Photos: Roy Meuronen Photography
The Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst delivered a spectacular day of competition, with fast forest roads, changing conditions and intense battles across all categories highlighting one of the standout events on the NSW rally calendar.
At the front of the field, Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall claimed outright victory in their R2 Skoda, delivering a strong and consistent performance across the day to secure the win after a hard-fought battle with some of the country’s best crews.
Finishing second outright were Richie Dalton and Mac Kierans in the Toyota Yaris AP4, who not only pushed Pedder throughout the rally but also claimed victory in the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship component of the event, securing valuable points in their championship campaign.
Rounding out the outright podium were Jackson Long and Damien Long, who produced one of the standout drives of the event. In their first rally in the Skoda, the pair showed impressive maturity and speed to finish third outright, underlining their potential as serious contenders moving forward.
Just behind the podium, Troy Dowel and Bernie Webb delivered a strong performance to finish fourth outright. The result provides an excellent confidence boost as the team builds momentum ahead of upcoming rounds of the Australian Rally Championship.
Further down the field, there were strong performances and great stories across multiple categories.
James O’Malley and Jono Forrest claimed victory in the two-wheel-drive category, finishing an impressive sixth outright in the NSW Rally Championship field in their Toyota 86.
A unique and exciting addition to the field came from Sam Hill and Mikayla Cooling, who debuted their H6 Subaru, something rarely seen in NSW rallying. The naturally aspirated six-cylinder machine turned heads all day with its distinctive sound and strong performance, with the pair finishing 14th outright, 11th in the NSW Rally Championship and 9th in Production Cup. It was also a special event for the crew, with father and daughter sharing the rally together.
In the NSW Clubman Rally Series, it was Dennis and Luke Stanford who took the win, continuing their consistent form from 2025 in the Clubman category.
Another great story came from Tom Dermody and Eoin Moynihan, campaigning a classic Ford Escort Mk2. After suffering a broken Watts linkage early in the rally, the team managed to recover and fight their way through the remaining stages to reach the finish, showing the resilience that rallying is known for.
One of the most heartwarming stories of the rally came from Damien Nugent, who made his debut in the Clubman category with his young son co-driving. The pair successfully completed the rally together in their ex-Redhead Motorsport Mitsubishi EVO 3, showcasing the grassroots spirit and family involvement that continues to define the sport.
The event also saw a number of crews show front-running pace despite challenges. Notably, Redhead Motorsport’s Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith, who demonstrated outright speed with multiple top stage times before being forced to retire due to brake issues, in a car that was literally driven from the workshop to the start line on Saturday morning without any testing or setup completed.
Across the day, competitors tackled a mix of iconic locations including Mount Panorama, Cashens Lane and Macquarrie Woods, Dark Corner and Mt Horrible, and then the fast, flowing forest stages around Sunny Corner, with conditions ranging throughout the day.
The rally once again highlighted the depth of talent within the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship, with strong performances from both experienced competitors and emerging crews. With a mix of outright pace, class battles and personal milestones, the Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst proved to be a memorable round of the championship and sets the stage for an exciting remainder of the season.
The next event on the NSW Rally Championship Calendar is the Narooma Forest Rally on the 27th of June.
