MOTORSPORT: Honda exit setback for ARC

The Australian Rally Championship is losing its most committed - and in reality its only - manufacturer, Honda, in a major blow to efforts to revitalise the series around two-wheel-drive cars.

Honda Australia this week advised Eli Evans, the reigning national champion set for a repeat this year, his co-driver Glen Weston, and its other combination, Mark Pedder and Claire Ryan, that it is to withdraw from the ARC at the end of the season.

While Honda’s public announcement a day later did not specify the timing of its departure it is now clear it will contest the final two rounds of the ARC, at Rally Australia at NSW’s Coffs Harbour in two weeks and Rally Victoria in mid-November.

The company will then take back its two Honda Jazz G2s and remove them from further competition.

Evans, 29, who recently bettered the late Possum Bourne’s record of the most consecutive ARC round wins with nine straight, said today he would seek to forge a new alliance to bring another manufacturer into Australian rallying. However he admitted it already was getting late to build and test a car or cars for next season.

While 11 brands are represented on the ARC’s two-wheel-drive entry list for Rally Australia - Honda, Renault, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, BMW, Toyota, MINI, Holden, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen - the new era has not attracted the manufacturer support the series organisers had hoped.

Honda has been the only company with anything like a full factory effort, in contrast to the days last decade when Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford and then Toyota were fully-fledged participants with four-wheel-drive turbocharged cars.

While there has been speculation the past couple of years about the prospect of new manufacturer entries, none have emerged.

The most constant talk has been about Korean manufacturer Kia, most likely with Evans’ four-time national champion brother, Simon.

The older Evans, 41, has only contested four ARC rounds in three years but is thought to be still beavering away at striking a deal with Kia, which may be looking to redirect some of its spending if it gets cold feet on its deal with AFL club Essendon, which has been severely disciplined this week in a infamous supplements scandal.

Honda has competed in the ARC for four years, initially with a Civic Type R with a 2.0-litre Mugen-tuned engine and last year and this with the Jazz G2s.

"We are extremely proud of what we have achieved … and we hope the competition will continue to flourish," Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said.

Eli Evans has 324 points towards a second ARC title - 61 points ahead of Scott Pedder in a Renault Clio R3.

Evans said today he had known Honda was close to a decision on whether to continue its ARC activity but was unsure until midweek what it was.

"I was a bit shocked (at the decision to withdraw), but Honda has been a fantastic partner to Evans Motorsport for four years," he said.

"We want to focus on finishing the year really well, but we’ve also got to look for a new opportunity now.

"We’re going to have a think about things until after the weekend, then consider the options and how we can showcase another manufacturer in Australian rallying.

"Time is tight … cars would need to be built and tested. It’s crunch time," said Evans.

While the Honda pullout is a disappointment to him and he now needs to find a replacement manufacturer unless he takes on the even more arduous role of privateer, Evans also saw some brightness on the horizon.

Not only is brother Simon working on a return to the ARC but their younger brother, teenager Tom, now completing his Year 12 schooling, is set to enter the sport next year in Victorian club events. His car is yet to be confirmed but could be a Ford Fiesta R2.

And sister Kylie also is progressing as a rally driver in club and state events in Queensland in a Subaru Impreza.

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