Inside the mind of rally driver: Interview with David Hodges of Team DNA Racing
Meet Dave and Anja Hodges (@dnaracingwa), the dynamic rally duo from Maida Vale with deep roots in the Perth Hills. Dave grew up in Gooseberry Hill, and Anja was raised in Kalamunda—both are true locals who love their community.
This September, they’ll be hitting the road in the Tarmac West Rally event, running from 12-15 September. We caught up with Dave Hodges to discuss their journey into the world of motorsport and the key highlights of the four-day event.
When did you first start tarmac rallying, and where did you compete in your first event?
“Anja and I first entered rallying back in 2017 at the Tarmac West event, which was previously known as Targa West. Our first experience was competing in the Mundaring to Kalamunda stages.
Before we got into rallying, we were racing with the HSV Club of WA, mainly at Wanneroo Raceway—now CARCO.com.au.”
What first sparked your interest in rallying, and how did you get started in the sport?
Anja and I have always been motoring enthusiasts. We’re passionate collectors of both classic and modern cars.
Through the HSV club, we met Ross Tapper, the Clerk of the Course for Tarmac West. He suggested we give rallying a try and get involved with the event, and that’s how we got started.
During the 4-day rally, which stage stands out as the highlight for you, and why?
The Zig Zag stage is something we look forward to all year.
Having grown up in the area, we both have fond memories of driving down the Zig Zag as soon as we got our licences.
Racing up from the bottom is a unique experience—it's thrilling to have cliffs on one side and the rock face on the other while driving at speeds of up to 165 km/h.
Rallying is a team effort with co-drivers and support crews. How important is the camaraderie and teamwork in fueling your passion for racing?
Our team is absolutely vital—without them, we simply couldn’t compete.
We’re fortunate to have a team made up of our local friends and family, who also share our passion for motorsport.
They support us all year round, and during the four-day event, they’re right there with us, providing fuel, tyres, food, coffee, and of course keeping the car running - I do tend to break it.
We’re also incredibly grateful for the support from our sponsor, Reward Financial Services in High Wycombe, who has been with us for a long time.
Do you have any recommendations for Spectators who will be attending the event?
The Ellenbrook stage is a lot of fun due to the Family Festival they put on, with lots of activities for the family.
Inside the mind of rally driver: Interview with David Hodges of Team DNA Racing
Meet Dave and Anja Hodges (@dnaracingwa), the dynamic rally duo from Maida Vale with deep roots in the Perth Hills. Dave grew up in Gooseberry Hill, and Anja was raised in Kalamunda—both are true locals who love their community.
This September, they’ll be hitting the road in the Tarmac West Rally event, running from 12-15 September. We caught up with Dave Hodges to discuss their journey into the world of motorsport and the key highlights of the four-day event.
When did you first start tarmac rallying, and where did you compete in your first event?
“Anja and I first entered rallying back in 2017 at the Tarmac West event, which was previously known as Targa West. Our first experience was competing in the Mundaring to Kalamunda stages.
Before we got into rallying, we were racing with the HSV Club of WA, mainly at Wanneroo Raceway—now CARCO.com.au.”
What first sparked your interest in rallying, and how did you get started in the sport?
Anja and I have always been motoring enthusiasts. We’re passionate collectors of both classic and modern cars.
Through the HSV club, we met Ross Tapper, the Clerk of the Course for Tarmac West. He suggested we give rallying a try and get involved with the event, and that’s how we got started.
During the 4-day rally, which stage stands out as the highlight for you, and why?
The Zig Zag stage is something we look forward to all year.
Having grown up in the area, we both have fond memories of driving down the Zig Zag as soon as we got our licences.
Racing up from the bottom is a unique experience—it's thrilling to have cliffs on one side and the rock face on the other while driving at speeds of up to 165 km/h.
Rallying is a team effort with co-drivers and support crews. How important is the camaraderie and teamwork in fueling your passion for racing?
Our team is absolutely vital—without them, we simply couldn’t compete.
We’re fortunate to have a team made up of our local friends and family, who also share our passion for motorsport.
They support us all year round, and during the four-day event, they’re right there with us, providing fuel, tyres, food, coffee, and of course keeping the car running - I do tend to break it.
We’re also incredibly grateful for the support from our sponsor, Reward Financial Services in High Wycombe, who has been with us for a long time.
Do you have any recommendations for Spectators who will be attending the event?
The Ellenbrook stage is a lot of fun due to the Family Festival they put on, with lots of activities for the family.
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Whadjuk Noongar People as the Custodians of this land. We also pay respect to all Aboriginal community Elders, past, present and future who have and continue to reside in the area and have been an integral part of the history of this region.