Melbourne’s Danny Traverso is gearing up for another year of motorsport, signing on to defend his title in the 2015 Australian Tarmac Rally Championship.
The electrical contractor and his 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX RS will contest all four rounds of the series, which gets underway in Victoria’s alpine region this month.
The Mt Baw Baw Sprint kicks off the action over the weekend of February 21-22 followed by the Lake Mountain Sprint near Marysville in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges National Park a month later (March 21-22). Competitors then have to wait until the weekend of October 3-4 for their next fix before the 2015 ‘grand final’ on December 5-6.
“This will be my fourth run at Mt Baw Baw and I’m hoping for a repeat of last year when I made the podium, not the previous two attempts when I didn’t,” Traverso laughs.
“In 2012, I was leading until I hit a tree, and in 2013 I was leading when the car suffered a mechanical failure. After all of that, it was good to get a result last year and I would like to be at the top end again this time around.”
Traverso says he has learned an important message along the way: if you want to win a championship, it is consistency not outright speed that gets results. Part of the learning process has been working with a good co-driver.
“I’ll have former ARC and Targa Tasmania winner, Steve Glenney, calling for me at Baw Baw, and I know I will benefit from all his experience. He runs a professional rallying business with Bernie Webb who called for me last year, and they will be sharing co-driver duties for me this year.
“They’re both really experienced and they keep me under control! It’s not about stopping me having fun, but about polishing my rough edges. They keep me steady and safe, and once you have the knowledge and consistency, you get the speed you need to get the job done,” Traverso says.
“They played a major role in me winning the series last year – I could not have done it without them – and getting that result was just fantastic. It’s a reward to the sponsors, the mates and my family, who have all played a part in helping me do this.”
Traverso has nothing but praise for the people behind the events, Melbourne-based Mountain Motorsports and its director, Peter Washington.
“He and his team run fantastic events, whether you’re really experienced, or just a beginner. They’re well organised and very safe. The roads are quite tricky, but if you run at your own pace, within your own capabilities, it’s challenging but a lot of fun too.
“The social side is excellent. You’re mixing with a great bunch of people who are all there to have a good time – the camaraderie is one of the best parts of the ATRC events.
“Everyone is so helpful too. It’s a great way for a rookie to get a feel for doing a tarmac rally, and I would encourage anyone who wants to try this sport to sign up for the touring category of an ATRC round. It’s an easy way to learn without spending a heap of money, and there are lots of people who will help you,” Traverso says.
The Mt Baw Baw Sprint is based around the ski resort on the Mountain, 120km east of Melbourne. The event uses the access road from Icy Creek to the summit, broken into a series of individual special stages run both up and down the road for a total of 220km of competition. The final stage is a 30km ‘blast’ over the full distance of the road to the village.
Organisers of the ATRC are still offering a special deal to competitors who sign up now for the four events – but not for much longer.
Those entering the full competition category for all four events pay only $5400, while those who want to have a ‘taste’ of tarmac rallying by driving in their road car in the touring category (a ‘spirited drive’) pay just $1800 for the four events. For those not ready to commit to the full series, a competition entry for Mt Baw Baw is $1600 and a touring entry is $600.
With support from Mt Baw Baw Resort, this is the fourth year the event has been run. Competitors can contact the resort to organise their accommodation (http://mountbawbaw.com.au/).
All the ATRC events are open to modern (modified), classic (pre-1982) and showroom-spec vehicles which meet tarmac rally specifications (full rollcage etc). Aside from the outright title, there are individual honours up for grabs in all three categories.
Competing crews must wear full racesuits and helmets and be licensed by the Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA). Touring competitors must be wear non-flammable clothing from neck to wrist and ankle but not necessarily a racesuit. Driver and co-driver must wear helmets.
Further information on this year’s events is available from event director Peter Washington (0418 337 955) or the website: http://www.australiantarmacrally.com/
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