Water crossing
They decided to make a splash on the international scene by tackling Rally Whangaeri in New Zealand with a leased Ford Fiesta. This first foray overseas also saw Brendan’s front-drive competition debut. “Rally Whangaeri came about because the Fiesta Sporting trophy hadn’t taken off in terms of popularity and they wanted an international driver to boost exposure. We had minimal testing in the car and I found that it needed to be set up for entry well before a corner, so we could drive through under power. My usual left-foot braking technique wasn’t as effective in the Fiesta, due to the brake booster (he had never rallied with one before) altering the pedal feel and making it harder to pivot into turns. Despite this we lead all Fiestas after the first day and were again ahead of the pace on the second. A puncture cost us some time but our challenge ended when we returned to the car. It wouldn’t start because the battery had gone flat,” he remembers.

Whangaeri was the precursor event to participation in the WRC round in New Zealand, again in the Fiesta. When I ask Reeves about nerves, he smiles, but his response is quite assured: “We took a lot from the experience, just seeing how much importance the WRC guys place on reconnaissance and being specific with their notes. I wasn’t nervous being in front of them, as obviously they were running well ahead on the road.”

As for the rally itself, they finished first in the Fiesta class and 25th outright- despite a broken ball joint on the last stage sapping time. Off the back of this performance Brendan earned a wild card entry to the UK for a Fiesta shootout. The majority of other invitees had been running the cars all season…

“Twenty junior drivers were flown in from around the world to compete, the prize being a contract with M-Sport (Ford’s international rally team). The first day we did fitness and psychological tests, and I came out at the top of the list. Day 2 was the actual driving. The conditions were very difficult for me, being minus five degrees and with an icy surface- I’d never driven on that type of surface before. It was a 3km stage and we had three allocated runs each, but I never had my last run as the driver before me destroyed the Fiesta! My second run was good enough for eighth overall, but I had a lot more time in hand as I got to grips with the car. Unfortunately I never got the opportunity to show it,” he says with slight annoyance. Regardless, Reeves made it through to the final five and was interviewed by an illustrious panel that included Marcus Gronholm and Malcolm Wilson. After his demeanour was assessed, they placed him third overall- a remarkable result given the circumstances.

Targa time
Back in Australia Rhianon had an opportunity to co-drive for Rick Bates in the Targa Tasmania for the factory Mazda team in a Mazda3 MPS. Bates was impressed with her professionalism and when an opening came up to drive a second MPS she recommended Brendan. The siblings were subsequently entered in the showroom class for the Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge, as preparation for an assault on the Targa in 2009. The result was a strong eighth outright and first in showroom class.

This momentum carried into the Targa as they won the 2WD Showroom class at Targa Tassie after mixing it in the wet with the Mitsubishi Evos- until the MPS was penalised for a tyre change (against Targa rules) after a puncture.
Gravel, however, continued to be the Reeves focal point. “Our intention was to do as many pace noted gravel rallies as possible, to gain more experience and good enough results to allow an entry into the Australian WRC round in Perth,” he says.

The early results were encouraging despite a small budget which did little for continuity of competition and equipment. “We were fortunate to have Mick offer us a Rally School STI for a couple of events. We won outright at Rally Lithgow in NSW and came second behind Eli (Evans) in South Australia despite being in a less developed car. “

Rising star
Two further key results leap out from his results page. The first was his performance in the Pirelli Star Driver event in Queensland, with Glenn Weston co-driving (Smyth was part of an all-girl team with Emma Gilmour). “This concept pitted drivers under 26 against each other where we competed for points on each stage rather than going by totalled stage times,” he says. “There was some exceptional competition with Eli Evans, Hayden Paddon and Nathan Quinn present. The top 2 guys were to be invited to an Asian Pacific shootout, with the winner getting a paid drive in the Production Car class of the WRC.” Reeves/Weston were duly victorious and one guaranteed spot was theirs, the shootout scheduled for aforementioned WRC round in Northern NSW.

The wander back to Whangarei
A chance for more international exposure came when Brendan was able to lease Emma Gilmour’s STI to enter the New Zealand APRC round, again at Whangarei. This time his intent was nothing less than outright victory. With Weston alongside, Reeves showed confidence and poise as he mixed it with the best rally drivers in the Asia Pacific championship. “The car was very well set up; with a terrific diff program that Emma had developed with Possum Bourne Motorsport to suit the NZ roads. Again we didn’t have much opportunity to test, but still we were running second overall behind Paddon. Cody (Crocker) was third, but driving a new and unsorted car so I expected a fight as the rally continued on. On the fourth last stage, we caught up to Richard Mason, who had blown a turbo and filled the stage with smoke. I lost too much time behind it, and Cody’s clear run allowed him passed. There just wasn’t enough time for me to catch it back up!” The rallying fraternity were mightily impressed with this 20 year old arriving to drive a leased car serviced by borrowed crew to a podium in his first outright Asia Pacific event. Things were looking great, and confidence in the Reeves camp was sky-high for a memorable performance in the Australian WRC event.

Learning experience
Rhainon returned to the co-driving chair for the ARC’s Rally SA, but it was here that all the hard grafted momentum stalled with a massive accident that separated the Rally School STI’s engine from its frame. “We were really focussed on running at the front and we were setting fastest stage times. Unfortunately the car developed a misfire and with the time lost came a need to claw it back. I don’t remember much of the accident- but in the lead up we were doing over 180km/h approaching a 9L over a crest. We landed on a gutter on the right side, the gutter then pulling the car up and into a gumtree before spinning us into another tree on the left. “

Rhianon suffered breaks in both legs and heels, while Brendan cracked vertebrae in his neck. As a result, the guaranteed entry into the Australian WRC in Northern NSW had to be shelved as it was on only three weeks later. “We were pretty shattered and Rhianon had to have several operations to set her legs. She maintained her positivity throughout, and she has vowed to get back alongside me again in 2010,” he explains.

An incident as monumental as this can have a negative effect when one climbs back behind the wheel, however Reeves enlisted the help of a sports psychologist, Anthony Klarica, who was recommended by Simon Evans to assist in his rehabilitation. “He basically helped me refocus on my goals for the future, and to move forward with real positivity for the time ahead,” Brendan remembers.

Fightback
The return came on a local VRC round, the Akademos that he had previously won outright in the naturally aspirated RS. This time he entered in the STI that he had prepared for Perth, alongside Ben Atkinson, who is best known for sitting with Cody Crocker. “My intent was to ease myself back into the groove. Ben was so good about it, being very encouraging. To start with I was braking far too early, but I knew my reasons for it. We were initially running second outright, eventually upping our pace and eventually taking the win, so it was great for the confidence knowing I could still do it.”

Moving forward
So, what lies ahead in 2010 for Brendan Reeves? “I have an entry in Rally Tasmania in our LHD STI Spec-C, with Rhianon returning alongside,” he says. “We are entered in the outright class which allows us some freedoms in tyres, gearbox and engine. The competition is going to be intense- Jim Richards in his Porsche GT2 will be there, Tony Quinn’s GT-R…and Steve Glenney in a similar spec car to my own.” A ‘who’s who of recent Targa Tasmania winners, in other words.

“Things are also looking good for another attack on Showroom class in the Mazda MPS at Targa Tasmania and we’d love to do it again. It is a an event that consumes you… our ‘recce’ last year racked up over 6000kms as the roads change so much in wet/dry conditions. The challenge in making the tyres last the event was an education in smoothness and utilising a higher gear in corners to rely on torque to drag you out without spinning wheels.”

Strong drives in these local events will contribute to 2010’s ultimate goal- to further develop an international profile with entries in selected Asia Pacific and (hopefully) WRC rounds. Reeves is currently talking with a couple of international outfits to achieve this, and early feedback suggests things are progressing well.

The competition driving will be augmented with further work at the rally school (“It’s very cheap testing!”) and his ability to develop hardware has led to some further opportunities- in fact, after our chat he is off to test a new generation of tarmac rally tyre at Phillip Island, aboard a Les Walkden 2008 STI. I jokingly offer my availability should he “Need any circuit tips,” and he kindly goes along with the (attempted) comedy in his easy, down-to-earth manner. As we depart, it is this flash of personality that leaves the biggest impression. He combines good nature with an immense natural talent that is supported by an inquisitive, professional, committed attitude; the net result bringing a true self-belief that will see him go a very long way in the rallying world. Watch this space and remember the name- ‘Brendo’ is on a mission.

*If you are interested in supporting Brendan and Rhianon’s rallying, please feel free to contact us at info@lautista.com.au for further information. They have also introduced a new service designed to develop co-drivers- again, email us for info or visit www.brendanreeves.com.au .

With a jab of handbrake, the Evo pulls alongside the viewing platform, its driver’s face already broken into a smile as he hears yet again the incoherent ramblings of another passenger who has just had their perceptions of fast driving altered forever. The driver, completely relaxed, climbs out, the Evo now sitting idle, its previously superheated internals now ticking cool. He pulls up a chair alongside mine, shakes my hand. “G’Day, I’m Brendo. Nice to meet you.”

‘Brendo’ is perhaps better known as Brendan Reeves, the 21 year old country Victorian who has already proved himself as one of the quickest rally drivers in the country. His resume is already highly impressive and many in the industry are tipping massive things in his rallying future.

Fuelling the passion
How did it all begin? “My Dad Michael was a successful rally driver, winning the Victorian Rally Championship in 1997 and 2003. I remember going to watch him long before I was old enough to drive, helping out in the service crew. I was fascinated by the sport, and when my older brother Nathan got into go-karting I wanted to as well,” he recalls.
Even at the age of 7, Reeves had established that he wanted to be a professional rally driver when he grew up. Obviously not yet old enough to drive a car, he entered the world of karting and participated until he was 11, but found the atmosphere a little tense with other parents pushing their children a little too firmly to be the next Schumacher.
Being so young at the time, he remembers that the new information was quickly absorbed. “I learned race-craft on the karts, and almost unconsciously developed an understanding of the tarmac ‘line’- of entry, apex and exit, which helps me even today on bitumen.”

Reeves played Aussie Rules football and hockey as he ticked away the couple of years required before he could legally compete in local Autocross events. By the time he was 15, brother Nathan was already into rallying and father Michael felt it was time to retire from the stages to devote all his time to developing his children’s rallying interests (I say children as daughter Rhianon Smyth is today a highly successful co-driver in her own right, and usually partners Reeves on major events.)

Dirty work
Out at the family farm at Wedderburn, Michael built a dirt practice track and Brendan’s first memorable dirt experiences came in an assortment of Datsun’s, along with a stripped out Falcon. “It had no weight in it so the suspension worked quite well, and it had a torquey engine so I quickly learned about oversteer!” he laughs.

Brendan fondly recalls Sunday afternoons where he would race a stopwatch over 6kms around the track, battling for top time against his father, brother and friends. “It was fantastic to have the benefit of that track. Combined with Dad’s advice, along with that of his rallying friends, was invaluable. I still occasionally venture out there for testing.”

The move into autocross was “To learn the ropes in a competitive environment at low cost,” he says.
Obviously a fast learner, Brendan at 16 years old became the youngest ever winner of the Victorian Autocross Championship, which pits drivers against the clock over a range of 2km dirt circuits. He competed in a Datsun 240Z that he keeps to this day. “It was a great, reliable car, with around 280bhp and the ‘Option 1’ dog-leg gearbox which the works teams used back in the Seventies. Being rear-wheel drive and quite powerful, I learned a lot about being smooth with my inputs and aiming for the cleanest, grippiest exit lines during that time.”

At the end of 2005 Brendan entered Nathan’s Datsun 1600 in his first stage rally with his father’s old co-driver, Robin Smalley. “Having an experienced hand guiding me at that point was vital,” Brendan remembers. “I drove right on the edge in the first stage, as fast as I could go. As the stage ended, Robin said ‘You don’t need to drive anywhere near that hard to win this event.’ The underlying message really sunk in- you had to manage your speed in a way to combine good pace with enough margin to bring the car home. I also discovered how fit you had to be to achieve consistency. There was a 57km night stage, still the longest I have ever driven, and I came out of it panting. Dad caught me, and said ‘What’s the matter, Brendo? A bit puffed are we!?’”

Brandan’s quickly developing professional mindset was enhanced by an invitation to a 3 day course at the Australian Institute of Sport Rally Development program. Here he was presented with further tools that would assist his development. “We basically learned the other side of rallying. Most people think we just turn up and drive the cars. The AIS educated us about nutrition and mental/physical fitness, but also introduced skills in dealing with the larger rallying community- sponsors and media in particular.”

Adaptation
2006 saw Reeves participate in a couple of rounds of the RS Cup, a championship designed for the all-wheel drive, naturally aspirated Impreza RS. “It was…enlightening!” he grins. “Going from the 240Z which had big power but not much grip to something completely the opposite dictated a change in driving style. The RS was all about keeping up momentum through the corners.”

He quickly adapted, winning the RS cup with a twelfth outright at the 2006 NGK Rally of Melbourne, a round of the Australian Rally Championship (ARC). Rallyschool.com.au owner Mick Ryan reminds me that “Brendo also won a Victorian event outright in the RS…against turbocharged STI Imprezas… including one driven by his brother!”
In light of this banter, it is obvious the siblings enjoy a good natured rivalry. Rhianon, who also works the Melbourne rally school weekends with her brothers, appears to enjoy stirring the pot- at one stage cheekily asking a returning school student which brother was the quicker ‘hot lap’ instructor. When “Nathan” was the response, she made sure Brendan heard about it! “But those laps are about going sideways not about speed!” was his smiling response.

The national stage
Brendan’s impressive performances in the RS led to a real breakthrough for 2007, as Les Walkden provided a privately owned left hand drive STI for Brendan and Rhianon to compete in the ARC. “Les was a big supporter of the RS challenge and after it finished in ’06 he wanted to give a young driver a chance to step up. I was lucky enough to be chosen,” he recalls.

It was another steep learning curve as Reeves was new to LHD and the Impreza’s ‘dog ‘box’. The established rallying fraternity, more close-knit than in other forms of motorsport, were quick to lend the new boy a hand. “Cody Crocker was great,” Reeves says. “A fortnight before the first Rally in Queensland he came out to the farm and, on that same dirt track Dad had made, he showed me how to get to grips with the car.”

This quick familiarisation led to a scarcely believable third outright in Queensland, but the lingering taste of champagne was not long to last, for at the next event in Western Australia Brendan and Rhianon failed to finish. “We’d come through to the last stage and were again looking good on pace. It was a wet stage…we crashed and basically destroyed the car. It was humbling, especially after experiencing the elation of Queensland.”

Reeves/Smyth ended the ARC season sixth overall and third privateer. Ever competitive, he recalls with disappointment the missed opportunity to take third overall with a strong finish in the Melbourne finale. “The Victorian drought made the surfaces very slippery. On the fourth stage I misheard the pace note for a 7 Right and lost my spot on the stage. We ended up rolling seven times…,” he says, voice trailing off at the memory.

The ‘new boy’ had thus made an STI-sized dent (sorry) on the sport, and as time went by he found that the advice that was once free-flowing from guys like Crocker, Simon Evans, Ed Ordynski and Neal Bates was now replaced with competitive banter as their respect for his ability grew. “Cody and Simon sometimes work for the rally school, and we always try to one-up each other, the aim being to slide the car as much as possible!” he laughs.

The brother/sister team then spent the summer of 2007/08 developing their pace note communication, adapting the familiar 1 to 10 corner grading system to their own specifications under the guidance of the aforementioned Crocker and Ordynski. A more diverse range of opportunities were to come in the new year….

Follow the link for part 2: Part 2

<

Of course, Victoria was playing to its strengths, with four seasons in one day, though thankfully it appeared as if the rain would hold off by the time we arrived in the car park amidst a handful of other students and assorted observers.

We were welcomed cordially, and offered refreshments as Mick’s crew prepared the cars, the paperwork and themselves for the day ahead. I signed up to the half day course – 24 laps of basic rallying technique around ‘practice rally stages’ of varying configurations as we developed our skills, an instructor always alongside. The appeal of being presented with a certificate to hang on the wall at the course conclusion was essential, simply so I could exaggerate my prowess at the wheel of a rally car to friends later!

Mick sat the drivers down to briefing, complete with whiteboard, markers, and intent to use both. He introduced the crew and gave us a bit of history on what the school is about (basically a “travelling roadshow” that is based out of Sydney but every other weekend is in another capital city) before moving on to some theoretical technique. For people familiar with circuit theory, the discussion raised the odd eyebrow as Mick talked about exiting the corners on the inside as that is where the cleanest surface would be. “(Former rally and later circuit ace) George Fury once said ‘It doesn’t matter what you do on the entry, the exit is where the time is,’” he explained. Cleaner surface means more bite for the purpose built rally tyres, and consequently better traction. He also touched on smooth inputs with all controls so as not to upset the cars attitude, and gave any potential “boy racers” a dose of reality with the simple phrase: “You crash it, you buy it.”

To assist with our lines the crew had set up witches hats around the beginner’s loops, encouraging precision right from the start. Our first runs comprised of 6 laps on each of these loops, the right side utilising 3rd gear on its more open sections with the left section being more technical in 2nd gear.

My nerves were eased somewhat when we were told to take the first lap very carefully to get a feel for the car, and credit to our group of 15 students who adhered to this advice and listened to the experts, being circumspect with the throttle until their responses caught up with the car.

As the names were called off, 2 at a time, the nerves began to crawl back, thoughts of “binning it” being uppermost in my mind after the briefing. “Adam, you’re in the Evo 9 with Gareth.” There goes the heart rate, though I breathe deeply and reassure myself that it will all be fine. A calm focus then took over.

I must confess in the lead up to this weekend, I was secretly hoping that the many hours watching Ari Vatanan as a youngster would rub off. In reality, the only thing resembling a ‘climb dance’ (Climb Dance on YouTube) is when I stumble over the Evo’s roll-cage to get in. Safety is paramount to this operation, of course, and a couple of minutes go by as adjustments are made to my seat and belts to ensure a comfortable driving position. Wrists resting over the top of the wheel, the seat then pulled forward to allow full pedal pressure below. Gripping the wheel at 10 to 2, I give the nod and the door is shut, closing off the outside world and Sarah’s camera lens. It was time.

Gareth’s first advice, once we get moving (very easy clutch effort in this car), is to “get into 3rd gear. This thing has heaps of torque and it will take the circuit entirely in 3rd.” He isn’t kidding. The Evo, a fully prepped rally car- adjustable suspension, tricky diffs and anti-lag, feels insanely fast. Especially when teetering around on loose gravel at the top end of 3rd gear, between witches hats that seemingly grow closer by the lap. Despite the sensory overload feeding back through the car, I become conscious that another form of feedback is being imparted. It’s Gareth, telling me my braking point is way too early! “Whaaaaat?” I am thinking. “This is gravel, this is a long straight, and we are coming towards a 90 degree left. Did I say this was gravel?” My mind is going through a perpetual loop of warnings and alarms as it tries to compute this data into something more realistic.

By the end of the first run I am gaining confidence with turn-in, then balancing power through turns to maximise the application on the clean exit line. But I run out of bottle into that 90 left, lifting off early down the straight, before rolling into the braking zone. Obviously the Evo could take the late brake and more, but I didn’t have the confidence to control the rear on entry- trail braking in a slower corner indicated enough rear slip to indicate I wasn’t yet prepared to try it from a higher speed, despite its assistance in tucking the nose to the apex.

Gareth’s feedback offered an explanation for the nervous rear. “Try to smooth out your steering inputs rather than making continual adjustments as that unsettles a car on dirt. The Lancer is so reactive to driver input that if you are nervous with the wheel it will behave nervously itself.” On tarmac I like to get a feel for front end grip from a slightly early turn in, before squeezing on the power, so this was a big adjustment to make as I pondered my second run, with Tim on the left side loop in his Sti-RA Impreza.

The 90’s Impreza was clearly well used but well loved, it’s appetite for coolant being traced to a leaky upper radiator hose. Thankfully Mick had his ex-Possum Bourne LHD Impreza GpA rally car on hand to donate the part!

Driving another car, with another co-driver is a real strength of the school, in that you receive sage advice from several experts in one session whilst experiencing how each car reacts to certain situations. From watching the others, I know the left side loop is slower and that 2 corners – the one leading on to the longest straight and the one at the end of it – were quite technical.

Out lap complete, I come down the straight and turn it at what looks like a natural apex. Not so. “Something that is so important to rally driving is vision through a corner. Look at where you want to be at exit, the cleanest surface is to the inside of the corner. An apex you might use on tarmac will leave you too wide and you won’t be able to use all the power on corner exit.” Tim explains as I drive the remainder of the loop, slowly so as to better take in his advice. We come back again, and I turn later than the last lap but Tim comes across with his hand to straighten the wheel, to put us on a radius that seemed, well, unnatural to me. It clicks though, the grip on exit allowing more revs and consequently a higher speed. By the fifth cycle, I brake late (getting better at that!)…wait…wait, turn and balance throttle, increasing right foot as the car straightens. As my inner self screams “Yes!” Tim gives my arm a friendly tap and says “That’s about as perfect as you will get through that corner today, well done!”

My focus now shifts to maximising speed on the straight for the last lap with Tim and again it requires a mental re-scramble. “Brake in a straight line through the esses, turn in and back on the power….harder….harder!” My mind is crying out “You have too much lock on to be using all that throttle, back off!” but the Impreza tucks in, grips, and slingshots us forward. So fast, I forget to recalibrate my braking point and ruin my previously perfect corner that followed!

As we pulled into the pits, Tim again mentioned my steering inputs, and to better use my vision to look through an entire corner and visualise where the car should be on exit as exit speed trumps entry speed every time.

Once all the second runs were completed, it was time for some group discussion as Mick asked each of us what we felt was the most pertinent thing learned so far. Some were amazed at how modulating the brake pedal correctly actually made you faster than trying to be overly late and hard with your foot. Others talked, like me, about the vision through the corner and spotting the cleanest surface to drive over. We were then taken out into the blustery wind onto the full track we would use for our final 2 sessions, dust kicking up all round in the chilly wind. Mick stopped us at a long right hander, which was deceptive in its angle and camber. The approach was third gear back to second, and tightened past 90 degrees as the camber changed pushing to the outside and the ditch. Mick and Tim walked us through each facet of the corner, from turn in point, through to the apex and exit. “We have had so many offs here that we decided to show people through first!” said Mick, “You have to get the car tucked in to the corner so it doesn’t ride the camber to the outside. Keep a balanced throttle once off the brakes and get right to the inside where the grip is, then you can pick up the throttle early enough to pull you out of the corner properly.” We were lucky that a witches hat was placed most of the way around the corner (again a lot further through than one may have thought on tar), signifying the ideal apex.

Like a sponge I soaked in this discussion on corner technique, combining it with feedback from my earlier runs to provide a solid basis from which to improve in the later sessions. After a quick drink and sugar fix, my name was called again and I met my final instructor Nathan after getting comfortable in the Blue Impreza Sti. The long circuit incorporated parts of both loop tracks but run in an anti-clockwise direction, allowing a good mix of straights and varying corners, 2nd and 3rd gear in the Sti.

Distilling all I had learned, I began to gain confidence, smoothing my inputs through steering, metering out throttle and brake applications, balancing my downshifts with heel and toe. The corner that we walked through was indeed a challenge, marbles on anything but the ideal line not letting the Impreza turn in. I started to brake a little earlier but with less pressure to settle the car better on the entry phase, as Nathan encouraged sniffing out that witches hat to nail the throttle. Being such a long corner it felt like forever on part-throttle, but the harder we tucked the nose in, the more robust we could be with the throttle. After 12 laps with Nathan (a break after 6 laps) in the same Rex, I felt as if I was finally beginning to scratch the surface of these vehicles abilities, my exit speed onto the main straight growing exponentially with my confidence in the car and myself.

Too soon, it seemed, Nathan called me into the pits. For the first time I was shaking with the adrenaline of the run, and when I was thanking Nathan for the feedback and encouragement, another helper commented “Do we have a budding rally driver here?!?” which just made me beam!

We weren’t done yet though. Now it was Nathan’s turn to take me out. Being a regular contender in the Victorian Rally Championship with his 2006 Sti, I could feel that this was going to be something special as we jumped in the full-house Evo again. The next 3 minutes re-defined my concept of ability. Both car and driver were suddenly dancing, attitude being provoked rather than avoided in an effort to simply get through a corner as quickly as possible. At one stage, a long, almost 180 degree section, Nathan flicked the Evo through more than 90 degrees of rotation, foot planted and diffs working their magic. Complete control, and the budding rally driver comment was now out the window as I again felt like a rank amateur with so much to learn. But that is the beauty of mastering a craft, the path you take to get there. I don’t think I would ever get tired of learning this though. Hmm, if I could just grab a cheap Integrale from Japan….

For more information on the rally school, visit www.rallyschool.com.au