Photos: Roy Meuronen Photography

It was a rally of highs and heartbreak for Redhead Motorsport at the Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst, with Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith demonstrating outright speed before being forced to retire due to brake issues.

The team arrived at Bathurst after an intense build in the workshop, with preparation going right down to the wire. In fact, the car was trailered directly from the workshop to the start line, leaving no opportunity for pre-event testing.

Despite that, Redhead wasted no time showing the car’s potential.

Across the opening loop of stages, the team delivered a string of impressive results, recording one 3rd outright stage time and three 2nd outright stage times in the NSW Rally Championship category, immediately putting themselves among the front-runners.

However, early dramas began to unfold, with issues forcing the team to miss stages after Special Stage 5.

Determined to make the most of the weekend, Redhead and Winwood-Smith rejoined the rally at SS9, and what followed was a clear statement of intent.

On their return, the team set the fastest stage time in the NSW Rally Championship category, and an incredible 2nd outright time on the stage, finishing less than 10 seconds behind stage winner Scott Pedder in the Rally2 Skoda.

It was a standout performance that underlined just how competitive the package could be.

Unfortunately, ongoing brake issues ultimately proved too much, forcing the team to retire from the event before the finish.

While the final result didn’t reflect their speed, the pace shown throughout the rally leaves little doubt about the potential of the car and crew.

With more preparation and valuable seat time, Redhead Motorsport has firmly established itself as a serious contender in the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship.

Attention now turns to the next round, where the big question remains…

Will Josh return in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, or switch back to the Hyundai i20?

Either way, after Bathurst, one thing is clear.
Redhead Motorsport has the speed to run at the front.