Australia’s best rally, side-by-side and moto competitors will head to Western Australia next month to contest the Quit Forest Rally, the second round of the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship (ARC).
From April 4 – 6, more than 70 crews will charge through the forests of Nannup and race the electric Trade Hire Super Special Stage under lights around the Busselton foreshore.
The brother and sister combination of Brendan Reeves and Rhianon Gelsomino head into the event with a strong lead over their ARC rivals after taking victory in both Heat One and Heat Two at the National Rally of Canberra earlier this month. However, they will have to fight against a strong field of contenders if they are to take their maiden Quit Forest Rally victory.
2014 is the second year the ARC crews will be competing in two-wheel drive vehicles and already the move has seen the return of exciting competitors and manufacturers to the sport.
“Only two years into the new championship make-up and the ARC winner could come from a choice of seven different makes of car, which will lead to some very competitive racing out in the forest,” Quit Forest Rally Clerk of Course Ross Tapper said.
“Brendan and Rhianon have already shown that the Mazda2 is a much stronger vehicle than the one they have driven in previous years and the introduction of two Citroen’s has already shown results with the pairing of Adrian Coppin and Tim Batten currently equal second in the Championship,” he continued.
Joining the Mazda2 and Citroens in the ARC field will be cars from Renault, Nissan, Ford and Volkswagen.
‘With new cars come new challenges for the teams and drivers and when you add the unique ball-bearing roads of Western Australia to the mix there will be plenty of action to catch over the weekend,” Tapper continued.
The East Coast Bullbars four-wheel drive category, the National Rally Series, will be just as competitive as the ARC field with eight crews battling for outright victory across the weekend behind the wheels of Mitsubishis and Subarus.
2013 ARC podium finisher and local Nannup driver Tom Wilde, who has stepped out of the ARC in 2014 to tackle the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, will lead the field, which also includes former Western Australian Rally Champions Leigh Hynes and frequent event podium finishers Dylan King, Doug Tostevin and John O’Dowd.
The Quit Forest Rally is the opening round of the 2014 WA Rally Championship and WA Clubman Cup Series with some of the most competitive fields in the events history set to contest the titles.
Adding to the spectacle will be Classic rally cars, Side-by-Side (all terrain vehicles) and Moto categories which will run across the weekend ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy in southern Western Australia.
The Quit Forest Rally is celebrating its 30th Birthday in 2014. The event is the second round of the ECB Australian Rally Championship, the first round of the West Australian Rally Championship and for the fourth year will also include competition for Side-by-Side, Motorbike and Quad entrants.
* Event release
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