Nathan Quinn and fellow Australian Glenn MacNeall have done a fantastic job on Rally
Australia bringing the Motorsport Italia MINI John
Cooper Works WRC home in 8th place overall, a result which is
Quinn’s and Motorsport Italia's
best performance for 2013.
"Ever since we signed to do this
event with Motorsport Italia I have been unable to wipe the smile from my face.
Of course it wouldn't have been possible without all my supporters, especially
my family who've always backed me and also the support of Coffs Coast Council
and Rally Australia. After that, it was over to me and Glenn! If you had said
to me a month ago that not only would we finish but we would be eighth there's
no way I would have believed you" explained an elated Quinn.
In a drive that proved he had a clear
objective to finish the rally and learn as much about the car and this level of
competition as he could, Quinn has impressed many around the Championship.
Speaking of his approach he said: "After the first full day of
stages it was pretty obvious that these guys have been doing this for a fair
while longer than me. So, after speaking with team boss Bruno De Pianto we came
up with a strategy to drive fast but not take any chances. We knew that if we
had a solid drive, we would achieve a good Top Ten finish."
Driving the MINI has been a steep
learning curve for Quinn who has previously been competing in an Group N
production car on Australian and Chinese event: "I've
only scratched the surface in this car. There is so much more to it than what I
got out of it this week and now I am just so hungry now to get back in that
driver's seat. To see it packed up tonight ready to leave is something I don't
think I can watch."
Just as Quinn has learnt a lot this
weekend, Alexander Gelvez also had his
work cut out coming to grips with his RRC specification MINI John Works Cooper. After retiring yesterday due to gearbox
issues, Gelvez and co-driver Borja Rozada were
back on the stages today looking to build on their experience in the car and
finish the event: "We had a very good rally and
enjoyed the stages today. The car was perfect and we could not ask any more. We
enjoyed getting more experience in the car and particularly enjoyed the final Power
Stage of the rally."
Team Manager Bruno De Pianto was pleased
to have both MINIs at the end of the rally and especially impressed with
Quinn's performance: "Nathan really did a good
job this rally. He had such a tall task working with a new car, new co-driver,
and new team all in front of his home crowd and competing against the world's
top drivers, but he was unphased. He knew he had a job to do and he did it. He
drove his own rally with his eye on his own targets and eighth place with four
WRC points to his name is a really fantastic result.
"Alex had a more eventful run, but also got a lot of invaluable
experience during the rally. He's just starting his international rally career
and every new event is a steep learning curve. I was pleased to see him safely
over the finish ramp this evening and look forward to our next adventure with
him. The only thing left to say is a big thank you to Venezuela and its
Ministry of Sport for making this happen."
