Husband and wife team

By Dion Teasdale
TWO Victorian drivers overcame ferocious weather conditions to take out top honours at the NGK Rally of Melbourne held in the Yarra Valley last weekend.
Toyota racing team driver Scott Pedder won the Yarra Valley leg of the six-round national rally event while Nar Nar Goon husband and wife team Simon and Sue Evans won the overall championship title.
The 2006 NGK Rally of Melbourne was raced on 200kms of mostly dirt tracks around Healesville, Yarra Glen, Dixons Creek, Marysville and Toolangi from 22 to 24 September.
Andrew Laing, NGK Rally of Melbourne spokesman, said the event drew a crowd of about 10,000 people, despite unfavourable weather.
“Overall it was a terrific weekend of racing.
“The wet weather on Sunday might not have been ideal for attracting spectators but it made the event really interesting for the drivers,” he said.
“The roads did get very slippery during the final stages of the event on Sunday.
“Two races had to be cancelled and there were some minor collisions but no injuries and everyone did very well.”
Mr Laing said the event, which wound up at De Bortoli winery in Dixons Creek on Sunday afternoon amid gale force winds, rain and hail, was a great way for the two winning Victorian drivers to end the year.
“This is the first time Scott has won an event on his home soil and a great result after what has been a challenging year for him,” he said.
“Simon and Sue taking out the overall championship is also amazing. It is history making stuff. This is only the second time a husband and wife team have won a rally championship.”
Simon Evans, also a Toyota racing team driver, said having local knowledge of the roads helped him and Sue combat challenges presented by the weather conditions.
“Being a local driver you get to know how these roads change with the weather and that helped today for sure,” he said.
The NGK Rally of Melbourne is the final round of the six round NEC Computers Australian Rally Championship.
Other stages of the event have been held in Perth, Canberra, Caloundra, Hobart and Adelaide.