WILDE WIN IN KUMHO FUTURE CHAMPIONS AWARD AT FINAL BOSCH ARC

WILDE WIN IN KUMHO FUTURE CHAMPIONS AWARD AT FINAL BOSCH ARC Round

 

West Australian rising star Tom Wilde has captured the Kumho Future Champions Award at Rally Victoria with a podium finish at the final round of this year’s Bosch ARC for 2011.

Wilde, driving his Subaru Impreza WRX, has consistently impressed throughout the year winning his heat of the Rallyschool.com.au Australian Junior Rally Challenge at the opening round of the Bosch ARC, the Quit Forest Rally in Western Australia.

The Kumho Future Champions Award winner continued to show his ability with a victory in the Rallyschool AJRC final at Coffs Harbour in September where he fought hard to win the much sought-after prize.

The prize saw Wilde receive free entry into Rally Victoria and a $2000 contribution for vehicle preparation and conversion to ARC Car specifications for the Subaru as well as eight Kumho Tyres and a one day driving tuition with 2010 ARC Champions Simon and Sue Evans.

Tom Wilde converted these rewards into an impressive performance allowing him to win a rally long battle with Rallyschool AJRC rival Will Orders in the Latrobe Valley round of the Bosch ARC.

Will Orders, the 27 year old engineer from Melbourne had previously competed in the Rallyschool AJRC Quit Forest and Coffs Harbour rounds in his Nissan Silvia for victories in the 2WD Category of the series before being handed a Rallyschool.com.au ARC Subaru WRX for Rally Victoria.

The pair both qualified from the Western Australia round of the Rallyschool AJRC and did not disappoint with Wilde finishing third and Orders finishing fourth outright in the final Championship round demonstrating the great potential present in the sport’s young talent.

Wilde, a local cheesemaker from the WA town of Nannup and still only 22 years old, has spoken about the victory as a fantastic achievement.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given and am incredibly excited to be again named the Kumho Future Champions Award winner.” Tom Wilde said.

“It is a huge credit to the hard work and effort that has been given by the team through the year.”

“We are looking for sponsorship for the Bosch ARC in 2012, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens and I’d love to contest the entire Championship next year,” he added regarding his plans for the future.

Wilde’s sister Neralie had co-driven for him throughout the series but was forced to pull out of Rally Victoria suffering carsickness in the unfamiliar terrain during reconnaissance.

Wilde called in co-driver Scott Allan to replace his sister in the passenger seat of the ageing WRX for the Latrobe Valley round, the late change causing no hindrance to Wilde’s performance.

CEO of the Bosch ARC, Scott Pedder congratulated Wilde and said his performance in 2011 has marked him as a driver of huge potential.

“Tom has not put a foot wrong  this year and showed an enormous amount of talent and speed particuarly on unfamiliar territory and showed himself as a defintite future champion,” said Scott Pedder.

For winning the Kumho Future Champions Award Wilde will receive four free Kumho tyres valued at approximately $1000 for use in the Bosch ARC 2012.

The Kumho Future Champions Award has been designed to assist and encourage the young drivers taking part in the Rallyschool.com.au AJRC to step up to top levels of the sport and give them an incentive to continue in what is a demanding and expensive sport.

As control tyre supplier, Kumho is putting its backing into the Australian Rally Championship with a reduction in the cost of tyres, encouragement awards and a significant rights fees going to the sport.