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The annual rally dinner has become a must for rally fans over the past three years presenting a rare opportunity to hear first hand some fascinating tales from some of Australia's great rally drivers.
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This year, four times Australian Rally Champion Neal Bates will join flamboyant rally personality Ed Mulligan and former Holden Dealer Team and Hyundai works driver Wayne Bell (pictured) at the Bay Waters Resort to share stories of their years of rallying in Australia, the Asia Pacific and internationally.
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According to Rally of the Bay Clerk of Course, Ian Bigg, the night will be one of the highlights of the event.
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"It's not often you get three drivers of the calibre of Neal Bates, Wayne Bell and Ed Mulligan together to share yarns from their travels around Australian and the world," said Ian Bigg.
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"The night will be one of laughs and disbelief as the three rally legends break the rule of "what happens on tour stays on tour" and give enthusiasts a first hand account of the adventures they've had and trials they've faced over a many years of competition."
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Between them, Bates, Mulligan and Bell have more than a century of rally experience and thousands of tales from the rich and successful history in the sport.
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Neal Bates has become one of the most recognisable names in modern rallying since entering the Australian Rally Championship in 1991. He and co-driver Coral Taylor went on to win three consecutive titles from 1993 to 1995 and eventually claimed a fourth Australian championship in 2008.
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As well as competing in the ARC, Bates also competed in rounds of the World Rally Championship as well as V8 Supercars.
Bates feels honoured to be asked to speak at the Kumho Rally of the Bay dinner.
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"It will be great to have a good laugh before things get serious on Saturday morning," Bates said.
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"To share stories alongside Wayne and Ed will definitely be a privilege for me and I know rally fans and the Batemans Bay community who come along will have a thoroughly enjoyable night."
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Throughout the 1970s and '80s Ed Mulligan was known as the larrikin of rally. Mulligan first competed in the 1970 Ampol Round Australia trial in his mother's stock standard Peugeot 404. He went on to become a Ford factory driver in rallycross while competing in the Australian Rally Championship in a rotary Mazda RX2.
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In 1975 Mulligan changed allegiance and campaigned a Holden L34 Torana and a Datsun before switching to a Ford BDA Escort in 1978.
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Wayne Bell was a Holden Dealer Team driver in the 1970s and '80s finishing second to team mate Peter Brock in the famous Holden 1-2-3 in the 1979 Repco Round Australia Trial.
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Bell campaigned Gemini's for the team before going onto drive a Toyota Corolla in the Australian Rally Championship in the early 1980s later going on to take Hyundai to the world rally stage as the original driver and team manager of the Korean company's factory team in the World Rally Championship from 1992 till 1998.
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The Rally of the Bay dinner will take place at the Bay Waters Resort from 7pm on Friday 28 June. Tickets are available from rally headquarters at Bay Waters Resort for $ 45.00 per head which includes a two course meal.Â
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