Strong start for Reeves at Mitta Mountain Rally

After a strong 40 kilometre test, Brendan Reeves was excited to start his year on a high at the season-opening Mitta Mountain Rally last weekend.

 

Reeves was once again joined by co-driver Kate Catford in his highly modified Datsun 1600 for the rally, which was held in the far north east of Victoria. 

 

 

The event kicked off with SS1 - a dry and very steep uphill stage of 10 kilometres.

 

Despite an overshoot when they misjudged a turn and lost ten seconds, Reeves and Catford pushed hard in the second half of the stage, pulling back time and finishing 14 seconds clear of Nathan Quinn and Alex Eadie (Mazda RX2) .

 

SS2 was another very steep stage with a peak elevation of 1340 metres.

 

At the 10 kilometre mark, Reeves started to smell smoke and a further two kilometres down the road he stopped to find a small fire on the exhaust. The fire was caused from oil dripping out of the diff where the driveshaft had popped out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a large field of 60 cars, this meant it was rally over for Reeves and Catford as by the time the sweep car had come through after the final competitor, Heat 2 had already started. 

 

It was another disappointing end to a rally for Reeves and Catford but Reeves can see the potential of the Datsun and is keen to keep fine tuning it before the Alpine Rally at the end of this year.

 

The Mitta Mountain Rally was won by brothers Jamie and Brad Luff (Subaru WRX) with the Clubman Class honours - and second outright - going to Luke Sytema and Tracey Dewhurst in a Ford Escort RS1800.  Quinn and Eadie finished third outright.

 

See more photos of Brendan and Kate in action at the Mitta Mountain Rally > here.

 

Photo: Wishart Media