Subaru Rally Team Australia driver Cody Crocker produced a wonderfully consistent drive in the NGK Rally of Melbourne today to bolster his challenge for the Australian Rally Championship.

In Heat One of his home state event, Crocker, driving a Group N Impreza WRX STi, finished second to privateer Subaru Impreza WRX driver Simon Evans.

But more importantly for Crocker was his placing ahead of Mitsubishi driver Ed Ordynski, his arch rival in the race for 2003 honours.

The result means Crocker extends his Championship lead over Ordynski to 21 points*.

Crocker now has a season total of 150 points with just three heats remaining in the 2003 Championship.
Displaying the maturity that has marked his season to date, Crocker put together a string of two first places, five second places and a fifth, over the eight stages around Yarra Glen, north east of Melbourne, in the knowledge that finishing ahead of Ordynski was his main objective for the day.

Crocker said: "We've had a good run, we chose the right tyres and we're right where we want to be after Heat One - ahead of Ed!"

Second place on the Heat is all the more pleasing for Crocker as he is driving his "old" right-hand-drive Model Year 2002 car this weekend.

He had been expecting to be behind the wheel of his left hand-drive 2003 model, but the late arrival of parts from Japan made it impossible to prepare in time for this weekend.

However, the 2002 car has proved a trusty drive this year - victory in five of the nine ARC heats, second today, as well as first in the Subaru Rally of Canberra and Group N in Rally New Zealand.

The final three stages today were all repeats from earlier in the day and Crocker pulled out all the stops after the lunchtime second service, taking his first stage win of the day on the 15.69km Ben Cairn 2.
He followed up with another first, then a second place, whittling Evans' overall lead down to just 10.7 seconds at the end of the day's competition.

"We put everything we'd learned about these stages earlier in the day to good use.

"It's gratifying that our day has been so consistent and it means we're totally focused going into tomorrow, when we have the opportunity to put even more pressure on Ed," added Crocker.

"We've had a good clean run today. The stages were quite slippery but started to dry out a little and generally it was very smooth and winding, which suited us fine."

The day proved more challenging for fellow SRTA driver Dean Herridge, who suffered a mishap on the 12.04 kilometre second stage when his Impreza WRX STi struck a tree and stalled after hitting a rut.
It cost Herridge dearly, plunging him from sixth to twelfth spot.

But Herridge showed his grit by battling his way back up to eighth by the day's end.
He said: "We could really have done without that hit on SS2. We bent the lower control arms and because it happened early on the stage, it cost us a lot of time.

"But after service this morning the car felt good and we tried really hard to pull back some time.
"On the positive side, we finished the Heat without any more dramas and actually made up some placings and we'll be keen to do well in Heat Two."

Heat One was contested over eight stages covering 118.72 competitive kilometres.
Tomorrow's Heat Two covers a further 10 stages, totalling 104.54 competitive kilometres. It concludes with a 4.47km dash around the De Bortoli winery at 1500 AEST.

To follow all the live rally action, see www.rally.subaru.com.au

Heat One results NGK Rally of Melbourne (provisional only)

1. Evans/Evans, Subaru Impreza WRX, 1:08.02.8
2. Crocker/Foletta, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, +10.7 diff to fastest
3. Ordynski/Stewart, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, +23.0
4. Pedder/Humm, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, +26.2
5. Kangas/Rabbett, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, +30.0
6. Lowndes/Randall, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, +53.1
7. Bates/Taylor, Toyota Corolla Sportivo, +55.8
8. Herridge/Macneall, Impreza WRX STi, +1.21.6
* Provisional points only.