Changes to 2007 ARC rules

A number of changes to the NEC Australian Rally Championship will be introduced this year.  Some of these had been recommended to ARCom from a forum that was held in late December 2006 that included representatives from the series and event promoters, manufacturers and CAMS sporting officials.

The changes include:

Restart Rule: for 2007, competitors suffering a problem are able to rejoin during the Heat and be eligible for points based on their finishing position for that heat.
    
Gearboxes: The gearbox regulations will be similar to 2006, however, each driver will be given 2 ‘wildcard’ changes during the year. This will allow each driver to change a gearbox twice during the year without incurring any penalty.
   
Length of Events: Event Organisers have been given more flexibility and can now create events with heat lengths of between 90 and 120 kilometres per heat; however reconnaissance must still be able to be completed in one day.

Tyres: As a result of the possibility of an increase in event lengths, the tyre regulations have been capped at a maximum of 20 tyres per event.

Car Signage: ARC registered competitors will now be allowed to submit alternate signage liveries for their car. All series and event signage obligations will apply, however alternate locations can be used. This will allow competitors to offer their sponsors greater prominence and maximise the commercial space available.

Testing: Testing for a maximum of 8 hours per driver will be available during the week of each event upon application to Organisers.

Calendar: There will be a date change for the Rally of South Australia, which will be held one week later than originally promulgated. The 2007 calendar will now be:
           

            Rd 1. coates Rally Queensland - 31 March - April 1
            Rd 2. Quit Forest Rally - 27 -29 April
            Rd 3. Rally of Canberra - 1-3 June
            Rd 4. Rally of SA - 10-12 August
            Rd 5. Rally of the Great Lakes - 14-16 September
            Rd 6. NGK Rally of Melbourne - 9-11 November (TBC)

These changes are designed to further improve the NEC ARC for competitors and spectators alike and have been arrived at after consultation with the many stakeholders involved in the sport.

Competitor registration forms for the 2007 Australian Rally Championship will be available from the CAMS website.
 

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