The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) team has finished the 2025 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) season on a high, with Harry Bates and Coral Taylor registering their first win of the season at Rally Tasmania.

TGRA teammates Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin closed off their strong season with a second-place finish, mirroring their standing in the championship table behind 2025 champions Hayden Paddon and John Kennard.

TGRA also took out the ARC Manufacturer’s championship for the eighth time, after a closely fought battle with Hyundai throughout the 2025 season.

Harry and Coral put in a consistently strong performance through the first eight stages on Saturday, including two stage wins to end the day 7.4 seconds ahead of Paddon and Kennard.

Lewis and Anthony also had a strong performance on Saturday including a stage win on SS3, finishing the day 37.9 seconds behind Harry and Coral in fourth after a spin in SS4 cost them roughly 20 seconds.

Sunday saw a dominant performance from the TGRA pair who traded stage wins through the day’s six stages, with Harry taking two stage wins and Lewis four, including the Power Stage.

Lewis and Anthony rose to second overall in Tasmania – 55.6 seconds behind Harry and Coral – capping off a successful and consistent season which included a win on home turf at the Rally of Canberra, three other podium finishes and no placing lower than fourth across the six-round season.

It was a frustrating year for reigning ARC champions Harry and Coral, who were unable to string together consistent wins due to various interruptions.

Nevertheless, their win in Tasmania still contributed towards an impressive podium finish for the season, and marked the eighth consecutive year that Harry has recorded an ARC round victory – a testament to his consistency.

TGRA’s double championship podium also saw an eighth ARC Manufacturer’s championship awarded, made possible thanks to the tireless work of the whole team at Neal Bates Motorsport, led by Neal Bates.

The inclusion of Paddon and Kennard to the 2025 ARC season saw racing reach new levels in the format, with the new champions pushing both Bates brothers to bring their best and improve their racing skills throughout the year.

After a few months of well-earned rest, the TGRA rally team will be back, looking to win back the driver and co-driver championship titles for the 2026 ARC season.

The six-round season will kick off from April 17-19 with the Queensland Rally, while the final round of the season will be Victoria’s Gippsland Rally in November. A new event in Narooma, NSW, will be introduced as the third round of the season, bringing rally racing to the state’s south coast.

RALLY TASMANIA RESULTS:

DAY 1:

1^st: Harry Bates

4^th: Lewis Bates

DAY 2:

1^st: Lewis Bates

2^nd: Harry Bates

OVERALL:

1^st: Harry Bates

2^nd: Lewis Bates

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1^st: Hayden Paddon & John Kennard, 540

2^nd: Lewis Bates & Anthony McLoughlin, 471

3^rd: Harry Bates & Coral Taylor, 431

4^th: Alex Rullo & Steve Glenney, 269

5^th: Jackson Long & Damien Long, 214

2026 ARC CALENDAR: