By Trevor Jackson
MOUNT Gambier rally driver Aaron Bowering claimed his second South Australian Rally Championship recently after a solid effort across three rounds.
The series was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a round in the Limestone Coast and back-to-back rounds in the Adelaide Hills region on a big weekend.
Bowering had teamed up with a new co-driver, Glencoe’s Heath Weedon, who has previously taken on the navigating duties, after Nathan Lowe was tied up with work commitments.
He said it was a pleasing result after some tough competition early in the Mount Gambier round in August, where he came second to Guy Tyler, who would also finish ahead of him on the podium in Adelaide in Round 2.
Tyler and Zayne Admiraal filled the top two positions on the first day in the Adelaide Hills, with Bowering in third to provide a chance at the title.
With the pre-2000 (year) class win already in the bag Bowering approached the second day/third round as he usually would, with both Tyler and Admiraal suffering mechanical issues.
In the end Bowering’s pace and the reliability of his car was enough to claim his second title and along with it the Hoosier Cup, a challenge for drivers running Hoosier tyres, which ultimately provides free entry to one Australian Rally Championship round.
“I wasn’t going to compete this year, just do the odd event here and there,” Bowering said.
“Because the series was shortened I thought it was not a huge effort to compete.
“It was great to win and my co-driver was very happy.”
“Heath jumped in for the year and filled in for my normal co-driver Nathan Lowe who was away for work.
“I had to beg him for about a month to jump in for the first round and he did a good job.
“He was pretty happy in the end.
“My normal co-driver is not that impressed – he hasn’t actually got (an SA championship) yet.
“I got the first one but he didn’t, then he missed out on this one.”
Bowering’s first SA championship came back in 2017.
He said this latest win, plus the Hoosier Cup would be good for his career and help to open doors to other possibilities.
He said after winning the cup he felt obliged to enter a round of the ARC next year.
“I have an entry so I guess I have to,” Bowering said.
“I have done an ARC before – I have entered a couple but haven’t had a lot of success.”
Bowering said he had already been invited to the Adelaide Hills tarmac rally at the end of November, but felt his car and budget did not suit the event.
