RallySport Magazine March 2017

RALLYCROSS
ORDERS TAKES THE HONOURS
Will Orders stormed to victory
in the opening round of
the 2017 RXAus series at
Marulan, while Michael Coyne and Troy
Dowel also starred.
The Mitsubishi Lancer EVO driver
edged out multiple Irish RallyCross
champion Michael Coyne’s two-wheeldrive
Mazda 2 to win the six-lap Super
Final that capped off a thrilling opening
round of the all-new series.
Orders also won the 4WD Open
class, while Troy Dowel won the 4WD
Production Class and Coyne the 2WD
battle.
The three class final winners finished
1-2-3 in the 6-lap Super Final to cap off
a strong day.
Orders’ remarkable performance
came despite completing almost no
laps in practice and various struggles
across all three heats thanks to an
array of technical issues on his newlydeveloped
Mitsubishi.
With the Super Final grid determined
by the fastest overall times from the
preceding finals, Orders started on
the pole for the six-lap race, Irishman
Michael Coyne starting alongside in his
rapid two-wheel-drive Mazda 2.
The race was a straightforward fight
between the pair, Order clearly quicker
on the front straight and Coyne closing
in through Marulan’s technical sections.
In a pressure-cooker six laps, Orders
won by a narrow margin in a classic
all-wheel-drive versus two-wheel drive
fight.
Orders said the opening round of
the series was a positive start for the
category this year.
“It’s been a really positive weekend.
Everyone has been very enthusiastic
and supportive of what we’re doing
and there’s a lot of interest moving
forward,” he said.
“Everyone has come here and the
only real damage inflicted to the cars
was self-inflicted! There was no panel
rubbing and really close racing so I
don’t think you can get much better
than that.”
Troy Dowel finished third after an
epic race-long battle with fellow VW
Polo driver Sean Bolger, the pair evenly
matched across the day both in their
class and the final.
It was only late in the race that saw
Dowel solidify himself into the final spot
on the podium.
Dowel also won the young driver
award for round one thanks to his
consistent weekend-long performance,
though 14-year-old Bolger continued to
impress with his speed and racecraft.
A giant-killing performance saw Mike
Conway fourth in his classic Ford Escort
Mk. II, Andrew Murdoch’s Subaru, Sean
Bolger and Michael Harding completing
the runners.
Conway’s stunning Escort won the
Production 2WD class in a giant-killing
weekend for the classic racer.
A notable non-finisher was Justin
Dowel, who despite winning three heat
races and placing second to Orders
in the 4WD Open final, was unable to
complete the Super final, parking his
Hyundai I30 on the side of the circuit
before half-race.
16-year-old Troy Dowel won a thrilling
4WD Production Class final, edging out
Sean Bolger and Andrew Murdoch after
a race-long three way dice.
Will Orders defeated arch-rival Justin
Dowel in the 4WD open final, despite
failing to finish all three preliminary
heats with mechanical issues.
Irish RallyCross champion Michael
Coyne won the 2WD Production / Open
final, beating home Mike Conway’s
screaming Ford Escort RS.
The next round of the exciting 2017
RXAus series will also be held at the
Marulan circuit in New South Wales on
May 14.
PHOTOS: Richard Craill, Joel Strickland
Will Orders (Mitsubishi) leads Justin
Dowel (Hyundai) in the 4WD Open final.
L-R: Troy Dowel, Will Orders
and Michael Coyne.
68 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - MARCH 2017