The first round of the 2025 Motorsport Australia KickAss Products Queensland Rally Championship (QRC) is underway, with Josh Wiedman and co-driver Ryan Preston taking home the season’s first outright victory.

The first round of 2025 for QRC, the APX Suspension Blackbutt Rallysprint, took place just two hours northeast of Brisbane.

This was the Queenslander’s first QRC victory, entering the season with a newly acquired 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.

“It feels amazing winning this round,” Wiedman said.

“We had a few issues toward the end of the rally, which made it a close finish, but the win gave me a lot of confidence in the new car. It was a great feeling overall.”

Wiedman credits his new car in helping him secure the win.

“Having a capable car makes all the difference and my old Subaru just wasn’t up to the task,” Wiedman explained.

“The new car is built to rally with a sequential gearbox, which makes driving much easier as there is no power loss during gear changes.

“The suspension is also a game-changer. It handles hard impacts better, and allows for higher speeds around corners.”

Ryan Preston also played a major role in this victory, thanks to his impressive navigation and mentorship to Wiedman.

“Ryan Preston, my nephew and co-driver, was a key factor in this win,” Wiedman said.

“He kept pushing me and teaching me how to handle the new car.

“It’s a completely different calibre of vehicle, so his guidance was invaluable.”

Despite the win, the duo did face challenges during the rally.

“Learning the new car was a big challenge, it took time to figure out how to use it properly,” Wiedman explained.

“We also had some mechanical issues. We blew a head gasket in the last two stages, which cost us a lot of time.

“The car was cutting out, and it was pretty scary, but we managed to push through and finish.”

Wiedman is focused on delivering consistent results this season, with success already found at the first round of the EROAD Australian Rally Championship – finishing fourth outright and a win in the WOLF Production Cup class in Canberra.

“My main focus is to stay on top,” said Wiedman.

“The new car is a lot faster, so I need to make sure I don’t get ahead of myself.

“I’m also looking forward to building my relationship with Ryan and continue our success.”

The next round of the 2025 Motorsport Australia KickAss Products Queensland Rally Championship takes place on March 29 for the APX Suspension Jimna RallySprint.