The event currently forms part of the Australian Rally Championship and the Asia Pacific Rally Championship and brings hundreds of thousands of dollars into the ACT every year, but the Government want out.
Although they have agreed to support the event in 2007 – albeit with a smaller budget than in 2006 – the ACT Government are adamant that they won’t run the rally in 2008, and are currently negotiating the contract with CAMS.
RallySport Magazine sources with inside knowledge into the runnings of the event have confirmed that, at the present time, the event has no sponsors, and although the event will run in June, it will be a very low-key, low-budget affair.
This year will be the 20th running of the Rally of Canberra, which has had a number of naming rights sponsors in that time, including the Esanda and FAI finance companies, and Subaru.
“I think that the Australian rallying public need to put their support right behind this year’s event,” RallySport Magazine’s source said today.
“The event is in serious danger of becoming extinct and I urge all Australian rallying fans to contact the ACT Minister for Tourism, Andrew Barr, and push for the Government’s continuation of their support.”
As well as being a round of the ARC and the APRC, it has been rumoured that the event also has the chance of becoming a round of the new Intercontinental Rally Challenge in years to come. The IRC series is based around the all-new Super 2000 category.
RallySport Magazine urges everyone to send your message of support for the Rally of Canberra to the ACT Minister for Tourism at: andrew.barr@act.gov.au
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