The WA Quit Forest Rally proved to be treacherous with the narrow roads and rough forest terrain taking their toll on numerous classes of vehicles. Amid the carnage, the Polaris Racing Team dominated the SxS (Side by Side) class, earning maximum points for a perfect start to the 2013 season.
Starting on Friday night, 4-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion and Polaris Racing Team Driver Cody Crocker and Co-Driver Greg Foletta put on a show along with the other competitors, blasting through the quiet coastal town of Busselton. Spectators got to witness some awesome jumps and night time racing.
The thrills continued on the Saturday, with moto sections cut through thick forest, mixed with fast slippery logging tracks. The defending champions placed first in 7 of the 10 stages, stopping the clock 5 minutes 48 seconds in front.
“Apart from suffering a puncture, the RZR performed faultlessly. The biggest challenges were the moto stages. Awesome fun, but navigating is bloody hard when you’re throwing tree branches out the window!” Said Foletta.
Improving further on Sunday, the Polaris RZR XP was fastest on all 7 stages, recording a 1 minute 45 second victory. A bent rear right drive shaft provided drama in the pits, with the service crew only discovering it with 6 minutes of service time remaining. In spectacular fashion, the team managed to change it, getting Crocker and Foletta to the next start line with 30 seconds to spare!
“Apart from a couple of tyres and a right rear drive shaft, the Polaris required very few spares and was bulletproof. Rallying is loads of fun and the SxS Challenge is a very economical way for a couple of mates to be involved in Rallying and Australian Motorsport.” Said Crocker.