The closest anyone came to Harry Bates was on the ninth special stage of the two-day sprint event, when Lewis Bates, driving an identical Toyota Yaris AP4, was just 0.7sec behind.

Harry Bates won Saturday's cumulative stage times by over one minute, with much the same margin on Sunday. His brother, Lewis, ran off the slippery road and had a puncture on Saturday but recovered strongly to fourth place, then was runner-up to his older brother on Sunday.

Harry Bates' win in Shannons Rally Launceston was even more impressive given his customary co-driver for the past seven seasons, Queenslander John McCarthy, was struck down with COVID-19 just before the team rolled their trucks onto the Spirit of Tasmania for trip across Bass Strait.

Sitting in for McCarthy for the rally in a late call-up was Coral Taylor, who usually is the team manager.

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Coral Taylor, mother of 2016 national rally champion Molly, has guided Harry's father and Canberra rally legend Neal Bates to four national championships but had been a lengthy time out of the co-driver's seat in the fastest rally car in the country, as the event's top seeds, at the front of the field.

However, Taylor, 61, was right up to the pace from the moment the flag dropped.

Success in Tasmania makes it three national round wins in succession for the recently-engaged Harry Bates, coming after a convincing victory in Canberra, and a come-from-behind race to the finish in Western Australia.

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