O’Malley Prepares for Rally of Bathurst After Breakthrough Season

Pictures by Roy Meuronen.

After a standout first full season in the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship, James O’Malley is preparing to return to the stages in 2026, beginning with the upcoming Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst.

O’Malley enjoyed a strong campaign in 2025, securing first place in the NSW Rally Championship for the 1601–2000cc two-wheel-drive class, finishing third in the outright two-wheel-drive standings, and placing sixth outright. The results marked an impressive milestone in what was his first full season in the series.

During the off-season, the team has focused heavily on further developing the Toyota 86 rally car, highlighted by fitting a Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes DG350 six-speed sequential transmission. The upgrade follows a challenging run with traditional gearbox setups.

“After torching three gearboxes to varying degrees, it was time to look at a different solution,” O’Malley said. “With more involved upgrades to the factory box being relatively unproven or requiring significant labour, the sequential started to make a lot of sense.”

The DG350 unit, supplied by Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, is around 10 kilograms lighter than the standard gearbox and features straight cut gears, sequential dog engagement and an internal oil pump and lubrication system. The gearbox has already proven itself internationally, including use in the Spanish GR Cup and the previously homologated CS-R3 Toyota 86 rally cars.

To support the new transmission, the team has also been working with Insight Motorsports to dial in the flatshift system through the Emtron ECU. On upshifts, the ECU briefly trims ignition as it senses load through the shifter, momentarily unloading the driveline so the next gear can engage cleanly without lifting the throttle. On downshifts, the system automatically blips the throttle to match engine RPM with the lower gear, constantly monitoring driveline speed and adjusting in real time.

With the original wheel speed sensors no longer present, Wall-Fab and Pallister Automotive developed a custom solution, machining a trigger wheel to mount on the tailshaft flange and fabricating a bracket to hold the speed sensor safely behind the fuel tank.

Following the upgrades, O’Malley recently spent a day testing and training with Australian rally star Brendan Reeves, gaining valuable seat time and further refining the car’s setup.

“Being relatively new to the sport, days like this are incredibly valuable,” O’Malley said.

“Brendo banked a few laps early and it quickly gave me a sense of what the car is really capable of. We made some significant changes to the brake bias and adjusted our target tyre pressures, which had me re-learning a few things behind the wheel. After some inward reflection it started to make sense.”

Despite heavy rain the day before the test, Reeves ensured the session could still go ahead.

“A big thanks to Brendo for literally moving the earth to make sure the day was a success after the downpour on Sunday,” O’Malley said.

The team will again contest the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship, with O’Malley joined in the co-driver’s seat by Jono Forrest.

Supporting the effort behind the scenes are Jason Wall (motorsport fabrication) and Phil Pallister (motorsport mechanic), while internationally respected rally figures Rhianon Gelsomino and Alex Gelsomino provide co-driver and pace note coaching. Mitch Francis also assists with driver fitness and mindset preparation.

O’Malley’s rally journey stretches back much further than his recent success might suggest. Inspired by his grandfather, an ex-rally driver, he began driving at just seven years old.

“My rallying story started many years back with my grandfather,” O’Malley said. “He had a pretty loose appreciation for licensing requirements at the time, so with pedal extensions and a tissue box for heel support I was already learning the basics of driving.”

“That early exposure made it pretty clear that rallying wasn’t going to be an ‘if’, it was going to be a ‘when’.”

With development of the Toyota 86 continuing and a strong season behind them, O’Malley is now focused on the opening round of the 2026 campaign at the Rally of Bathurst.

The team’s 2026 season is proudly supported by: