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BRAD Markovic has finished fifth in the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship competition of the National Capital Rally in Canberra at the weekend.
The Kalamunda driver was the highest-placed Australian in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship division of the event which featured competitors from nine countries.
Markovic said they entered as an Asia-Pacific Rally Championship team for the extra challenge and exposure.
“Plus any time you get the chance to go up against the internationals is great,’’ he said.
The event was not without its challenges for Markovic, who also placed sixth in the CAMS Australian Rally Championship section of the event.
“We struggled through the rally with a few issues, but we were able to preserve our speed and keep the car straight, so we were really happy with that.
While the Maximum Motorsport team has been yet to identify the cause of the problems, Markovic said the Subaru WRX STI was low on power from the get go.
“We first felt the problem at shakedown on Friday, but we persevered and we’re thrilled to finish a really challenging event.
“The National Capital Rally has a lot to take in because you’ve got the fast, flowing stages on Saturday and then the tight, technical stages on Sunday.”
Rain was an additional test for competitors in heat two.
“It rained quite heavily on Sunday morning and, because we were car five on the road, we copped the brunt of it.
“We had to be quite cautious because it was so slippery and there was no room for error.”
Markovic remains the highest placed Western Australian on the ARC leaderboard ahead of round four the Lightforce Rally SA in September.
With such a big gap between ARC events, Markovic intends to compete in some CAMS Onslow Contracting WA Rally Championship events, including next Sunday’s MRF Boddington Rally.
By Elissa Macneall
