The picturesque NSW mid-North Coast town of Forster will host the event, on what many claim to be some of the best rally roads in Australia.
The Great Lakes Classic Rally will be run in conjunction with the NSW round of the Australian Rally Championship, however the Great Lakes Classic Rally will be an event in its own right.
Of the 330 competitive kilometres to be covered by the Classic rally competitors, 160 of them will be for the exclusive use of the Great Lakes Classic Rally field. There are five stages common to the ARC, of which two will be run twice by both the ARC and the Classics (except for the super special).
There will also be more spectator points to watch the Classics and the Great Lakes Classic field will be doing both super special stages at Buladelah and the Taree Showgrounds.
The Great Lakes Classic Rally will be open to Production Rally Cars made prior to December 31, 1999, Historic Rally Cars, Classic Rally Cars and other rally vehicles as defined suitable for the event by the organizers. No 4WD or forced induction vehicles will be allowed to enter.
For an entry fee of just $590 (including two tickets to the presentation dinner), crews will take in 330km of competitive stages. Saturday will see 150km competitive, a further 100km will be run on Saturday night, while on Sunday crews will complete the final 80km of stages.
One of the enticing aspects of the event for many will be that regional scrutiny will be allowed, there will be no reconnaissance (no pacenotes), and cars will not be impounded in a Parc Ferme on the Saturday night, allowing crews to work on their cars.
Saturday’s stages will begin a around 10am and crews will rally until 11pm that night, while a 9am start on Sunday will have cars finishing by around 3pm.
Saturday’s competition will be in the forests around Buladelah, to the south of Forster. While the ARC and State competitors are tucked up in bed later that night, Classic Rally competitors will continue on into Saturday night, doing a further 100 competitive kilometres.
On Sunday the competition will be in the Kiwarrak and Dingo Tops forests, to the north west of Forster.
Great Lakes Classic Rally competitors will start at the Main Beach Service Park with the other crews, but given the greater competitive distance they will be servicing in closer proximity to the special stages during the event.
The presentation dinner will be held in the Auditorium of the Forster Memorial Services Club on the Sunday night, commencing at 7pm.
ABOUT FORSTER
The township of Forster is located approximately three and a half hours drive north of Sydney. It is a popular seaside holiday destination renowned for boating, lake and deep sea fishing, as well as its family facilities and activities.
Accommodation in and around Forster caters for all budgets and ranges from caravans and cabins through to luxury beachside apartments. This is a rally you can bring the family to and while you’re out having a great time, you’ll also be earning maximum Brownie points as your family enjoys the benefits of a weekend at the beach.
FURTHER INFO
For more details on the event, contact either Sarah Manuel (sarah.manuel@defence.gov.au) or Mike Bell (mikebell@bigpond.net.au), or call (02) 4928 6101 during business hours, or 0417 414 803 after hours.
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