SOUTH East rally car driver Aaron Bowering’s pride and joy is his pre-2000 Subaru WRX GC8.
Mr Bowering uses the vehicle to race in the South Australian Rally Car Championships and various events across the region.
Although he purchased the car pre-built, there are many components that go into bringing a rally car up to standard.
“You need a whole bunch of safety equipment in the vehicle,” he said.
“Things like a roll cage, racing seats, harnesses and helmets, in addition to upgraded suspension and an engine limiter.
“As it is 4WD with a turbo-charged two-litre engine, you have engine restrictions so we are only able to travel at around 190kph.”
Currently midway through the 2018 SARC series, Mr Bowering is focused on repairing damage from previous rounds to have the best chance going forward.
“We are always working on the car – whether it be repairing damage or upgrading where we can,” he said.
“Before the next round in August, I have to fix the under body protection, install a new windscreen and make sure the engine is up to scratch.
“There is always a lot of work to do between races.”
In addition to routine ongoing maintenance, there are always risks of encountering further damage in a race.
“Last year we hit a kangaroo at roughly 140kph,” Mr Bowering said.
“Something like that causes a lot of damage – we had to repair the front guard, bonnet, radiator support, radiator and power steering, in addition to installing new headlights and spot lights.”
With only two rounds left in the SARC series, Mr Bowering hopes to continue as much work as possible on the vehicle to ensure top performance.
