Bigger and better ARC rounds for 2015

The organisers of the five Rounds that make up the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship have all confirmed that they are looking to go bigger and better in 2015.
 

Some Round by Round highlights revealed at the recent ARC organisers meeting included;
 
Round 1 - Quit Forest Rally (27th-29th March)
Marking its return to the opening Round of the Championship next year, the Quit Forest Rally, held in the Busselton region of Western Australia, is looking to make noticeable changes to its flagship Super Special Stage.
 
The unique, challenging ball-bearing gravel roads the rally utilizes are also said to be in the best condition events Clerk of Course Ross Tapper has ever seen them in following recent grading work by the Department of Parks & Wildlife, ensuring crews up and down the running order will experience the best conditions WA has to offer.
 
Round 2 - National Capital Rally (15th-17th May)
Moving to the second Round in the Championship, the now traditional outing in Canberra will see significant route changes including the location of the ARMOR ALL Power Stage and a soon to be announced ceremonial start location.
 
The event is planning to make greater utilization of the Kowen forest, where event director Adrian Dudok said the roads are in excellent condition, including a rally village around the existing tunnel and jump flyover with a focus on corporate hospitality, trade stands and a dedicated kids area.
 
Nat Cap is also retaining the extremely well received service park location on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin, within walking distance of the Event Headquarters at the QT Hotel (formerly Rydges).
 
Round 3 - International Rally of Queensland (19th-21st June)
As Australia’s Round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the International Rally of Queensland’s Clerk of Course Paul Woodward says that the organisers are striving to get more national and international competitors in 2015.
 
To increase the appeal of the event, and to lure an even larger entry list than in 2014, the event has found a new stage near to Kenilworth which will add to the quality forest roads which already host the event’s iconic stages.
 
And in partnership with the business community of Caloundra, the International Rally of Queensland is planning an even more fan-friendly start ceremony in 2015.
 
Round 4 - Rally Australia (10th-13th September)
To our local Round of the FIA World Rally Championship, which continues to receive rave reviews from the sports leading drivers for its fast and challenging roads, a number of notable changes.
 
The management group is going through some changes and additions including the introduction of a new marketing manager to continue to spread the word both locally and abroad about the event.
 
The organizing committee are also working on changes to the route and expect to include even more of the spectacular shire roads of the Coffs region, and a revamped Super Special Stage designed to showcase the rally cars even more in 2015.
 
Based on competitors feedback changes will be made to improve the profiles of the jumps used for water control in the forests while the ARC service park surface will be upgraded for the New Year.
 
Round 5 - Scouts Rally SA (23rd-25th October)
And lastly the former winter rally on the calendar has received the most significant date change, shifting from the start of August to the end of October, and in doing so becoming the season’s final Round.
 
Clerk of Course Ivar Stanelis is hopeful that the date change will avoid the wet weather that has plagued the event in recent years, and will instead result in gloriously warm and sunny conditions for teams, service crew and spectators.
 
The event will rejig some of its stages, with a move away from the Southern most roads, and a new focus further North on new council and private roads.
 
The event is also promising an even bigger return for the inaugural Gawler Cup, where the top ten fastest drivers battled it out for a bonus prizes in 2014, where the winner was Cody Crocker in his Polaris, with the stage featuring a revised longer route including a new water splash and jump.
 
For the first time the event will also offer trophies and prize money to the fastest crew from all categories over common stages from the whole event.

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