Brendan tests his wheels ahead of ARC opener

With under two weeks until the start of the 2013 Australian Rally Championship (ARC), Brendan has had his first hit-out in the RallySchool.com.au Mazda2.

Whilst the car is still being prepared, Brendan was able to test the car at a special test session in Canberra at the weekend, ahead of the opening round of the ARC, the National Capital Rally, which will be held from March 1 - 3.

The test session consisted of about 40 kilometres in total and Brendan was very happy with the day and felt very comfortable in the car.

"The car fit like a glove straight away," he said. "The balance and power from the Mazda is a good mix and I was able to fine tune small areas that allowed for better traction. The team and sponsors MCA suspension and BSM-Sport have done a brilliant job with the chassis and I can't wait for the next test in a week's time."

The National Capital Rally kicks off in Canberra on Friday evening, 1 March with a ceremonial start in the city centre before Brendan and his co-driving sister, Rhianon Smyth, and their fellow competitors start the rally proper. The event will consist of a qualifying stage on Friday with the top five competitors then running a 'Power Stage' to determine their road position, followed by 13 competitive stages on Saturday and Sunday. The event will cover a total competitive distance of around 200 kilometres.