News — Motorsport

Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia secures second straight finish as record first season win

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) has continued its winning ways in the 2024 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) season with Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin claiming victory at the Adelaide Hills rally ahead of TGRA teammates Harry Bates and Coral Taylor.

Anthony McLoughlin and Lewis Bates celebrating on top of a Toyota rally car at the finish line, with both front doors open and a race podium banner behind them.

Anthony McLoughlin (L) and Lewis Bates celebrate their third consecutive win at the Adelaide Hills Rally.

Based around Mount Barker, the South Australian hinterland has been a happy hunting ground for Bates and McLoughlin who recorded their third consecutive win at the Adelaide Hills Rally.

The TGRA team was hard to catch across the two-day event, with Bates and McLoughlin winning both days including four of the eight stages on day one.

Day two was a close-run affair, with Harry Bates and Coral Taylor finishing only 5.7 seconds behind Lewis and Anthony to help clinch the 1-2 overall finish.

After finishing day one in fourth place due to a penalty, reigning ARC champions and 2024 table leaders Harry and Coral started day two strongly, winning the second and third stages of the day including the power stage before Lewis and Anthony took out the next three to secure the round win.

The weekend’s results saw Harry and Coral extend their championship lead to 65 points with only one race remaining, putting them in the box seat to secure a second straight ARC driver’s title.

Meanwhile, Lewis and Anthony’s race win saw them climb a spot to third place in the overall standings, only 17 points off second place.

“Anthony and I are really pleased with how things went this weekend – we were able to set a great pace across both days, and the car performed really well. It was also a great weekend for the team with Harry and Coral finishing second – the second race in a row with a 1-2 finish for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia.”

Lewis Bates

“It wasn’t quite our weekend. However, we managed to put in a strong performance on Sunday which helped secure second place overall. We’re thrilled for Lewis and Anthony who deserved their win with a consistently fast performance over the weekend.”

Harry Bates

Fans will have to wait two months for the final race of the 2024 ARC season, with Rally Tasmania set to determine this year’s champions when it rolls around from November 22-24.

ADELAIDE HILLS RALLY RESULTS: