McRae, a British Rally Champion and world championship driver for Mitsubishi and Hyundai, has set his sights on the South Australian tarmac rally after winning the Classic category of the recent Targa West rally in Perth behind the wheel of a 1974 Porsche 911 RS.
Classic Adelaide on 19-23 November would be McRae’s first all-classic event in Australia and pit him against the sport’s most experienced drivers, including 2007 winner Kevin Weeks, five-time winner Rex Broadbent, Jim Richards, Rick Bates and Roger Paterson, all also Porsche-mounted.
“I spoke to Kevin and Jim in Perth and they encouraged me to enter Classic Adelaide. I’d be using the same car and it’s a full-spec Porsche so I’d like to think it would be competitive,” McRae said.
“At the moment I’m waiting to hear back from Ktec Autohaus, who ran the Porsche for me in Perth. I know they’re keen to do it, but I will still need to find a little extra support to make it happen.
“Classic Adelaide is a huge event – an entry of something like 300 cars and it features all the drivers from the modern category in the West Australia event, but in classic cars.
“That would be a fantastic event to do and I’d like to do it in the Ktec Porsche again if possible.”
Alister McRae is a member of Britain’s “first family of rallying”. His late brother Colin McRae was 1995 world champion and father Jimmy is a five-time British champion.
Alister has driven in more than 75 world championship rounds but made almost no appearances here since moving to Perth from Britain in 2007. He won the Two-wheel-drive Production category in his first attempt at Targa Tasmania this year, driving a factory-entered Mazda.
Entries have opened for Classic Adelaide, now in its 12th year and regarded as one of the world’s great classic motoring events.
Richards, Weeks and Broadbent are among many drivers who already have confirmed their intentions to run again.
The event will comprise a Prologue on Wednesday 19 November, followed by four days of competition on closed public roads in the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Southern Vales, Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbor and McLaren Vale.
Participation at Competition or Touring level is complemented by many social activities, including winery visits, dinners and the traditional Gouger Street open-air party and car display in Adelaide’s restaurant district.
Many of the world’s great sports car names such as Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Jaguar, will be represented in the the rally field.
In an event within an event, Ferrari owners will be part of international celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari 365GTB4 Daytona supercar.
Classic Adelaide is organised by Silverstone Events and supported by the South Australia Government, SA Tourism Commission and Events SA.
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