The scene is set for a thrilling battle this weekend in the opening round of the 2014 Hankook Tyre Queensland Rally Championship. Over fifty competitors will travel from all over Queensland to compete in the opening round, to be held this coming Saturday, in and around Manumbar east of Kingaroy.
Hot, dry and dusty conditions are forecast ahead of the rally, making it very fast, but tough for drivers and navigators negotiating the narrow, high speed roads and tracks. The rally and central service park will be based at Manumbar, with all the rally and special stage action in the nearby Gallangowan forestry. Spectating areas are open to the general public and free of charge to access.
This will be the curtain raising round for the 2014 season, and the stage is well and truly set for an enthralling battle.  The field is made up of over fifty cars and leading the competitive pack are at least ten teams ready, willing, able and desperately wanting to get the upper hand on the season by winning this rally.
The field favourites and ones to watch will be Rob Bishop and Jo O’Dell in their Mitsubishi Lancer. Starting as car one on the road, they will certainly be out to clinch the victory and set themselves up to win a third Queensland Rally Championship crown. Only three other drivers since 1963 have won the title three times. Bishop won’t have it all his own way with a hard push coming from several other teams. Â
As always, Ian Menzies and Robert McGowan, also in a Lancer will be red hot from the outset and Kent Lawrence with navigator Stephen Andrews wanting to take their first state championship and get a taste of victory. Another very capable competitor and potential winner will be Matt van Tuinen along with navigator Erin Kelly. This will be van Tuninen’s first rally back since fracturing a vertebrae in a high speed jump during a rally in Asia last year.
While the very quick and modern 4WD, turbo charged cars will most likely dominate the podium positions, the spectacular sideways action and crowd favourites will certainly be generated from the big horse power, rear wheel drive cars. Dancing through the forest, throwing dust and singing superb notes of pure engine sounds that echo through the pine trees will be a heart pumping array of older Datsuns, Ford Escorts, V8 Commodores and Falcons. Â
One car that will be sure to steal the show will be the Ford Festiva of Clay Weston from Rockhampton. The left hand drive car was purpose built for rally competition in the UK by M-Sport and was imported into the country specifically to contest the Australian Rally Championship last year. Mr Weston recently purchased the car and while it is capable of being an outright contender, will use the 2014 season to learn and further develop the car.
Rally teams, along with their hundreds of service and support crews will travel from North and Central Queensland, the Wide Bay and South Burnett, across the Darling Downs and every corner and pocket of South East of Queensland to converge on Manumbar for the opening rally of the 2014 Hankook Tyre Queensland Rally Championship.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the event, or to obtain spectator access information, should visit the Brisbane Sporting Car Club’s Aussie Bush Rally web site: www.gallangowan.com.au. Spectator and rally event information will also be available from Rally Head Quarters at the Manumbar oval.
Photo: Red Hot Shotz Sports Photography
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