We talk with Brett Middleton on his Rally Queensland success

Share

[mudslide:picasa,0,racerviewsphotos,5901492131367379121,52,600c,center]

The Subaru Forester put in great stage times at Rally Queensland, competing with cars that should be much faster

In our continuing coverage from the International Rally of Queensland, we catch up with Brett Middleton who rallies the MRT Performance Subaru Forester.

It was a great rally for Brett and co-driver Andrew Benefield who not only overcame the technical gremlins that impacted their last rallies but they also found speed – and were only 0.1 tenth outside getting a top 5 – and a bonus run-off – in the first stage of the Australian Rally Championship weekend.  The first stage was a dash around a spectator superspecial at Nambour showgrounds.

The duo were able to keep up the pace throughout the rally, with time competitive with the other, but separate class, 4WD cars in the ARC.  The Subaru Forester is a lot heavier than the outright, Group N derived rally cars and by rights the Forester should not be anywhere near the times of the Impreza and Evos.  But despite having a lack of competition in the class, they have pushed on with development of the Forester and are gaining time all the way through.  It was this drive for development that cost them reliability but now, with that seemingly solved, the team have surged ahead in their own development race.

We talk to Brett about the rally, what drives him and his team and how the rally team fits in with his professional life at MRT Performance.

Click here to download the interview with Brett Middleton (right click and save as)

Click here to subscribe to RacerViews iTunes channel

For more of our IROQ coverage check out

Interview with Gaurav Gill

Interview with Eli Evans

Interview with Justin Dowel

APRC photo gallery

ARC photo gallery

– QRC/Historic/All-comers gallery

[mudslide:picasa,0,racerviewsphotos,5901492131367379121,7,600c,center]

The Subaru Forester has had a lot of development since it started rallying despite not having direct competition

Interview by Sam Tickell, July 2013

RacerViews was established in 2011 and with the aim of delivering a new web experience to motorsport fans.  We bring exclusive interviews and photos from motorsports finest drivers of yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Our team has decades of experience in the motorsport field.  With a heavy presence on Facebook, Twitter and iTunes. Our social media channels are followed by thousands of people, extending our reach of Australian and global motorsport to a great worldwide audience.  Our mission to bring exclusive content is in safe hands.  We have partnered with motorsport teams like Cjaz Racing, Stig Richards Motorsport, One of a Kind MotorsportDark Horse Racing and MRT Performance in order to give you the best exclusive motorsport coverage.

We are always looking for new people to join our team.  If you are a motorsports photographer or journalist looking for additional exposure or a great place to learn your trade, contact us