New RallySchool.com.au Mazda2 livery revealed

With the opening round of the 2013 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) kicking off this weekend, Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Smyth have unveiled the livery of their RallySchool.com.au Mazda2.

The 2013 ARC was officially launched last night at a gala event in Canberra and whilst competitors were able to enjoy a relaxed evening together, final preparations for the National Capital Rally will move up a gear today.

Brendan and Rhianon spent Wednesday putting the Mazda2 through its paces in a test session before undertaking their Reconnaissance on Thursday.

Friday morning sees the running of a qualifying stage with the top five competitors then running a 'Power Stage' to determine their road position for the start of the rally proper. A Ceremonial Start in the Canberra city centre on Friday evening will officially start the highly anticipated season opener.

The National Capital Rally will consist of 13 competitive stages on Saturday and Sunday, covering a total competitive distance of around 200 kilometres.

Having not competed in a rally since November last year, Brendan is understandably raring to go. With plenty of experience competing in front wheel drive cars in the World Rally Championship Academy over the last two years, the 24 year old is confident it will be a smooth transition behind the wheel of the Mazda2.

“It’s certainly going to be similar to cars I’ve driven in the past, and the Mazda2 is balanced and fun to drive. It’s hard to know what to expect until I’ve driven the car properly but my aim is certainly to try to win the Championship for the Rallyschool.com.au team.”

“Driving consistently is going to be the key and that’s got to be the biggest thing I learnt driving in the WRC Academy,” Brendan said.

See more photos from Brendan and Rhianon's test in their photo gallery.  Watch in-car footage from the test session here.