What has made this news even sweeter is that Neal Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor have claimed their fourth Australian Rally Championship title (they won three in a row in the early 90's)…the team has scored a trifecta following on from its 06 and 07 victories…and it was achieved in their world-first S2000 Corolla which they developed from the ground up!
Neal and Coral and their team mates Simon and Sue Evans came into the final round of the ARC in first and second places on the ladder. Such was the dominance of TRD in 2008. Bates said that his first title in 13 years was one of the highlights of his career.
"I'm absolutely over the moon right now. The S2000 Corolla has been ever reliable all year long and it's great that it is the first ever S2000 to take the ARC title."
Neal is just the third person ever to win four or more ARC Drivers' titles.
"Obviously I am incredibly happy to win a fourth title, I think it will take a while for what we have achieved to actually set in as this weekend was very difficult. With the car essentially in its infancy, we have more work to do. However, the S2000 Corolla has been competitive since its debut and I have finished every rally I've started in it so it is getting there. Overall, it is a big achievement to win another manufacturers' title and for Coral and I to win again 13 years since our last one."
Neal has secured 32 outright ARC wins in a career spanning more than 20 years and has also made 14 appearances in the World Rally Championship and finished third in the 1997 International Race of Champions. Since winning his first ARC title in 1993, TRD boss Bates has also recorded outright victory in Targa Tasmania, six Bathurst 12-hour class wins and has sat on pole at the Bathurst 1000.
The Toyota Racing Development (TRD) S2000 Corolla rally car is the first of its kind to be designed, developed and manufactured in the world. That project was undertaken for Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) by TRD in Canberra. TRD is a privately owned motor sport operation owned by principal and lead driver, Neal Bates. It employs seven engineers/mechanics full time and for the past 20 years has been the official rallying arm of Toyota in Australia (previously known as Team Toyota Racing).
In 2005 TRD was tasked with developing a Corolla turbo powered all wheel drive rally car for the Australian Rally Championship. CONCENTRIC was also involved in its development. This car won for Toyota the 2006 and 2007 Australian Rally Championships and Australian Manufacturers Championships…and the Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence Award in New South Wales!
With international rallying moving up to a new "S2000" specification vehicle, Toyota commissioned TRD to do all of the development work on their next-generation Corolla which is eligible not only for competition in Australia, but also across the world. The major engineering developmental work on the S2000 involved marriage of the production car body to 4WD competition running gear, weight reduction, roll cage design, a new engine, suspension, brakes, the wiring harness, fuel cell design, transmission, and modifications to the body.
The challenge was to take "Mum's shopping car" and transform it into a championship winning all wheel drive racer, without any prior reference point, whilst conforming to rigid international regulations. CONCENTRIC's contribution to the S2000 project - via its CONCENTRIC Engineering Services team and ENVIZAGE advanced manufacturing centre included 3D design work and analysis utilising CATIA CAD/CAM/CAE software, CNC machining, rapid prototyping, low volume manufacturing, and finite element analysis. The most complex design project was an all-new inlet manifold.
CONCENTRIC is accredited by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) - motorsport's ruling body - for roll cage design and was able to conduct stress analysis within CATIA. This led to a safer 'cage with less weight. A-class styling was also conducted in CATIA for the body kit required to house the wider track and tyre width.
TRD used conventional engineering processes including laser cutting, CNC machining, CNC milling, lathe turning, sheet metal folding-bending-guillotining, hole punching, and welding. a variety of materials (steel, aluminium, carbon fibre, plastics, sintered nylon, sheets, tubing…). Materials were selected based on component functionality, longevity and weight. From the time the donor cars arrived in Australia to the debut of the S2000 in the Australian Rally Championship was a mere four months.
The Canberra-based operation was able to carry out the S2000 project with a minimum of external assistance because over the years it has brought together a team of specialists with specific complementary skill sets as well as built up the necessary engineering equipment for development work including a metal folding machine, brake press for bending metal up to 15mm in thickness, sheet metal guillotine, CNC machine, milling machine, lathe, engine assembly workshop, welding equipment, wiring harness assembly workshop, hoists, and more.
Commercialisation of the S2000 is underway with Paraguay's largest Toyota importer ordering S2000's, an order to come from New Caledonian competitors, and the car featuring in an online rally game at trd.com.au.
