THEY drove at speeds which would make any traffic policeman itch for his radar gun.

Charging hard into corners, they left dust clouds on hilly trails.

It was the stuff to make mothers faint.

Fathers, on the other hand, would probably be hopping mad to see cars so abused.

But The New Paper on Sunday found out that the two drivers of the Motor Image Rally Team had their family's blessings.

Last weekend, Australian Cody Crocker led the team to victory when he won the Rally of Canberra in a Subaru WRX Sti.

Team-mate Rifat Sungkar, who also drove the Singapore-assembled car, came in fourth overall in the Australian leg of the 2008 Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

DAD'S WATCHING

While Crocker raced with his co-driver Ben Atkinson, all their moves were being watched from the sky.

Ben's father, John, 62, flew his helicopter to track his son's progress on the gruelling 560km route.

Said the senior Atkinson: "I must have been flying about 90 knots (about 170kmh). But I think Cody was doing just as fast on the straight portions of the stage."

The need for speed is nothing new in the Atkinson family.

John started racing dirt bikes in 1970. But due to riding injuries, he switched to rally racing.

In 1984 and 1985, John became rally champion in New South Wales.

In 1999, Ben, 30, began by navigating in his first rally for his father.

Said John: "As a father, I feel comfortable with the Cody and Ben partnership because I trust Cody's driving. What's important is that the car they're in has a good roll cage. Nobody wants to see their children hurt in racing."

The Atkinson name is also dominant in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Ben's brother, Chris, has been dubbed the most successful Australian WRC driver with a third placing after five rounds of the 2008 WRC championship.

John added: "When my sons race, I offer family support, yet I don't interfere. Your child must know they're racing because they want to, not because their parents want them to."

MANAGER MUM

Motor Image's other driver, Rifat, 29, also hails from a rally family.

His grandparents, parents and brother are successful rally drivers in Indonesia.

His mother and manager, Ria Sungkar, one of the female pioneers of the Indonesian rally scene, started racing in 1971.

Like John, Madam Ria had also raced motorcycles.

As though participating in her own rally, Madam Ria, 53, anxiously surveyed the ground for her son's Subaru from the cockpit of John's helicopter.

Near Cotter Dam, about 12km from the city centre, Madam Ria barked, "That's Rifat", pointing confidently to her son's Subaru, barely visible from 100m in the sky.

Said Madam Ria: "They (her two sons) went into rally racing naturally, maybe with some influence from me. But I never taught them how to drive. They learned from my driver. I only gave instructions."

The early lessons may have reaped some benefits for Rifat, who said he was "happy with his result as it was a realistic achievement".

From the sidelines, where spectators watched about 80 drivers steer their cars in the dusty conditions and get airborne, it appeared fun.

But the dangers were real.

On Saturday, two drivers smacked into kangaroos, while a few others were forced to retire with mechanical failures sustained from the punishing terrain.

After a few stages, drivers were allowed to "pit-in" to get their cars checked.

At the Motor Image tent, Crocker's wife waited with their 4-month-old daughter Abbey.

Said Crocker, 36: "I can be having a hard time at some rally stages, but when I see Abbey, I calm down. She's just an angel."

His wife, Nicole, said family support was crucial because sometimes Cody needs to confide in her.

Nicole said: "If things don't go right for him (during the races), he comes to me to "let out" what he is unhappy with. After that he is more relaxed.

"I still worry for him because I have seen him get a few close calls while racing. But I know he won't take unnecessary risks."

FAMILY OF FANS

And it was not just his family that Crocker spent time with. There were also fans who were eager to chat with the champ.

One was a wheelchair-bound 10-year-old.

The boy with the Subaru-flagged wheelchair sat in the cold, dusty Kowen forest for two hours just to see Crocker in action.

It made his day when Crocker autographed a hat for him.

Crocker said: "Unfortunately, Australia recently has had its share of sportsmen involved in drug scandals, or who think they're just too good."

"In rally racing we want to tell fans that this is a family sport and that we're approachable. We need the support from fans to boost the profile of our sport."

This article was published in The New Paper on May 18, 2008.