Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia's Harry Bates and John McCarthy have won the Make Smoking History Forest Rally in Nannup over the weekend.
The result was made even sweeter as Harry Bates celebrated 11 years since his father Neil took the same podium and a top two lock out with Lewis Bates/Anthony McLoughlin in second.
"Fourth event here in WA and finally a win so I'm obviously stoked with that, it was a clean weekend which is great and the new Yaris ran faultlessly it was really fast from the get go," Harry Bates said.
"There is a perpetual trophy here so I get to be on the same trophy as dad which is very cool but he's won here six times - more times than anyone else - so I've got a few more to go to catch him and we'll aim to do that.
"To take a one-two for Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia on our debut as a team was a fantastic result and full credit to the entire team for all the work they have put in to prepare both cars."
Second outright is the highest ARC finish for Lewis Bates and the first time he has stood on a podium in the national series.
The younger Bates steered his Toyota Yaris to four stage wins across the weekend, even leading the rally after the opening stages.
"We didn't really have many expectations coming into the weekend, we were coming in still learning the car and taking it stage by stage so we didn't expect to be on the podium let alone have four stage wins so we are over the moon," Lewis Bates said at the finish.
Returning to the Make Smoking History Forest Rally for the first time since 2010 former Ford factory driver Western Victoria Crain Trucks Darren Windus, and co-driver Daniel Brick, was quickest of the rest, landing third spot on the podium following a massive effort during Heat Two on Sunday.
"Realistically we expected to be finishing the event around the fifth mark - which is where we finished Heat One - so we are absolutely stoked to be in this position and standing on a podium," Windus said.
Maximum Motorsport's Tom Wilde and Madeline Kirkhouse, came agonisingly close to a spot on the podium at their home event, but it wasn't to be with a puncture on the second forest stage of the day and dramas with a turbo on the final stage loosing them valuable time.
The pair ended the event tied on points with Windus/Brick and they finished fourth outright due to a slower overall time for the event. Engine issues caused troubles for Subaru du Motorsport's Molly Taylor/Malcom Read in Heat Two dropping them down the timesheets and into fifth outright for the weekend
Positions two and three on the podium were locked out by local teams with Wilde/Kirkhouse (based only a few kilometres up the road from Nannup) in second and Busselton driver Trade Hire's Kody Reynolds/Anthony Staltari claiming third.
Held over the same rally stages as the national and state competitors an entry level competition was also held on Saturday.
