The 2021 Shannons Adelaide Rally has been run and won in epic style, with Tasmanian duo Eddie Maguire and Zac Brakey picking up $20,000 for their efforts over the past four days – $10,000 for the outright win and a further $10,000 for the new Adelaide Tourist Trophy, awarded to the highest-placed interstate team.
Maguire was consistently fast in his Dodge Viper ACR, taking the lead from the outset and maintaining it throughout the event against a relentless pursuit from Jeff Morton (NSW) and Daymon Nicoli (WA) in a Porsche GT2RS, who finished less than half a second behind after four days.
Maguire started Day 4 strongly, winning the iconic Mt Lofty stage by just 0.4 seconds from Morton. The Aldgate Valley stage gave a glimmer of hope to Morton, who won the stage while Maguire posted his worst stage result of the event, losing nine seconds to the New South Welshman to finish in tenth place. But the Tasmanian responded with another stage win and although Morton closed out his event with two more stage wins, the Porsche driver had to settle for second place.
Third place went to Angus Kennard (NSW) and Ian Wheeler (TAS), who maintained their podium position through the event in their Nissan GTR and created an interstate lockout of the Modern Competition podium.
In Classic Competition, Jack Monkhouse (NSW) again stamped his authority on the course. He was rarely bested across the event, and with local navigator Chloe Bojko went on to win his category by four minutes. Monkhouse’s time in his 1973 Datsun 180B placed him comfortably fourth outright in what was a highly entertaining performance, all the more impressive for being his first tarmac competition, and in a car built for gravel.
Andrew Booker and Neil Branum brought their 1984 Nissan Skyline home in second place, beating Monkhouse on the Aldgate Valley stage by half a second in the process.
Tom Dermody and Ryan Preston filled the final podium position, their 1973 Ford Mk1 Escort.
The Heritage Trophy handicap competition featured the same three Classic teams in a different order, with Booker first, followed by Dermody and Monkhouse.
Modern Competition proved a thrilling final day. Ben Auld and Lucy Barker had held the lead for the first three days in their Porsche GT3 CS, heading into the final day with a 24 second advantage over Geoffrey Olholm and Matthew Sanders in the Supra GTS.
But Olhlolm signalled his intent to claim the $5000 Challenge trophy from the first stage, and won the first four stages to bring the gap down to less than 10 seconds. Olholm’s stage win on Carey Gully Long 2 catapulted him into the lead by just half a second, enough to force a small error by Auld on the final stage, handing the victory to Olholm and Sanders, with Robert Bryden and Alex Bryden maintaining their third place in the Lotus Exige.
Young local crew Kelly and Rudiger pulled off a surprise stage win on Basket Range 2, improving on their 2020 8th placed debut to finish sixth.
William Coulter and Andrew Colliver finished comfortably in first place in Classic Challenge their 1986 Toyota Sprinter AE86, winning the first three stages. Behind them, Bill Lakstins was trying to reduce a five minute deficit, but Dean Cook and Simon Richards in the 1971 Escort had other ideas, winning the last four stages of the day. Lakstins’ withdrawal after Aldgate Valley stage left the final podium step open for Greg Cunningham and Rick Jacobs in their HDT-liveried 1976 Torana hatchback.
The Rally concluded with a podium presentation including South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, surrounded by a street party attended by thousands of people on a glorious spring day in Adelaide.

PAYDAY FOR TASSIE TEAM

Eddie Maguire extended his lead over Jeff Morton on Day 3 of the Shannons Adelaide Rally, but after three hectic days in the hills, the gap between the frontrunners is just 31.7 seconds, setting up a tense final day as the two interstate teams chase a potential $20,000 payday.
Despite another day in which Maguire won every stage bar one, the pair are incredibly closely matched in spite of their different choice of machinery. The the largest stage margin just 3.8 seconds on the 7.4km Doctors Creek stage. Morton’s single stage win, on Chain of Ponds 1 was by less than a second.
Kennard and Wheeler remain in third place four seconds back from the leaders, with Griffith and Woolley in the Mercedes A45S holding fourth after reigning Adelaide Rally champion Ben Calder was forced out with a gearbox issue.
Jack Monkhouse continued his dominance on Day 3 with a clean sweep, winning every stage and extending his lead to 3:27 over Andrew Booker, with Tom Dermody another minute behind in third place.
Geoff Olholm started out on a roll, winning the first five stages in Modern Challenge in his Supra GTS, and six stages overall, but overnight leader Ben Auld managed to extend his lead marginally be day’s end. Robert Bryden retained third place ahead of 2020 winner Gordon Christie, and the podium places are still separated by only 1:41.1.
Classic Challenge 2020 winner Lachlan Cox started the day strongly with two stage wins, before his rally came to a premature end with a mechanical problem in the Mk1 Escort. The podium positions remain unchanged after Day 3, with Coulter holding a lead of almost five minutes over Lakstins, and Dean Cook in third.
Close competitive racing has been on show from all categories over the first three days, setting up a thrilling finish to the 2021 Adelaide Rally.

Final showdown looms after another close contest on Day 3

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The Dodge Viper ACR of Maguire and Brakey has held on to the top placing after the second day of the Adelaide Rally. The Tasmanian dominated proceedings in terms of stage wins, claiming all but one stage win, but the overall time difference stands at just 17 seconds after 18 stages. Morton’s Porsche GT2RS was fastest on SS14 Cherryville 1 by the narrowest possible margin – one-tenth of a second.

Third and fourth places also remain as they were overnight, with Kennard and Wheeler two minutes behind the leaders. 2020 winner Ben Calder showed consistent pace and came within 1.7 seconds of a stage win on SS12, ending the day where he began in P4.

The podium positions held steady in Classic Competition as well, as Jack Monkhouse stretched his lead to 2:28 over Booker and Branum, with Dermody and Preston another 40 seconds behind.

Modern Challenge positions also remain unchanged, and the top three are still separated by less than a minute at the halfway stage of the rally.
The only top 3 position to change on Day was in Classic Challenge, with Bill Lakstins leapfrogging Dean Cook into second place. Reigning champion Lachlan Cox started the day well with a stage win on SS11, but lost time on SS12 and dropped to sixth in his category before finishing strongly with two more stage wins.

With two more full days of competition to go, the stage is set for more close contest in all categories.
 

Maguire holds lead on Day 2

Tasmanian duo Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey have finished on top of the leader board by just two seconds after the first day of competition in the 2021 Shannons Adelaide Rally.

2020 runners-up Jeff Morton and Daymon Nicoli yielded just 0.2 of a second on the first timed stage of the day in their Porsche GT2RS, and briefly held the lead after SS4, but Maguire was consistently fast in the Dodge Viper ACR, winning every stage but one.

For a time, the leaderboard showed Morton in the lead overall after Maguire stopped to investigate what appeared to be an incident but turned out to be a landowner’s bonfire in a paddock below the road. Maguire was given a derived time, setting up an intriguing battle for Day 2.

Angus Kennard and Ian Wheeler had a consistent day to finish third, while defending champion Ben Calder quickly familiarised himself with his new Audi TTRS+, coming within 0.3 of a second of snatching the final stage from Maguire and ending the day in fourth.

In Classic Competition, Jack Monkhouse has made his presence felt in his home town, attacking the course in his Datsun 180B to win all but two stages on the first day. Monkhouse and navigator Chloe Bojko sit a flat minute clear of Andrew Booker and Neil Branum in the DR30 Skyline, with Tom Dermody’s Mk1 Escort close behind.

Modern Challenge is tightly contested as well, with Ben Auld, Geoffrey Olholm and Robert Bryden separated by less than a minute, and last year’s winner Gordon Christie still in touch in fifth place.

Classic Challenge didn’t disappoint, with 2020 runner-up William Coulter winning the first four stages in his AE86  and holding the lead at day’s end, with Dean Cook and Bill Lakstins filling out the podium positions. Defending title-holder Lachlan Cox found pace in the afternoon, winning the last four stages to end up in fourth place.

The stage is set for three more exciting days of tarmac action in Adelaide.

Tight at the Top on Day 1