Would-be competitors keen to test their skills at tarmac rallying can sign up for a new program being run by a man called Brock.
Phil ‘Split Pin’ Brock, youngest brother of the late touring car legend, has joined forces with Mountain Motorsports, organisers of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship, to train would-be rally drivers in the skills of the sport.
Brock and business partner Steve Whyte will be ‘on duty’ at the next round of the series, the Lake Mountain Sprint (May 28-29), with their team of driving instructors, to work one-on-one with drivers entering the touring category of the rally.
Event director Peter Washington hopes the program will bring more people into the sport and introduce them to the possibility of competing at a higher level.
“Entrants who sign up for the touring category not only get a chance to enjoy their cars in a safe controlled environment, but they also get to improve their skills with tuition from some of the best in the business.
“All of us hope this program will be a training ground for future competitors, a low-cost entry into the sport and hopefully a pathway to bigger and better things.
“Many of our touring category entrants have come along initially to just put a toe in the water, and then decide they will commit to going further, gaining their competition licence and buying a rally car.
“With Phil and Steve’s program, they can now get proper one-on-one tuition as they take part in our events, with instruction for drivers and co-drivers. We hope the experience will be so enjoyable that they will decide to become regular competitors in the sport, whether that be in our tarmac rallies, or in other events.”
At the Lake Mountain Sprint, which is based at Marysville in Victoria’s Yarra Valley/Yarra Ranges region, Phil Brock’s role will be as host and tour leader to the touring category entrants.
He will lead the entrants through each stage, teaching them the correct lines through the event route. He and Steve and their team will take time with each individual driver, analysing their abilities and working with them to increase and enhance their skills in tarmac rallying and what it involves.
Touring competitors must be clothed in non-flammable clothing from neck to wrist and ankle but not necessarily a racesuit. Driver and co-driver must wear helmets. They can run a standard road-registered vehicle without a roll cage.
Limited entries are still available for the touring category in the Lake Mountain Sprint. Entries are also available for the final two rounds of the 2016 series, the Snowy River Sprint (Lakes Entrance, September 24-25) and the Great Tarmac Rally (Marysville, December 10-11).
All ATRC events are also open to full tarmac-spec competition vehicles to contest the modern (modified), classic (pre-1982) and showroom classes. Crews must wear full racesuits and helmets and be licensed by Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA).
Further information on this year’s events is available from event director Peter Washington (0418 337 955) or the website: http://www.australiantarmacrally.com/
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