Evans, who has taken out the first two rounds of the NEC ARC in convincing fashion, will be keen to hold off the chasing pack and keep his unbeaten record in tact.
After missing round one of the APRC, Australian Cody Crocker dominated the recent Rally Whangarei in New Zealand and now sits on top of the championship points table. He will be out to further cement his hold on the title in his home round of the championship.
Canberra local, Neal Bates, will be hot on the heels of his TRD team mate Evans, in the first competitive event for his brand new Corolla Super 2000.
Pirtek Rally Team Ford are hopeful that new developments to their Super 2000 Fiestas in the lead up to Rally of Canberra will assist with the performance of drivers Michael Guest and Darren Windus, and are looking forward to competing against Bates in his new Corolla.
The Rally of Canberra will boast a strong field of 39 NEC ARC cars, an increase of 10 on last year. With the inclusion of the Super 2000 cars run by TRD and Pirtek Rally Team Ford, this year’s Rally of Canberra is set to be action packed.
Away from the NEC ARC leaders, nine teams will compete in the F16 class and eight in the Rally Challenge. The strengthening of both these classes is great for the championship and the competition after the first two rounds of the NEC ARC is tight.
Along with Bates, several other leading competitors will launch their new cars. Eli Evans and John Murray Jnr will take to the forest in new Subaru WRX STi’s, while David Hills makes his return to the ARC in a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.
Fans will be treated to some excellent spectating opportunities across the weekend, at some of the most iconic locations that Australian rallying has to offer.
The ‘traditional’ Mineshaft spectator point will be used on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and the return of the legendary Pipeline stage will increase the excitement for everyone out in the forest.
Event Manager, Jenny Boyd, is excited by the level of interest already shown for the event and is encouraging locals to come out in force to support the teams and see rallying up close and personal.
“Rally of Canberra is a great rally as spectators get to see experienced drivers from both the national and international championships,” Boyd said.
The full entry list and spectator information is now available on www.roc.com.au and will be published in the Rally of Canberra supplement in this Sunday’s Canberra Times.
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