2023 ARC reflection: A stage of Bates brothers

Harry Bates avenged his brother to take back the 2023 Australian Rally Championship crown, adding a seventh ARC title to the Canberra family’s national trophy cabinet.

It all came down to a single point and 2.1 seconds and the final stage of the season, as Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor overcame a 23 point deficit to run down Lewis Bates and Anthony McLaughlin.

The #2 Toyota Yaris pair stormed home to win three of the last four rounds, giving Harry his second ARC title, and Taylor her fifth – four of which she won alongside Neal Bates – 15 years after her last.

Both the leading Toyotas largely dominated the season, with only the 2017 champion Nathan Quinn coming between them for a single win in the second round, in WA.

The defending champions in the #1 Toyota took two wins for the year and did little wrong, but when their pursuers broke through in Gippsland in Round 3 a mechanically smooth run home saw an inverse of last season when Lewis ran-down his brother.

Harry Bates and Carol Taylor were on the top step of the podium once again.

Third went to Eddie Maguire and Zac Brakey in their Skoda Fabia R5 (174 points in arrears), securing third over veteran Luke Anear in his Ford Fiesta Mk2, whilst impressive Tassie youngster Brodie Reading took fifth place to also clinch the ARC Production title in his first full season in the Subaru WRX STI.

Eight points behind was impressive VIC youngster Troy Dowel (who’s father Justin won the VIC championship), whilst Quinn finished seventh after a tough run home, finishing just ahead of  Peter Rullo, whilst Production Cup runner up Steve Maguire, and Daniel Gonzalez, rounded out the top-10.

LAUNCESTON TO CANBERRA
The six round season got rolling in Tasmania, and the #1 Toyota looked hot off the press for a title defence with a strong Heat 1 win and a consistent Heat 2 seeing them get over the line against Anear and Quinn.

For the eventual champions, the technical dramas from 2022 continued into the new season as they failed to finish Day 1 in their first ever outing together.

In Round 2, a late penalty for an early check in then cost Bates/Taylor their first win of the year after controlling much of the WA Forest Rally, with Heat 2 winner Quinn elevated into the outright lead in his first visit across the Nullarbor with co-driver Steve Winwood-Smith in the Hyundai i20 G4.

Bates/McLaughlin secured second over their stricken Toyota rivals with a Power Stage win stretching their early title lead.

The championship then went the breadth of the country to Gympie in Queensland – a welcome return to the Sunshine State after floods saw last year’s event cancelled – where Bates/Taylor would take their first win together; Harry’s first win since June of ’22.

Lewis Bates pushed his brother and fellow Toyota driver hard, but fell just short.

A rally of attrition saw Maguire/Brakey take a surprise second over Bates/McLoughlin, whilst Production Cup champion Reading/Mark Young were impressive in outright fourth, their second top-five of the year.

Unfortunately for Quinn, his promising season was derailed at Rally Queensland with mechanical issues that would continue through the remaining rounds.

Rally Gippsland in VIC saw Bates/Taylor go back-to-back, whilst Taylor took a record 36th ARC win to surpass Peter ‘Possum’ Bourne for all-time wins.

They topped the #1 by 1 min 17s in the season’s only two-day combined endurance rally over 16 Stages, with McGuire/Brakey taking a second straight outright podium.

The penultimate round saw the #1 strike back with his second win of the year, claiming the Adelaide Hills Rally to get on the front foot for the Canberra finale.

He denied his brother a third straight win, by just 4.4s, with a big Sunday performance, with the the #2 also incurring a late 25s penalty. The #5 Skoda pairing made it three straight podiums in P3, while a huge roll and a retirement from Reading also brought S.Maguire in the Production Cup equation.

Tassie youngster Brodie Reading impressed by taking out the production title on debut. Image: Gears and Wheels Photography

The finale was a hometown battle of the brothers in the November contest and the contest.

A big spin from the #2 Toyota and a broken sway bar late in Heat 1 saw the #1 take control, heading into the Sunday with a 6s advantage.

The two then exchanged stage wins in Heat 2 before a costly spin from Lewis saw Harry take the lead before the points leader struck back in the penultimate stage, leaving the 3.5km Power Stage as the season decider.

In the end the rally was decided by just 6s, whilst the title was decided by just 2.1s in the final stage thriller.

The 2024 season gets going with a return to the Rally Canberra on April 5-7. 

ARC FINAL STANDINGS

Bates/Taylor 531

Bates/McLaughlin 530 

Maguire/Brakey 357

Anear/Read 303

Reading/Young 239

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