Competitors with modern rally cars have been afforded a rare opportunity to compete in a long distance rally with the organisers of the 2016 Classic Outback Trial expanding the six-day event from June 18-24 to include late model two and four-wheel drive rally cars.
The Classic Outback Trial was originally conceived as an event for competitors with classic rally cars looking for a long distance event of their own, but competitors with more modern cars have also expressed a keen interest in competing in the Red Centre event.
In response, the organisers of the 2016 Classic Outback Trial have added a new category, COT Modern, which caters for two and four-wheel drive cars (including turbocharged) from 1986.
“We've had lots of enquiries from people with modern rally cars," said COT Director Philip Bernadou.
"There are plenty of modern competitors, including those with 4WD cars, who don't want to do ARC events and are looking for a challenge."
"Classic Outback Modern will deliver that challenge in spades," he said.
The Classic Outback Trial event will be run over six days in June 2016 and will be centred on Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
Each day’s competition will be conducted on loops in the spectacular and unforgettable country surrounding the outback city, with competitors leaving the rally headquarters early in the morning and returning later in the afternoon.
In between they will contest four or five special stages on private property, with roads varying from fast smooth, sandy cattle station roads to steep, tight and hilly tracks through the rugged McDonnell Ranges.
Transport sections on public roads will connect the special stages.
In the course of the six days of competition competitors will contest 30 special stages totalling some 2500km – 1100km or 44 percent of which will be competitive.
All special stages will be run in daylight hours and will be fully route-charted with navigation ‘tulips’.
Competitors will have the opportunity to tend their cars at two service points each day, and at the end of each day’s running they will return to the rally’s headquarters in Alice Springs where there will be a central service area.
Cars won't be locked away in an overnight parc ferme or impounded at the end of each day’s activity.
The 2016 Classic Outback Trial is being run under CAMS special stage sporting regulations, with winners to be declared in each of the four categories, including the new COT Modern category.
The Classic Outback Trial will be run 18-24 June 2016.
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