WARRNAMBOOL’S Shannon and Ian Rentsch rev up their tilt for back-to-back Australian Off Road Championships (AORC) in Western Australia this weekend.
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The father and son driver/navigator take to the Kalgoorlie track this morning with the number one again atop their buggy, after claiming their sixth Australian championship last year.
Last year was their first title since 2009 and Shannon said it felt good to be back racing number one.
The pair won AORC titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006, before returning to the top of the podium in 2008 and 2009.
A reduced commitment between 2009 and 2011 saw them relinquish their titles as the ones to beat.
“It does feel good to have Australian number one back on the buggy after a couple of quiet years,” Shannon said.
“We only did a couple of races the couple of years before last so to come back and get number one again was a dream come true.”
He said consistency had been a key to success last year and he hoped they could build on the momentum of last year. “I think the biggest thing last year that helped us win was our reliability,” he said.
“We haven’t really made any major changes to the car since then so hopefully we can continue that form and keep the pace up as well.
“The car looks different though with a new livery and it should stand out on the track.”
This weekend is the first time the Kalgoorlie event has been held and Shannon said they weren’t sure what to expect.
“We have no idea what the Kalgoorlie track is like yet, but it’s the same for everybody,” he said.
“The Western Desert Racers always put on a good event so I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing.”