Should the Jamaican star show enough to make the final squad, team owner Mike Charlesworth will shell out a cool $3 million to Bolt when his contract is signed.Huge money indeed, but it’s clear to see that it’s a masterstroke from Charlesworth.
Usain Bolt played his first game for the Central Coast Mariners last week.
Seeing Craig Lowndes in a full-spec AP4 car would do wonders for the profile of Australian rallying. Photo: Luke Whitten
Craig Lowndes will retire from full-time Supercar driving at the end of this season, and putting him a rally car for a full season of the ARC would do wonders for the promotion of the sport.Of course Lowndes may have no interest, his Holden contract may not allow it, and he may not be any good on the gravel, but that doesn’t mean another sportsperson of his ilk couldn’t be enticed. Rallying usually only receives mainstream media coverage when there’s a major crash or tragedy, with even Rally Australia struggling to hit the airwaves.
A driver like Lowndes would not only ensure coverage Australia wide, but would potential increase spectator numbers three-fold, with new sponsors to the sport soon following suit.It's worked well in New Zealand, with Greg Murphy increasing publicity of the NZRC through his involvement in the championship over the past two or three seasons. As mentioned at the start of this article, it’s all just a fantasy, but surely it’s worth considering? As good as Eli Evans, Harry Bates and Molly Taylor are, they aren’t household names. For rallying to take the next step, it might be time the championship and some well-funded teams started thinking outside the box. It’s food for thought.
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