Cody Crocker is often regarded as one of the best talents to ever grace the Australian rally scene, with the Victorian-born driver backing up that claim with seven consecutive domestic and international championships in the 2000s.

 

His big break came with joining Subaru Rally Team Australia in the late 1990s, and Crocker continued to fly the mighty flag of the Possum Bourne Motorsport empire with three consecutive Australian titles between 2003 and 2005.

 

Crocker had been a dominant force for more than seven years in what’s currently known as the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship, but when Subaru ended its factory rally program at the end of 2005, a golden opportunity opened up through equally eminent Tasmanian outfit Les Walkden Rallying.

 

Speaking with Adrian Coppin on the latest edition of ARC Service Park, Crocker revealed how a two-minute phone call with Walkden changed his career for the next four years.

 

“The ARC was an amazing time but then to step into the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and go to international events was incredible. The way it all happened just was awesome too,” Crocker said.

 

“We had finished the last ARC round in Bathurst to win the 2005 title and on my way back home from the event, Subaru met with me and informed me they had pulled the pin on the program.

 

“Then Les Walkden called me not long after my meeting with Subaru and during that two-minute conversation, we had gone from looking at doing another Australian Championship to heading overseas.

 

“There were lots of great memories over the next four years, but 2006 was the standout because it was our first adventure with Les Walkden.

 

“It was just a whirlwind tour, because we went there not knowing anything about the regions. We had never been to Malaysia or Indonesia and to experience the adventure and go rallying was awesome.

 

“Fortunately to win the title in our first attempt was pretty special, especially because Les was just a bloke from Tasmania who wanted to go rallying,”

 

Following his triumph in Asia with Les Walkden Rallying, Crocker then went onto win the next three FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championships with the Singapore-based Motor Image Rally Team. Coincidentally, all of his Australian and Asia-Pacific successes were all aboard Possum Bourne Motorsport prepared Subarus.

 

For Crocker, racing in Asia was always an adventure.

 

“Going from Australia to the Asia-Pacific was next level. Everywhere you went was unique,” Crocker added.

 

“Places like China were so foreign to us and that was why it was an adventure. Literally around every corner was some interesting surprise or ridiculous thing.

 

“In the early stages when I did the championships, coming back to Australia I felt like I had seen everything. There were dogs running on the track, people on bicycles riding down the road on the tracks. It was just astounding.”

 

Watch Cody Crocker’s appearance on ARC Service Park on the video below.