Subaru driver, Cody Crocker, has taken top points in Heat One of the Respect Yourself Forest Rally, completing a glorious clean sweep for the brand on the opening day of the 2003 Australian Rally Championship.

The dominance of Subaru at the top of the leaders' board was even more remarkable given Subaru Rally Team Australia leader, and winner of the past seven national championships, Possum Bourne, was forced to withdraw with engine problems after the day's second special stage.

After an enthralling battle, Crocker ran out a 7.9 second winner over Simon Evans, with 26 year-old West Australian Dean Herridge taking out a very comfortable third over the Mitsubishis of Juha Kangas, fourth, and Spencer Lowndes, fifth.

Bourne's demise meant that the young drivers of Subaru had to step up and rescue the day. They responded brilliantly.

Crocker and his co-driver Greg Foletta, kept cool heads despite the constant pressure they experienced throughout the day. Their greatest buffer across the 117.1 competitive kilometres was just 10.2 seconds.
The pair moved into first place on just the second forest stage of the heat and defended their lead grimly over the remaining seven stages.

Foletta was celebrating his 31st birthday today and the win was the perfect present.
Crocker was highly charged at the service after the event, realising the significance of the victory for the team and his own championship aspirations.

"With Possum out the responsibility really went to me to make something out of the day for the team'' Crocker said.

"This morning went really well and I felt very comfortable but as the day went on the pace kept increasing and the roads deteriorated, and we really had to work hard."

"But the car was really superb. I drove it really hard but I'd just tip it into the corner and it turned beautifully."

"We're ready to go again tomorrow. The car's perfect, it just needs a wash really, and we're ready to go again tomorrow."

For Dean Herridge, the third was his best outright result in a heat of the Australian Championship.
"In terms of our performance, today was a big step up," Herridge said.

"The responsibility fell to Cody and me pretty early on and I felt really comfortable with it. We got up to third early and then kept it all day."

"That's been a real confidence builder. The car has been great and I'm looking to going out tomorrow and build on that performance."

"We've worked hard in the off-season and it is good to get such a strong reward so early on."
Bourne was bitterly disappointed after having to pull out of the event that he has won for the past five years.

"The car didn't feel good on the first stage this morning and then felt even worse on the second stage," Bourne said.

"I could then smell the engine breathing and when we got to the road after completing the second stage this morning it went right off song so I just turned it off."

"We obviously did some damage when it was stuck in first last night."

"What's really frustrating is that it's all because of a 20 cent circlip that popped out and caused our gearbox problem lat night."

"It certainly is not the start to the season we wanted but top marks to Cody and Dean. They really showed their class today. It wasn't easy out there but they were really committed to winning for the team."

Results - Heat One - Respect Yourself Forest Rally

1 C Crocker/G Foletta Subaru Impreza WRX STi 1: 14:17.8
2 S Evans/S Evans Subaru Impreza WRX STi 1:14:25.7 +7.9 secs
3 D Herridge/G Macneall Subaru Impreza WRX STi 1:15:14.6 +48.9
4 J Kangas/J Rabbett Mitusbishi Lancer Evo 7 1:15:41.3 +1:23.5
5 S Lowndes/C Randell Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 1:15:44.5 +1:26.7
6 R Bates/D Long Toyota Corolla 1:17:07.2 +2:49.4
7 N Bates/C Taylor Toyota Corolla 1:17:10.9 +2:53.1