Motorsports | Subaru Global

Event Bulletin
29 November 2006

2006 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) final round "China Rally Longyou" was taken place 25-27 November at Quzhou City in Zhejiang Province, China. SUBARU rally driver, Cody Crocker, completed a clean-sweep of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship by winning his sixth event of the season, this China round.

Crocker, driving the Les Walkden Rallying-entered IMPREZA WRX STI, has scored the maximum ten points on offer for finishing first in each event he has contested this year, Canberra, Rotorua, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

Remarkably, the three-time Australian champion also collected the maximum bonus points for winning ten of the twelve heats contested along the way, meaning his total points score of 94 was only two shy of the highest score possible.

Crocker's domination of Rally China matched his form throughout the season. Not only was he first APRC car home, he was also first outright, winning by over five minutes from Richard Mason, with Japan's Hiroshi Yanagisawa third. SUBARU dominated all podium position at this event. Also Yanagisawa came up to second within APRC series which is first challenge for him too and SUBARU dominated top 2 position of APRC this season.

Conditions across the series were a revelation for Crocker and co-driver, Ben Atkinson, but the pair handled every challenge with aplomb, and totally mastered the slippery, muddy conditions encountered across the three days of competition in China.

"The roads were a quagmire here, absolutely diabolical, but we stayed clean the whole way and got the points," Crocker said. "Even though we came here with the championship wrapped up, it is fantastic to formally get the business done and now we can celebrate. This championship is second in standing only to the World Championship, so it means a lot to the whole team to win it."

"Full credit to Les Walkden and the team. He gave Ben and me this opportunity, and his team has produced a brilliant car."

"It really is a fantastic feeling and I hope that something can come of this for Ben (Atkinson) and me, either at the World Championship level or the chance to try and win this championship again. We go to Monte Carlo to collect the title at the official FIA dinner Friday week, so that will be a big thrill to be there with all the other world and regional champions from all forms of Motorsport."

Yanagisawa who finished second of the championship said "This time I really wanted to keep third position of championship, so I pushed through this event. Luckily I clinched second position of the series eventually, but anyway I'm very pleased to purchase my target. This season was first time to compete full APRC championship for me and it was very beneficial as I competed three country where I never drove. Particularly stages in Canberra were very fast and technical. This experience made me big step. I would like to use this benefit to rally action from next season."

Crocker's results were also the cornerstone of SUBARU winning the 2006 Asia-Pacific Manufactures' Championship.