Tarmac rallying returns to the North West Coast of Tasmania next February with the continuation of the Cradle Coast Rally Challenge.
After a successful inaugural event earlier this year, organiser Symbolic Motorsports has announced that the second edition of the Burnie-based tarmac rally will be conducted over the weekend of February 23 and 24, 2013.
The rally shall once again be conducted in three sections, Classic Trophy for pre-1990 model cars, Modern Trophy for post-1990 model cars and the Club Car Trophy section.
The 2013 event will start on Saturday, February 23 in the City of Burnie and cover nine stages around the magnificent tarmac rally roads in the Natone, Riana and Camena areas south east of Burnie and also include two runs on the “Wivenhoe” spectator stage located beside the Bass Highway amongst the busy lunch time café scene.
The Sunday leg will comprise 12 stages and take competitors through what is regarded as tarmac rally heaven, the famous Mount Leslie, Hellyer Gorge and Savage River stages, however the multiple runs used in 2012 on the Savage River stages will instead focus on Hellyer Gorge in 2013.
“The Savage River Road is written into tarmac rally folklore, and in its 52km length throws in everything a driver could ask for and requires serious concentration. Hellyer Gorge, however, has a predominately hot mix tarmac surface which is more reliable and predictable in February and this has led us to concentrate on Hellyer Gorge next year instead,” Symbolic Motorsports Managing Director, Tony Wright, stated.
The rally will finish with two runs over the adrenalin charged Burnie Super Street stage conducted in the CBD area of the city. A total competition distance of 170 kilometres in closed road stages is offered with very minimal transport distance.
With entries already being received from as far afield as Queensland and Western Australia, both defending Classic and Modern champions will return to do battle. 2012 Classic Trophy champion, Ballarat’s Gavin James, is again entered in his Porsche 944, but James is expecting a tough battle with Melbourne’s Paul Stuart in a Porsche 911 RS and local Burnie competitor, Mitch Roberts, in his Sportspower Burnie Mazda RX7. Roberts finished third in the Classic Trophy section last February behind Targa champion Jason White in the RallySafe Holden Monaro.
Current Modern Trophy champion, Burnie’s Jamie Vandenberg, is relishing the prospect of a battle with former Targa champion, Queensland’s Tony Quinn in the VIP Pet Foods Nissan GTR.
“It will be great to have Tony at the event and know doubt it will be a tough battle between our Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 and his more powerful Nissan, but we are really looking forward to the opportunity of going head to head with Tony over the stages around Burnie,” Vandenberg said.
You can find out more about the event at http://www.symbolicmotorsports.com/
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