ARC

In a dramatic day of fluctuating fortunes Justin Dowel has taken his first ever win in a round of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship after a torrid rally-long fight with Mark Pedder which ended with a blown engine just three stages from the finish.

Dowel in his Mitsubishi Evo 9 pushed hard but was driving with his head and not his heart aiming to secure the overall rally win which was handed to him on a plate in the end, when Pedder retired his Lancer Evo 9 within sight of the finish.

Victorian driver Rowan Wollard and South Australian driver Sandy Nott have taken the honours in the Kumho Future Champions Award at round three of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship, the Scouts Rally of South Australia in the Barossa Valley.

The Kumho Future Champions Award is this year being presented to the winners of the Rallyschool.com.au Junior Australian Rally Challenge at each round of the championship.

Up and coming South Australian rally driver James Rodda has been chosen as the wild card entry in the final of the Rallyschool.com.au Australian Junior Challenge which will be a part of the Bosch ARC section of this year's Rally Australia event, the Coffs Coast Rally at Coffs Harbour on September 9 and 10.

With mechanical maladies blighting the opening two rounds of the Bosch Australian Rally Championship for Justin Dowel, the Victorian is hoping for a trouble free run as the series heads to the Barossa Valley near Adelaide next weekend.

"It hasn't been a great start to the year but we head to South Australia with renewed confidence on the back of some serious improvements to our car," explained Dowel.