The event saw the ex Peter Roberts Lancer Evo III of Wingham’s Dave Darby take Dave’s first ever State championship victory. Despite an intermittent heat related engine drama the pair held off last year’s winner and NSW Rally Champion Michael Boaden, from Wauchope, co-driven by his sister, Helen Cheers, in their newer Lancer Evolution VII.
Second in the rally means that Boaden takes the lead in the championship as Darby is only registered for the Northern NSW Series. Boaden had some sorting out of his tyres to do on this event, as he changed his tyre supplier to Silverstone in the off-season.
The top ten in this year's Bega Rally is shaping up to be a real duel between the Mitsubishi Lancer Evos and Subaru WRXs. In addition the best historic rally cars from the 70’s and 80’s will also be running, including a perfectly restored Lancia Stratos HF, Fiat 131 Abarth and Escort Mark 1’s and 2’s. You will certainly hear them coming down some of the fastest rally roads in the country.
Locals and visitors are well taken care of with several fantastic Spectator Points available throughout the event. Instructions will be available from the RSL Club on both Saturday and Sunday, as well as at several other locations in town. Since the 70’s Bega has always had a reputation of being rally heaven and this year's event will only serve to enhance that even further. Stages will be run both north of Bega and in the area between Bega and Eden.
Five times Australian Rally Champion, WA’s Ross Dunkerton and Victorian two-time Australian Rally Champion Geoff Portman, will once again rekindle their battles of the 80’s, back when Bega was a round of the Australian Rally Championship.
The course includes 9 Special Stages with a total competitive distance of over 148km.
A field of around 100 crews are expected to start the rally according to event director Graham Roser, who promises the event to be “the best run rally on the best roads in the country. The roads will be super fast and will provide a lot of sideways action.”
Rally headquarters will be at it’s traditional home of the Bega RSL Club. It will be open from 8am until 9pm on Saturday and from 8am until 8pm on Sunday. Spectators can view the cars at the start in Zingel Place, just outside the Bega Town Hall, from 8:30 Sunday morning with the first car flagged off at around 9:30am.
With over 4000 locals and visitors from three states involved in the event, nationwide coverage of the event in the specialised motoring press and city newspapers, as well as radio and TV coverage, the event brings both cash and prestige to the Bega area and the Sapphire Coast.
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