Brendan joins RallySchool Rally Team for 2013 ARC assault

After contesting three events in the 2012 Australian Rally Championship (ARC), the RallySchool Rally Team will launch a full-on attack for the Championship title in 2013 with Australia's most exciting young driver, Brendan Reeves, joining the team.

Fresh from two years in the World Rally Championship Academy where he regularly finished on the podium, Brendan and his co-driving sister, Rhianon Smyth, will start their ARC campaign at the opening round in Canberra from March 1 to 3.

RallySchool's Mick Ryan is delighted to have the young duo join the team. "I have been a personal supporter of Brendan and Rhianon since taking over RallySchool in 2007,” Ryan said. “It's great to be able to expand our relationship, and be able to offer Brendo this opportunity in a car, which has already shown so much speed.

"We were privileged to have Simon Evans in the team from the beginning of this project. With his experience, positive approach and professionalism, our engineers were very quickly able to get on top of the new car. His work cannot be under-estimated ," Ryan added.

Brendan's mount will be the same Mazda2 that Evans drove last year. Built to G2 specifications, it is fitted with a 2 litre Mazda engine and 6 speed Hollinger sequential gearbox. The new regulations of the ARC this year have opened up the title race to more makes of cars and that is something that excites Brendan.

"I'm really excited to be part of the RallySchool Rally Team," he said. "Rhianon and I have both been working closely with RallySchool for the last five years as instructors and to now be able to compete in the recently-formed rally team is great.

"We've had enormous support from our Australian fans over the last two years while we've competed in the WRC Academy and to now be able to compete on home soil in front of them will be a real buzz.

"We are also really looking forward to competing in Rally Australia, a dual WRC and ARC event, in Coffs Harbour in September."

  Brendan will test the Mazda2 next month before heading to Canberra for the season opener.

2013 Australian Rally Championship calendar

National Capital Rally (Canberra), March 1 - 3
Quit Forest Rally (WA), April 5 - 7
Scouts Rally SA, May 24 - 26
International Rally of Queensland, July 12 - 14
Rally Australia (NSW), September 12 - 15
Rally Victoria, November 15 – 16