Rally Driver Chasing a Star
Extract from Coffs Coast Advocate, by Brad Greensheilds
LOCAL rally driver Nathan Quinn is preparing for the most important weekend of his short career next week.
The 24-year-old is busily working with his crew making final preparations for the International Rally of Queensland, an event that could see him officially recognised as one of the most talented young drivers in the Asia Pacific Region.
Quinn is chasing after the 2010 Pirelli Star Driver (PSD) award that will see two drivers from the Asia Pacific area have the chance to go to Europe at the end of the year for the Global Qualifying Shootout. The winners there will see themselves in the 2011 Junior World Rally Championship.
Currently Quinn is sitting in fifth position on the Australian Rally Championship points tally but team manager and proud father, Martin Quinn, explained that the 2010 campaign hasn’t necessarily been about national glory.
“This year’s Australian Rally Championship has been about getting Nathan up to speed for the Pirelli Star Award,” he said.“Each rally this year has been a stepping stone in making that achievement more reachable. “There is no excuse now. Nathan has had more miles in the past six months than he did in 2008-2009.”
Proof that a spot in Europe is probably a bigger priority than making up the 20 points required to move up to third position on the series points table can be seen from the thinking of the team when it weighs up the equipment options for next weekend’s racing.
“This year’s ARC is restricted to a control tyre, Kumho, and due to the nature of the Pirelli Star Event we may need to switch to Pirelli tyres to be competitive with other PSD drivers, meaning we forfeit points for the Australian Rally Championship,” the young driver said. “It’s a tough decision that we hope to finalise over the weekend.”
Last year, Quinn was pipped for the prize by a slender margin and he’s determined not to let it happen again in 2010. “I feel that I am driving well and the car is certainly working well so now I must remain focused on the big picture,” he said. “I have fantastic support which has made every rally possible in my short career of three and a half years.
“I look at wining the prize as payback to my supporters, it is a very rare opportunity, the PSD, and I am not prepared to let it slip away this time.”