Simon Evans: moving on from Toyota with more titles

Les Walkden, the legendary Tassie team manager

On this episode of RallySport Magazine's DustTrails Podcast, we head to Tasmania to speak to Les Walkden, one of the real unsung heroes in Australian rallying. Les is a guy who's more known behind the scenes than behind the steering wheel, but that certainly doesn't lessen the impact that he's had on the sport.  A member of the Australian Rally Hall of Fame, Les, who's now 77, began his rallying in the 1970s, winning two Tasmanian Rally Championships before moving into a team manager role in 1993. He's nurtured and guided drivers like Ed Odynski, Michael Guest, Juha Kangas, Simon Evans, and Brendan Reeves, while in recent years, ran the Subaru factory rally team where Molly Taylor took victory in the 2016 Australian Rally Championship.  Today, he still has his finger on the pulse, running Bodie Reading in the ARC, with a keen eye on the future. Peter Whitten caught up with Les in Launceston to go over some of the highlights of a remarkable career that has so far spanned over 35 years.   DustTrails is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> ⁠https://rallysportmag.com/ [https://rallysportmag.com/]

‘Dinta' Officer's wide success in Safaris, ARC & WRC

With a nickname like ‘Dinta’, you’d expect that David Officer started his rallying career in the Colin McRae mode, but that’s not the case. From early days rallying Mini Coopers and even a 1960 DeSoto, the Victorian quickly made a name for himself by winning the 1983 Victorian Rally Championship. He followed that up a year later by winning the national championship as a privateer, driving a Mitsubishi Galant against ex-works Fiat Abarths and Ford Escorts. A two-time Alpine Rally and Australian Safari winner, ‘Dinta’ sat down with RallySport Magazine’s Peter Whitten for our latest DustTrails podcast. Dinta talks of that successful 1984 season, and of losing the 1983 ARC by just a single point, while also going into detail about a drive for Holden in the 1995 Round Australia Trial that was scuppered at the last minute. Still getting behind the wheel occasionally in his Galant, and now a key member of the RallySafe team, he speaks candidly about a brilliant career – backed all the way by his just as enthusiastic wife, Kate. Enjoy Dinta Officer’s story, told by the man himself.  DustTrails is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ [https://rallysportmag.com/]

The ARN Junior Challenge’s history and success

It’s 1994 and some of the best Australian rally talent are converging on Canberra for the inaugural final of the Australian Rallysport News Junior Challenge. The Challenge was a talent search program aimed at pitting the best young drivers from each state against one another, and over almost a decade, unearthed many top-notch drivers. Cody Crocker and Greg Foletta won that inaugural year, but how did the program start and who were some of the other big name competitors? We ask Peter Whitten about the program and also discuss what was planned for the ill-fated Pedders Super Challenge in 2002. Across almost 50 minutes, this episode covers many stories of the time. We also ask – would the ARN Junior Challenge work today? DustTrails is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ [https://rallysportmag.com/]

Simon Evans: moving on from Toyota with more titles

To finish off a stellar chat with Simon Evans, we rejoin at a critical point in his career. Toyota had just left the sport, and there is a new challenge incoming in the form of a return to production-based rally cars. The following two seasons in 2009 and 2010 would help cement his legacy as one of the best drivers in Australian history, and there was more to come… not least a 2016 season with its fair share of memories, accidents and controversy. Evans tells it like it is and wears his heart on his sleeve, as he has always done. DustTrails is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ [https://rallysportmag.com/]

Evans goes from privateer punter to Toyota champion

Part two of our podcast with Simon Evans kicks into gear right away as he rejoins Peter Whitten to talk about fighting at the top of the Australian Rally Championship. Learn about the ‘pizza car’ in his debut outright season of 2001 and uncover the heartbreak and emotion of the Rally of Melbourne in 2002. You’ll then share in the glory when he broke an amazing drought for privateers in 2003 before being signed as a factory driver for Toyota. What were the Group N Prototype Corollas like to drive, and how did the development pan out with the world-first S2000 Corolla? Hear all these stories and more! DustTrails is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/ [https://rallysportmag.com/]