also rounded off his season with third overall at his home event, earning the title of the top Tasmanian driver outright.
Drama and triumph in the final stages
Sunday’s opening stages saw Lewis Bates and McLoughlin setting blistering times, leading the field in SS11 to SS13. Despite their speed, Harry Bates and Coral Taylor managed to maintain their overall lead, showcasing the consistency that has defined their season.
Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall’s retirement on Saturday due to radiator damage opened the door for Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney in the IntelliSpatial Fleetcare Racing Hyundai i20 Rally2. The pair fought hard for a podium finish but faced turbo boost issues in the final stage, dramatically limping home in fourth place.
Production Cup and Junior Cup glory
In the MainFix Production Cup, Clayton Hoy and Erin Kelly delivered another standout performance, finishing inside the top ten outright. Although they were edged out by Bodie Reading and Mark Young on Sunday’s SS13, their commanding pace earlier in the event secured the rally win in their class. Reading and Young’s consistency throughout the season earned them back-to-back Production Cup titles.
The ARC Junior Cup was dominated by Mitch Garrad and Taylah Murphy, who built an unassailable lead early on Sunday. With their main rivals Jaidyn and Lucy Gluskie out of contention, Garrad and Murphy cruised to both the rally victory and the 2024 Junior Cup title.
Classic Cup highlights
The Trenching Systems Australia 2WD Classic Cup saw Jack Monkhouse and Neill Woolley continue their dominance from Saturday, despite a spirited fight from Jesse Robison and Troy Hutchins. Monkhouse and Woolley secured the Cup win, while Robison and Hutchins finished second.
For the season, fifth place in Tasmania was enough for Peter Dimmock and Paul Bennett to claim the 2WD Classic Cup title, narrowly ahead of Dave Thompson and Matthew Sanders.
Meanwhile, in the ARC 4WD Classic Cup and Subaru WRX Challenge, Glenn Brinkman and Scott Beckwith emerged as season champions, despite setbacks that saw them finish 29th at the Buckby Motors Rally Tasmania.
Rally Tasmania Final Results
01: H. Bates/C. Taylor (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) – 1h 59m 27.4s
02: L. Bates/A. McLoughlin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) + 13.7s
03: E. Maguire/Z. Brakey (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) + 2m 41.0s
04: S. Maguire/B. Searcy (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) + 5m 05.5s
05: R. Dalton/M. Kierans (Toyota GR Yaris AP4) + 5m 06.1s
06: J. Luff/B. Luff (Toyota GR Yaris AP4) + 5m 55.9s
07: C. Hoy/E. Kelly (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) + 6m 22.3s
08: A. Rullo/S. Glenney (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 6m 43.3s
09: B. Reading/M. Young (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) + 7m 35.1s
10: T. Dowel/B. Webb (Ford Fiesta Rally2) + 8m 22.3s
Looking ahead to 2025
With the 2024 season wrapped up, attention now shifts to 2025. The Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) will kick off with the Rally of Canberra from March 21-23. The calendar promises six action-packed rounds, revisiting fan-favourite venues and delivering the thrilling competition rally fans have come to expect.
Stay tuned to HHRally.com for all the latest updates as the countdown to the 2025 season begins!