John O’Dowd at the Boddington Rally.
Camera IconJohn O’Dowd at the Boddington Rally. Credit: Supplied/Gemma Lucas, Drift Images

Rally: O’Dowd proving pedigree in WA Rally Championship

Staff WriterMidland Kalamunda Reporter

THREE rounds into the 2017 WA Rally Championship (WARC), John O’Dowd has proven he’s one of the strongest drivers in the competition.

The Gooseberry Hill resident and co-driver Ken Sheil were third fastest at the Boddington Rally this month.

“There was some strong competition out there,” he said.

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That competition included O’Dowd’s mentor, Maximum Motorsport team manager, Dean Herridge, who won the June 4 event.

“It was great to have him out there,” O’Dowd said.

“For someone like Dean who’s been off the gravel for a while, to jump in the car and win a rally, it’s a true testament to his talent.”

The Boddington Rally featured three twisty stages that were run twice and conditions were challenging.

“It was really loose on the first run and, later in the day, we had a lot of dust to contend with,” O’Dowd said.

“The rally was tough and I’m really pleased with how we did and how the car handled the terrain.”

O’Dowd’s Subaru WRX STI had been in the workshop during the week having a new electronic differential controller fitted.

“That fixed the electrical problem that we were having in Canberra,” he said.

“It was a quick turnaround from the team and I’m grateful for that.”

The next WARC event is the Make Smoking History Experts Cup, on Saturday, July 8 around Collie and the Wellington Dam.

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