NEAL BATES &
CORAL TAYLOR TO DRIVE THE JOHN MADILLS ROADCRAFT SPONSORED TOYOTA CAMRY
SPORTIVO IN THIS YEARS SUNCOAST CLASSIC RALLY
Neal Bates is acknowledged as the fastest currently competing Australian
rally driver.
Based in the national capital, Canberra, Bates is a three-times
Australian Champion, taking the title in 1993, '94 and '95, driving
Toyota Celica GT-Fours.
Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor have competed as a team since 1993 and
were the first team in the history of the title to win a hat-trick of
Australian Rally Championships.
Bates is clearly the most successful rally driver of the past decade in
Australia, having taken three National titles as well as taking second
place three times in the eight years he has campaigned in the Australian
Rally Championship.
His lowest national title placing since he started contesting the ARC in
1990 was fourth in that year.
Bates began rallying in 1984 at the age of 18, driving a battered but
very rapid Datsun 1600 and quickly coming to the attention of the rally
fraternity with some giant-killing performances.
In 1986 the then 21-year-old Canberra driver hit the headlines when he
led former National champions George Fury and Geoff Portman in the final
round of the Australian Championship, the Alpine Rally, going on to
finish fourth.
He began his long association with Toyota in 1987 when he campaigned a
privately run early model Celica in major events on the East Coast with
some success.
In 1989 Bates was selected to take part in the Toyota Star Search, a
program which gave young talent from virtually every sphere of motor
sport the chance to drive in a works Toyota Corolla in rounds of the
Australian Touring Car Championship.
The two winners of the contest received the chance to team up to drive
one of the Toyota Team Australia Corollas in the Bathurst 1000.
Bates was selected as one of two winners, teaming with co-winner,
motorcycle racer Mike Dowson, to win their class in the Bathurst Classic
in 1989.
Following his on-track success Toyota chose Bates to spearhead its entry
into the Australian Rally Championship with the all new Toyota Celica
GT- Four.
Bates and his rally team in Canberra became the first team in the world
to campaign the ST185 Celica in rallying.
In 1990 Bates finished fourth to Ed Ordynski in the Australian Rally
Championship before going on to take second in 1991, third in 1992 and
first in 1993, '94 and '95.
In 1996 Bates shared second place with Ed Ordynksi, with Kiwi Possum
Bourne taking the title. 1997 was another competitive year for Bates,
finishing in third place just behind Ordynski; Possum once again the
champion.
While spearheading Toyota's rallying effort in Australia, Bates also
kept his circuit racing skills honed by tackling the annual Bathurst 12
Hour production car race.
The rally ace took victory in the sports car class in the
round-the-clock enduro, partnering his twin brother Rick in a Celica SX
in 1991 and in an MR2 in 1994.
Bates also took victory in the five day Targa Tasmania road race in
1995, driving a Celica GT-Four partnered by Coral Taylor.
1997 once again saw Bates take on new challengers. Firstly he switched
sides of the car with Coral Taylor. The choice to run a left-hand-drive
Celica was made so that Bates could step straight into the all-new
Corolla World Rally Car (WRC) later in the year.
It paid-off straight away with victory at the opening round of the
new-look Australian Rally Super Series, the Respect Yourself Forest
Rally near Perth.
International experience was also a goal for 1997 - and a sixth placing
during Bates' and Taylor's debut at the World Championship Rally New
Zealand opened the eyes of many in the international rally world to
their potential.
The second half of 1997 saw Bates join Toyota's official factory entry
in the World Rally Championship, Toyota Team Europe (TTE), with the new
Corolla WRC. In recognition of Bates' outstanding achievements, TTE
director Ove Andersson asked Australia's rally combination of the 90s to
drive for the German-based team at both Rally Indonesia and API Rally
Australia.
Add to this another two events in the Celica, as well as the FAI Rally
of Canberra in the all-new Corolla WRC, and 1997 was by far the biggest
challenge for Bates and Taylor.
Bates topped-off 1997 with victory in his home event, the FAI Rally of
Canberra. Winning in Canberra is always special for Bates, but it also
marked the first victory in the world for the Corolla WRC.
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Neal Bates & Coral Taylor Put the
Toyota Sportivo though its paces at the Roadcraft Facility in
Gympie.
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| Neal & Coral in this years Rally of Cannberra |
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