Driver Skills Australia - Defensive, Advanced and Four Wheel Drive Training

Service Crew Co-ordinator - Amy Butcher
Crew - Rob, Tracey, James
Car - 2001 Subaru WRX Group A/PRC

It has been a hell of a year with lots of ups and downs and a few round abouts along the way - but we have finally ended our 2009 series with a strong 4th outright at the Southern Cross TV Mountain Stages rally.

We scored enough points to claim 3rd outright for the 2009 Tasmanian Rally Series. Not bad for a car that is 10 years old next year!

I have competed in 8 rallies this year and also a couple of sprint events so we have really been flat out maintaining the car so it will be great to have a bit of a break now while we review our plans for 2010.

This is the first year we have led a series, finished an event in 2nd outright at State Championship level and won stages - so from that point of view 2009 has been a great success.

We have also got some great support from our sponsors who are all keen to stay involved in 2010 (hopefully!).

Our plans for next year are not confirmed yet but we are in discussion with a number of potential sponsors. There will be some big announcements if things go to plan but we have a long way to go and would still love to hear from anyone who would like to back us in 2010.

We will most likely be aiming to do the full 2010 Australian Rally Championship as well as the WRC Repco Rally New Zealand.

There is also a new TV program going to air soon that will cover the state series and so we cant wait to see that!

The 2009 Southern Cross TV Mountain Stages rally kicked into gear on Saturday October 3 in the mountains East of Launceston. The weather was perfect for a battle between 29 of the states best gravel rally drivers and the team of DSA Motorsport were going to have a tough fight for a result with 5 newer model Subaru WRX’s to contend with.

Leading the field was Nathan Reeves from Melbourne and with the first set of stages over at the first service DSA driver Mark Butcher had the crew attend to a brake issue. “The roads are very fast as you can imagine – we are going up mountain roads and then we have to come back down! The car really picks up speed and we were in fifth gear flat out on a few occasions. The brakes didn’t really keep up so we fitted a fresh set of pads to see if that cleared the problem – which it did” said Butcher.

The black Subaru WRX with new brake pads improved over the next stages and the team managed to finish in 5^th outright in Heat 1. After another service the crew headed out for the afternoon stages.

“We had to score maximum points in both heats as we hoped to make up a place or two in the state championship. Lee Peterson who was sitting in 3^rd crashed and had to withdraw with suspension problems and so we just had to grab as many points as possible to move up. The car performed well and even though we had a slow leaking tyre that we had to change between stages we managed to climb into 4^th for Heat 2 and picked up 4^th Outright overall for the event. This was enough to pick up 3^rd outright for the 2009 Tasmanian Rally Series and we are delighted. We had technical problems in 3 of the 8 heats and so we have managed to climb back with consistent results and some sensible driving” said Butcher.

Everything is now put on hold until a budget can be put together for 2010. The team are hoping to contest all of the Australian Rally Championship rounds next year and possibly the NZ round of the WRC. A major sponsor is required who will benefit from extensive exposure on both Network 10, One HD and local media. A full proposal for prospective sponsors is available.

There will also be a segment featuring the Tasmanian Rally Series on ONE HD soon so stay tuned or check your TV guides.

The team would like to thank our existing sponsors – Subaru Australia, Cricks Tweed, ChipTorque, Masons Sign Worx, AJL Mechanical and Galmatic.

The final round of the 2009 North West Car Club Rally Championship was run and won on Saturday September 19 in the forest near Yolla in Tasmania.

Leading the series and starting car one on the road was the DSA Rally Team of Mark Butcher (Driver) and James Heinrich (Co-Driver). Driving the same black Subaru WRX that was run at the WRC rally only 2 weeks before in Queensland but now with a new engine and more power thanks to the team at Chiptorque who tuned the car.

The main competition was from leading local driver Peter O’Reilly who was also driving a Subaru WRX with co-driver Eddie McGuire alongside. A total of 18 crews made the start line of the event that was to end with a section of stages being conducted at night. Many drivers had little or no experience of night rallying so it was guaranteed to be exciting for all involved.

The DSA team fired out of the box early and went about stamping some authority on the event with determined driving giving three stage wins in a row. The team lost several seconds on the fourth stage but were in a comfortable lead heading into the first of the night stages.

“Running car one on the road we had to drive at a maximum pace to insure we had a lead over the other competitors. This was a bit tricky with no wheel marks to follow and judging grip levels was a challenge during the day – but got even more interesting at night time. We new we had to push hard and we had one minor mis-judgement coming into a right hand corner that dragged our car at speed into a bank on the left of the road, narrowly missing a handful of trees but getting us fairly stuck and unable to reverse out” said Butcher.

The team lost a lot of time and although they managed to continue – they were excluded from the results for exceeding the maximum late time allowed.

“Clearly were pretty disappointed – we have not had an incident like this in seven events this year – and it was probably just my lack of concentration and a bit of fatigue after travelling back from Queensland only two days before that cost us a great result and championship. Pete pushed hard and kept his car on the road and deserves the win and I would like to congratulate him and Eddie.” said Butcher.

The team have one more event this year – in just two weeks. The final round of the Tasmanian State Championship takes place near Launceston. After a season that has included a total of eight events – the DSA Rally Team have demonstrated a massive investment of time and money and hope to attract some major sponsorship for 2010. Initially the plan is to contest the Australian Rally Championship and Rally New Zealand with the possibility of some additional events locally also.

A full 2010 Sponsorship Package will be available very soon and interested parties should contact Mark Butcher directly on 03 644 50 888 to find out how sponsors can benefit from promotional activities and other marketing concepts including ride and drive days with the team.

The team would like to thank the existing sponsors – Subaru Australia, Cricks Tweed, ChipTorque, Masons Sign Worx, AJL and Galmatic.

The DSA Rally Team are all set for the final round of the 2009 North West Car Club (TAS) rally series which they are currently leading. The team has had some great support from Cricks Subaru in Tweed (NSW) and performance engine management company ChipTorque in Nerang (QLD) who assisted with getting the car repaired after several problems developed in the World Championship Rally (WRC) two weeks ago.

“We had a disappointing rally in Northern NSW with our usually reliable Subaru WRX developing a few strange problems – however we have managed to overcome these issues and with the help of our sponsors we are able to compete this weekend in the final round of the NWCC series – which we are leading. We are aiming for a top finish – and if we can finish in the top 2 we will take out the championship which would be a great reward after the hard work our team and sponsors have put in to get us here. It would be even sweeter after our poor result at Rally Australia” said driver Butcher.

The Group A Subaru WRX had to have a complete engine swap while the team were on holidays after the WRC event. Driver Mark Butcher and co-driver James Heinrich with the help of Cricks Subaru managed to wheel the car in, swap engines and drive it back out the same day.

The car was then delivered to the team at ChipTorque in Nerang for a full diagnostic check up and engine tune. “We dropped the car off and came back from our holiday with it tuned up and ready to go. We were really pleased with the way ChipTorque listened to our requests and set the car up perfectly to maximise power and reliability with the 34mm restrictor” said Butcher.

The final round of the series starts at the Yolla Tavern, Yolla, Tasmania with the first car getting away around 4pm. The event itself will be run mostly at night – creating a new challenge as there are very few night rallies held anywhere in Australia anymore.

Spectator points are available and the event organisers are expecting a good turn out and have received some great support in the local media.

“We had over 70,000 spectators at Rally Australia – and although the crowds this weekend will be smaller – we are here to put on a good show!” said Butcher.

The DSA Team would like to thank Subaru Australia, Cricks Tweed and Murbah, ChipTorque, Masons Sign Worx and AJL for their continued support.

The DSA WRC Rally Team have arrived in Coolangatta after nearly 1800kms of driving and a boat trip from Tasmania. Monday will see the team complete final preparation of the car at the Crick’s Subaru Dealership before some promotional activities and team meetings. Driver Mark Butcher and co-driver James Heinrich will be occupied writing “pace-notes” on Tuesday and Wednesday which allow the team to have accurate information about the roads during the weekend.

Thursday night will see the event kick into full swing with the worlds best drivers taking on some of Australia’s best at a spectator stage located around the town of Murwillumbah in Northern NSW before heading into the forest on Friday. The event concludes on Sunday and as one of only 18 Australian crews and recent good results in the Tasmanian Rally Series – the DSA team are very keen to be among the top Aussies.

“Its been a tough few weeks getting the car ready and trying to make the most of our limited budget – but we are here now and can start to focus on the actual event. The team of mechanics have all volunteered their time to come along and I am very lucky to have a quality team of young guys and girls looking after me and the car for the weekend” said driver Butcher.

The team will be promoting a range of Advanced Driving Courses during the rally and invite any spectators to speak to the crew about courses that are available. As one of Australia’s only nationally recognised providers of defensive driver training – Driver Skills Australia are specialists in delivering training to corporate groups, government departments and individuals. Information on the special offers can also be found at www.driverskillsaustralia.com .

The DSA Team would like to thank Subaru Australia, Cricks Tweed and Murbah, Masons Sign Worx, AJL and the many other supporters that have assisted along the way.

Round 3 of the Tasmanian Rally Series was held near Hobart on Saturday August 22 and the DSA Rally Team were there to give their Group A Subaru Impreza WRX a test after having several components rebuilt. It was also the first time that James Heinrich sat in the passenger seat as co-driver – as he is usually found working on the car and not in it! James will be joining Mark Butcher at the 2009 Repco Rally Australia, a round of the World Rally Championship, in only two weeks time so the team used this event to gain some valuable experience and “shake down” the car before sending it to NSW on Friday.

The weather was cool – however things got hot for the team when an air-lock in the cooling system created a few headaches. “We have a bit to learn about this car – and somehow we managed to get an air lock in the cooling system that caused all sorts of dramas during the first few stages of the rally. We then managed to split a radiator hose and ended up with a car sounding more like a kettle then a rally car” said driver Butcher.

Although things were looking bad – it turns out that no serious damage was done and the team successfully completed the full day of rallying. Final results are still to be published – but the team are confident of retaining their position of 2^nd outright in the championship. The winner of the rally was Nathan Reeves and Scott Spedding from Melbourne, with the series leader Lyn Rattray and Lindon Hills scoring enough points to make them un-catchable for the last round in October.

“The top 3 teams are all running newer versions of the Subaru WRX but our car has still been able to put in some respectable performances. These are awesome cars that just go hard and can handle everything we throw at it. I am confident we will have a reliable package to compete at the world championship in a fortnight and cant wait to be part of this massive event” said Butcher.

The team are now working flat out completing final preparations before heading over to Melbourne on the Spirit of Tasmania on Friday night. Its then a road trip to Tweed to start pace noting and then the rally starts on Thursday week (September 3).

Without any major sponsorship the team have struggled financially – but have decided to go regardless. “Motorsport is expensive, but we have had some great support from Driver Skills Australia, Subaru Australia, Mason Sign Worx, Cricks Subaru Tweed, AJL and Chiptorque. Without these guys we would really struggle to even get to the start line. As a team, we are very keen to secure some sponsorship to allow the purchase of additional tyres. Our current limited budget means that we will use only 6 tyres – where the opposition will have access to 4 times this!” said co-driver Heinrich.

Any companies interested in backing an all Australian team in this high-profile international event should contact Mark, James or Amy on 03 644 50 888.

Cricks Tweed and Murwillumbah have jumped at the chance to back the Australian team of Mark Butcher (Driver) and James Heinrich (Navigator) at the 2009 Repco Rally Australia – a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Taking place on the fast and scenic roads around the North West coast of New South Wales, the rally kicks off on Thursday September 3 with a special stage set up in the heart of Murwillumbah.

Cricks Tweed and Murwillumbah are the local Subaru dealers and the DSA Rally Team will be there on and off the week before the event giving a few lucky customers the chance to grab a photo and meet the team.

The team will be driving a Subaru WRX – however which car is still a secret with two possible options on the cards. “We are playing the waiting game with a few things and have our existing car being prepared as well as another car available if we can get further backing” said driver Butcher.

Although a bit of an ‘underdog’ team – recent results indicate the reliability and pace of the current Subaru as promising. Mark, with wife Amy in the navigators seat were 2nd outright at the Oonah Ocker rally held this weekend (August 8) in Tasmania. The team were leading the event after 3 stages but dropped a few seconds when Mark confessed to ‘over driving the car’. The team still finished only 9 seconds from the leading crew of Pete O’Reilly and Eddie Mcguire also in a Subaru.

The team are now in the process of over-hauling the current car and will be working with a team of local volunteer mechanics to get it ready for a shakedown in Hobart on August 22 at round 3 of the Tasmanian Rally Series.

“We are really excited and cant wait to mix it up with the worlds best. WRC rallying is the ultimate extreme sport and with people like Valentino Rossi and Kimi Raikkonen already appearing in events the sport will only grow in popularity. We would love to secure more sponsorship to show some of the established teams what we can do – but for now we are just going to go out there and drive as hard and fast as we can and see how we go!” said Butcher.

A local Tasmanian team is about to take on the World’s best drivers at the 2009 Repco Rally Australia – a round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). With only a small budget, the team have entered the event this week and are desperately seeking sponsors to come on board for the ride of a lifetime in this once every two year event.

The DSA Rally team, based in Wynyard Tasmania, is led by Driver and Team Owner Mark Butcher (35). Mark is the director of local company Driver Skills Australia and has been involved in rallying for many years – with is first ever event being the WRC rally in Perth back in 1995. Since then he has competed in many events at all levels – and is currently sitting in 2^nd place outright in the 2009 Tasmanian Rally Series. “I have competed in these events before and it is awesome to have a WRC round back in Australia after so many years. The crowds are huge, the media presence is awesome and the whole atmosphere is just electric. If you have never been to one of these events – do yourself a favour and get off the couch and check out one of the most extreme sports in the world – here in our backyard!” said Mark.

A new-comer to the passenger seat is young-gun James Heinrich. At only 18 years old – he may just be the youngest person in the event and although he is just a spring chicken, he has been the chief mechanic on the DSA sponsored Subaru WRX for about a twelve months. James has also driven in some events and co-driven at club level so his combined experience will help keep Mark on the road and out of the scenery. A diesel fitter at AJL Mechanical by day – James has the support of his friends and family and will be in the best seat in the house to watch the rally action at World Championship level. “When Mark asked me to co-drive I didn’t think twice about saying yes – I just hope he doesn’t expect me to fix the car in between stages!” joked James.

The team are currently entered in a 2001 Subaru WRX Group A car that has been very reliable – but there is a new car on the horizon. “We have a car in New Zealand that is available which was originally built for the Subaru Australia Rally team and has been driven by the likes of Alister McRae. We are very keen to get this car here but some things are out of our hands at the moment so we are not sure if it will make it here in time” said team co-ordinator Amy Butcher.

With only 4 weeks to go – the team are very thankful of the existing support from sponsors – but need a few major sponsors to come on board to help things along. Every sponsor will receive great publicity, exposure and a range of promotional opportunities with the team. Also – as an added bonus, Marks company Driver Skills Australia is offering FREE Defensive Driver Training courses to any sponsors that are keen to help.

“This is a massive chance for a Tasmanian and Australian team to take on the worlds best – and with the right support we may just be able to sneak a good result. We have the resources and are confident we can deliver if we can find the backing. We have put our money where our mouth is and now we just need a few others to share in the adventure to do the same” said Mark.

Information on the team and the latest news and results can be found at www.driverskillsaustralia.com . The event is being held in Northern NSW (Tweed Area) starting September 3 and ending September 6. More information can be found at www.rallyaustralia.com .

Companies who want to be associated with this young, enthusiastic team can contact Mark, James or Amy directly on 1300 880 956.

DSA Rally Team would like to thank Subaru Australia, AJL Mechanical, ChipTorque, Masons Sign Worx and the many people who have offered their time and support so far.

Round 2 of the Tasmanian Rally Series launched on the roads near Burnie (Tasmania) on Saturday July 18.

Local driver and current leader of the series Lynn Rattray led the field to the first forest stage followed by some very experienced crews including Brendan Reeves who travels from Victoria to contest the series in his Subaru WRX.

Several other teams were also rumoured as favourites including Pete O’Reilly (Subaru) and Lee Peterson (Nissan) who both scored well at round 1.

With over 140kms of flat out racing on the closed gravel roads – the teams had a fight from the start and no one could afford to take it easy.

Several teams fell off the score board with mechanical problems and by the half way point it was Lynn Rattray leading with the DSA Rally Team of Mark Butcher and Jess Nicholson sitting in 2^nd place outright.

The battle for 2^nd place was very tight with only 10 seconds separating Butcher from 3^rd place O’Reilly and a handful of seconds further back to Peterson now sitting in 4^th place.

“We pushed hard all morning and we did run out of road a few times nearly clipping some of the trees – however we are absolutely pumped to be in 2^nd place at the half way point in our first rally in this region” said driver Butcher.

The DSA Rally Team Subaru WRX was not the fastest or newest car in the field, however the team had worked on the basics to create a reliable and solid package for Butcher to drive flat out.

“We are competing against cars that are much newer and faster, but we know our car well and have really got it to work well while staying reliable. It really is up to me to get the most from it and we are having a great time on these roads. A few times we have been near 200km/h – which is exciting when you are on wet gravel!” said Butcher.

After a mid-day super special stage the teams all headed out for the afternoon stages and the fight was on with only seconds separating 3 teams from 2^nd place.

Butcher and the team decided to bolt on some new Silverstone tyres for the remaining stages and have a good hard run to maintain the placing and if possible chase down the leader Rattray.

On the longest stage of the day, nearly 25kms, only 2 seconds separated Rattray and Butcher – but Rattray’s lead was already too much. The DSA Team were very pleased to secure 2^nd outright for the round with Lee Peterson grabbing 3^rd place after Pete O’Reilly suffered a late gearbox failure to finish in 4^th .

“We are stoked!! After only our 3^rd gravel rally in Tasmania we are now sitting 2^nd in the series and have proven that with a few more trick bits we might be able to aim for an outright win in the future.

Lyn Rattray and Lyndon Hills did an excellent job of winning the event by a comfortable margin and are now sitting in first place with a substantial lead – but anything can happen in the next 2 rounds” said Butcher.

Rally is an extreme sport and like any motorsport requires a team effort. Navigating in only her 2^nd rally ever, Jess Nicholson from Sydney did a fantastic job and the service crew of James, Amy, Ernie and Cato were super efficient in keeping the Subaru in top shape during the event.

The team are now in a bit of a pickle with round 3 of the series only 1 week before the team were planning to head to NSW for the round of the World Rally Championship.

Without a major sponsor, the team are struggling to find a budget to make both events and may have to decide which event to run. Hopefully the team will attract some support and invite any companies that would like to be involved to contact Mark directly on 03 644 50 888. All sponsors are entitled to a variety of benefits including free corporate driver training and rally car rides.

DSA would like to thank Subaru Australia, AJL Mechanical, Chiptorque and Masons Sign Worx for their valued support.

DSA Rally Team would also like to thank the North West Car Club and event sponsors for making the event possible.

Next weekend you will find a dedicated group of spectators, officials and rally teams in the forests surrounding Burnie in the North West of Tasmania. The fact that it is possibly going to be wet and rather chilly doesn’t deter these people – as the excitement of seeing the states best drivers taking on the gravel roads in a variety of high performance rally cars is enough to keep the adrenalin flowing.

The DSA Rally Team of Mark Butcher (Driver) and Jess Nicholson (Navigator) will be driving the black Subaru WRX to the limit trying to catch series leader Lynn Rattray who is also driving a Subaru WRX. Currently sitting in equal 4^th place in the series, the DSA team has just completed a range of work to try and improve the traction and handling of the Subaru and are confident of another strong result.

"We had some setup problems that we knew about at the last rally and we have now managed to resolve these so that the car will have more traction and improved handling and good stability. We dont have many excuses now so we will be going flat out to try and get a good finish and score some strong points in the series" said driver Butcher.

Navigator Jess is flying in from Sydney again for the event. “Tassie roads are awesome and I cant wait to get stuck into the rally with Mark and see if we can get a good result for the team. It’s a long way from Sydney traffic – but its certainly a great way to enjoy the fantastic Tasmanian scenery!” said Nicholson.

The North West Car Club are the team behind the event being held on July 18 starting from the Bayside Motel, Burnie at 8.30am. This is a great chance for families to come down and meet the crews and check out the cars before they get covered in mud. The event runs all day and crews will cover over 150km’s of rally driving on closed roads.

DSA invites anyone interested in coming down to contact them directly on 1300 880 956. Spectating at this extreme sport does require some preparation and DSA can help you with the information you need – or better still you can follow the team on the day.

With the WRC (World Rally Championship) Rally approaching quickly, Mark and the team are still confident of entering and are searching for some small sponsors to make it easier to get to NSW in September. Any companies interested in supporting a young privateer team should contact DSA.

DSA would like to thank Subaru Australia, AJL Mechanical, Chiptorque for their valued support.

The hills were alive with the sound of WRX's and other high powered rally cars on Saturday June 13 as round 1 of the Tasmanian Rally Series fired into life just West of Hobart.

The DSA Rally Team of Mark Butcher (Driver) and Jess Nicholson (Navigator) were keen to get on the fast flowing roads and set some times against some very experienced local competitors. The DSA Subaru WRX has recently received some upgrades but it was a nasty electronic gremlin that spoilt the teams first outing with the car shutting down towards the end of the first stage.

After resetting the computer the car fired back in to life but already the team had lost over a minute.

With a new car set-up, new navigator and new brand of tyres, the rest of the event was used to get some valuable experience – and the times improved with each stage indicating the teams potential. At the end of the event and over 100kms of high speed rallying – the team finished in sixth place overall. The event was won by Lynn Rattray and Lindon Hills in a Subaru WRX.

“The roads around here are amazing! We didn’t have the power for the fast, long roads and could only manage around 140-150km/h. We also struggled to get grip out of most corners as the roads were wet and very slippery – so an upgraded front differential will give the car more drive in these conditions. Overall I had a great time sliding my way around the stages and enjoying the scenery that is a lot different to rallying in Western Australia! I cant wait for round 2 and the rest of the year” said driver Mark Butcher.

The Wynyard based team have already planned the upgrades and maintenance to be carried out before round 2 on July 18^th to be held on the North West Coast. With support from Driver Skills Australia, Subaru Australia, AJL Mechanical and Chiptorque – the team are hoping for some higher place finishes for the remainder of 2009.

Running a rally and a rally team requires many people so a special thanks to James Heinrich who has been the main man behind the scenes preparing the car along with the support crew of Amy, Kimberley, Ernie and Cato as well as fellow competitor Pete O’Reilly for assisting us before the rally and on the day.

The event was organised by the 500 Car Club and the DSA rally team would like to thank all the helpful officials and organisers for putting the event together so well.

On Saturday June 13, Mark Butcher and the DSA Rally Team will be in Hobart for round 1 of the Tasmanian Rally Series. The Styx Valley Rally will see teams from all over Tassie and some Melbourne drivers coming together to see who is the quickest on the fast gravel roads West of Hobart.

The DSA Rally Team are excited about the opportunity to compete after a few months away from gravel rallying. New co-driver Jess Nicholson from Sydney has flown down specifically for the event and is slowly adjusting to the cooler weather.

Service Crew Manager James Heinrich has been working flat out for several weeks preparing the car for the season. A new turbo and engine should give the team a bit more get up and go and many other components have been rebuilt to minimise mechanical gremlins.

"The car feels great! We are very happy with the new engine and turbo and I really think we are now in a position to pick up some results. WIthout the help of James and Subaru Australia it would be difficult to even make the start line - so many thanks to all the supporters of the team who have assisted so far" said Butcher.

The Styx Valley Rally starts on the Esplanade in New Norfolk on Saturday at 9.00am so come on down and meet some of the teams and check out the cars.

Sponsors are invited to join the DSA Rally Team at the 2009 Repco Rally Australia. Here is your chance to get exposure at a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MOTORSPORT event supporting a local team. Contact Mark Butcher for more information on 0439 966 072.

World Championship Rallying is returning to Australia in September with a round taking place in northern NSW.

With the top teams from all over the world, DSA is excited to announce its intention to compete in this international event.

Driver Mark Butcher has competed in six World Championship rallies before and found these events to provide sponsors with great exposure and return on investment.

"These events are equal in status to Formula 1 and attract a global audience providing some amazing promotional opportunities for sponsors. Having experienced these events in the past, we are confident of getting a great result for our team and sponsors if a suitable budget and competitive vehicle can be sourced. We need to move quick however as time is running out" said Butcher.

Butcher's last finish was in 1998 - 11 years ago, but Mark is keen to get back out there and mix it up with the fastest drivers in the world having honed his skills in several rounds of the Australian Championship and local events driving his reliable but aging Subaru WRX.

With the whole world tuned in, Mark and the team are very keen to talk to potential sponsors. The team hope to upgrade the current 2001 Subaru WRX to a newer (and quicker) car for this event - but without sponsors will still aim to compete in the existing car.

Here is a unique chance to sponsor a team in an FIA WRC event - and be part of this amazing event supporting a local driver.

Contact Mark directly on 0439 966 072 or mark@driverskillsaustralia.com for more information.

Chiptorque

AMY BUTCHER WINS AT SMITHTON

2009 Wynyard Sandblasting CH Kart Track Lap Dash - April 18, 2009

A fine day at the Circular Head Kart Track turned even better when Amy Butcher driving in only her second event ever took the Ladies Trophy at the North West Car Club Sprint event.

Beating 6 other ladies to first spot, AMY was under pressure from some great driving by many of the ladies including Alison Roberts driving a very quick Mazda RX7 Tarmac Race Car who finished 2nd.

Improving on every run, AMY was given a few tips by partner Mark who was also competing and enjoying the days competition.

The event was based on 2 flat out laps around a go-kart track - reaching speeds over 100km/h in several spots. AMY was driving the DSA Subaru WRX and improved her time by over 10 seconds during the course of the day to take the trophy home and her first ever win in only her 2nd ever event!

Mark Butcher drove the same car to 15th outright struggling for grip against some of the opposition who were in tarmac spec race cars. With over 40 entries on the day this was still a great result and was still 1 second faster then the nearest WRX driven by John Lakeland.

Amy and Mark would like to thank Wynyard Sandblasting and the North West Car Club for running a great event and encourage all keen drivers out there to join a car club and experience this form of motorsport!

When not racing around Go-Kart tracks, Amy and Mark run Driver Skills Australia so contact them via the website www.driverskillsaustralia.com for information on up coming defensive or advanced driving courses.

Check the youtube site soon for some in-car action at www.youtube.com/driverskillsaust .

Full results can be found at http://nwcctas.net/docs/180409.pdf

2008 Wrap Up

The DSA team has just competed in the NWCC Gravel Hill Climb on November 15, 2008. The team entered both Mark Butcher and young and up-coming driver James Heinrich (17). This was James' first event in over 12 months and the first time ever in a turbo charged 4WD rally car.

At the end of the day, from 40 drivers, Mark finished 4th Outright and James finished a creditable 13th.

Final results for the 2009 Australian Rally Championship season were also released today - and even though Mark only competed in 2 of the 6 rounds - he scored enough points to finish 20th Outright, 18th Privateer, 11th Premier League and 9th in Class.

Certainly with some sponsorship the team would be able to compete in more rounds and score more points in 2009 improving on this result.

The team are now taking a break and considering options for 2009. Anyone interested in supporting the team should contact DSA via this website.

Friday October 3 was the start of the first ever Tarmac round of the Australian Rally Championship held in around Burnie, Tasmania.

The Driver Skills Australia (DSA) team of Mark Butcher (driver - TAS ) and Lisa White (Navigator - WA ) where eager to hit the roads in the all black Subaru WRX rally car. The crew worked non stop for three weeks preparing the car and making adjustments from gravel specification to tarmac. The car also had to have some major components rebuilt to insure the team could push hard and maintain reliability on the fast and twisty Tasmanian roads.

With the event underway early on Saturday morning the pace was instantly set by the Championship leading Toyota of Neal Bates. Following him however the positions were chopping and changing with some of the younger teams certainly showing great speed. The DSA team were performing well but struggling with grip on the wet roads and after some reasonable stage times left the road on stage 4 near Savage River.

“The roads were very wet and it was raining on and off as we drove very near to the limit and unfortunately we were caught out after a fast section over a bridge and the following right hand corner tightened up leaving me with little option but to run directly off the road. We stopped only about 1m from the edge of the road, but with all the rain there was practically a creek running under the car and no chance with semi-slick tyres of driving back out. We were assisted by the recovery crew but as a result had to be excluded from that stage - effectively ending our chance of finishing 8th - which we had been running up until then” said driver Mark.

The team were not alone with several other crews facing a variety of issues including Michael Guest with gearbox dramas, Barry Kirk sliding off the road and Craig Brooks had an oil line come loose ending his great run in Heat 1. The team salvaged 10th place for Heat 1 and were confident of an improved result on Sunday (Heat 2).

Waking up on Sunday the weather was looking promising and with the hope that the roads would remain dry teams set off again to tackle the roads around Hellyer Gorge and Savage River.

A fast run over the first stage had the team confident of a good time but it was the little Mitsubishi of Molly Taylor that really was flying giving the DSA team a slap in the face. WA driver Dennis Dunlop was unfortunate to slide around a corner and collected a piece of Tasmania and re-arranged some of his Evo 7 Lancer in the process. Unfortunately the DSA team then ran over some of his bits on the road - that later lead to a puncture.

The DSA team also had a spectacular half spin on this stage and nudged the gorge with the front of the car - only enough to bend the number plate however and not much time was lost.
The run to Savage River and back was a bit damp and with the tight and twisty conditions everything was pushed to the limit again. Although the DSA team recorded a good time, once again Molly Taylor had gained a further advantage and was getting away from the black Subaru.

The pressure was on but things weren’t to be for the DSA team as a flat tyre meant that the team had to run with a brand new tyre on the car which had not been scrubbed in. Also the brakes had failed on the left side and by the end of the stage the entire brakes were on fire, burning out the seals and melting the brake pads to the calliper.

“We reached speeds of around 160km/h and the brake pedal was on the floor - this certainly gave me an adrenalin rush as we had to make sure pace notes were spot on to avoid running off the road and using what was left of the brakes to slow down” said Mark.
After losing bulk time to the rest of the field - the team decided to aim for a finish on the final stage and with some repaired brakes were happy to see the finish line after two days of high speed rallying.

The Heat 2 result was 9th outright and the team were pleased to have achieved a top 10 result for the weekend and add to the points already scored in the first round of the championship in WA earlier in the year.

With a very limited budget, the team are very thankful of the support of all the local service crew and everyone that assisted in getting the car to the start line.

Some outstanding performances on the weekend from some of the other privateers included Raymond brothers (Toyota), Brenton Kaitler (Mitsubishi) and local driver Craig Brooks (Subaru). Each of these drivers have demonstrated that the sport has a great future.

A special congratulations to Molly Taylor who drove her 2 wheel driver Mitsubishi hard all weekend and will be even harder to catch when she steps into a quicker car.

The DSA team offer a range of sponsorship packages that include hot laps and defensive driver training and would be happy to talk to anyone interested in supporting the team. The team are planning an upgrade into a new car for 2009. Interested parties should contact Mark directly via the website www.driverskillsaustralia.com .

MEDIA RELEASE - September 23, 2008
DRIVING TEST FOR BUTCHER

Local driver Mark Butcher will be taking on Australia’s fastest drivers in the up coming Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge, starting at the Burnie Showgrounds on Friday 3rd of October at 6pm. Mark has recently made the move from the mainland and is looking forward to competing in this round of the Australian Rally Championship (ARC) after scoring points in Round 1 earlier in the year.

“We are new here to Tassie but we have managed to get to one rally and were pleased with our results against some of the more experienced local crews. This event is the first tarmac rally for myself and I think I wont be alone in saying that it will be a steep learning curve converting from slippery gravel to the twisty sealed roads around Burnie” said Butcher.

Driving a 2001 Subaru WRX sponsored by Driver Skills Australia, Butcher will be leaning on all the skills learnt from the years spent teaching advanced and defensive driver training in Australia and overseas to get him to the finish of the two day event. “Our aim is to finish both days safely and have a great time. Of course if we can achieve a result that would be fantastic - especially as there are only 2 local drivers in the ARC component of the event”. Butcher will be joined by experienced West Australian Co-driver Lisa White who is flying in for the event.

The team are busy getting the car prepared and are anxiously awaiting parts for a gear box that failed on the last stage of the recent gravel rally. The team would like to thank some of the local competitors and crews for their assistance in obtaining parts at the last minute.
“With some of Australia’s fastest cars and fastest drivers gathered to compete on the awesome Tasmanian roads, you would have to be mad to not come and check out the action” said Butcher.

Information on the rally can be found at www.rallytasmania.com.au .
Anyone interested in supporting the team should contact Mark directly on 0439 966 072 or mark@mbmotorsport.net . Information on the team can be found at www.driverskillsaustralia.com .

ELECTRONICS SLOW START TO DSA RALLY TEAMS RESULT

After an eventful start, the DSA Rally Team completed Heat 2 of the Auspine Rally on Saturday September 13, 2008.

A hectic week to prepare the DSA Subaru had it all ready and set to go on Saturday morning only to be let down by a small electronic module that effectively stopped the team in its tracks. The WRX refused to start at the start of stage 1.

Having to be towed back the service area effectively ended any chance of a good finish for the event - but with a 2 Heat system the team worked hard to rectify the issue for the afternoon.

With a big help from leading competitors Craig Brooks service crew - the car was fired up and ready to go.

The first few stages where fast and long - a real test for Amy co-driving for the first time - but even with a couple of extra corners (ie - turn around....) the team set reasonable pace with some good times.

By the 3rd stage things were starting to settle down - with Amy getting used to calling the notes for Mark allowing the team to drive quicker - several times exceeding speeds of 150km/h on the dirt.

The 4th stage was looking great until half way thru the stage 3rd gear exploded - meaning the team had to slow down a bit and make use of the remaining gears.

"We were really flying along and starting to get used to the Tassie roads when 3rd gear went MIA. This did slow us down a bit but we were still happy to finish the 2nd heat and give Amy her first ever proper rally finish - even if we missed heat 1!" said driver Mark Butcher.

Even with all the little dramas - the team scored 4th outright and were only a handful of seconds of 3rd place.

Given this was the cars first run in a while, with a new co-driver and many new components - the team were happy with the result and have already commenced stripping and preparing the car for the next round of the Australian Championship in October.

DSA would like to especially thank Pete from the Total Alarms Rally Team and James and Dennis Heinrich for the many hours spent over, under and around the car before and during the rally.

Sponsors are required to assist the team move closer to achieving some outright results - so if you want to join a fast moving team contact Mark or Amy via the DSA website www.driverskillsaustralia.com .

Check back here for details on the next rally - Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge - October 4-5, 2008 www.rallytasmania.com.au.

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