Sign In
Register
Help
Quote
THE leading drivers in the Australian Rally Championship have thrown their support behind the calendar's newest event, the Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge.
The inclusion of the October 4-5 event will be the first major tarmac round in the championship's prestigious 41-year history.
National champion for the past two years, Toyota factory driver Simon Evans, said he was looking forward to challenging his Super 2000 Corolla on a different surface.
"I've been saying for five years that we need a tarmac event in the championship, so it's great to finally have one. Now all we need is a snow event and we'll have everything covered," he said.
Neal Bates, who leads this year's championship after three rounds, backed up his team-mate.
"We've spoken about adding a tarmac event to the championship for 10 years, and I'm glad that it's finally happened. While it's not good to lose an event like the Rally of Melbourne, the tarmac event will be a welcome addition," Bates said.
"If you're going to have a tarmac event in the ARC, then Tasmania's the place to have it.
"The organisers are incredibly good, and the rally couldn't be in better hands."
The country's leading privateers are also keen to get their cars to the Burnie-based rally for what organisers believe will be a marquee event in the championship.
Evans's younger brother Eli said it would bring the best tarmac and gravel rally drivers together in the one event while Spencer Lowndes (Mitsubishi Lancer) and Darren Windus (Ford Fiesta) said they were eagerly awaiting the new event.
"I think it will be especially good for the young drivers to get some tarmac experience, particularly if they have plans of going to Europe to compete," Lowndes said.
"I did Targa Tasmania in a Mini a couple of years ago, and driving on tarmac was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be."
While the move to tarmac means work for all to find the ideal set-up for their cars, they agreed that the excitement of a new event and surface outweighed that.
The inclusion of the October 4-5 event will be the first major tarmac round in the championship's prestigious 41-year history.
National champion for the past two years, Toyota factory driver Simon Evans, said he was looking forward to challenging his Super 2000 Corolla on a different surface.
"I've been saying for five years that we need a tarmac event in the championship, so it's great to finally have one. Now all we need is a snow event and we'll have everything covered," he said.
Neal Bates, who leads this year's championship after three rounds, backed up his team-mate.
"We've spoken about adding a tarmac event to the championship for 10 years, and I'm glad that it's finally happened. While it's not good to lose an event like the Rally of Melbourne, the tarmac event will be a welcome addition," Bates said.
"If you're going to have a tarmac event in the ARC, then Tasmania's the place to have it.
"The organisers are incredibly good, and the rally couldn't be in better hands."
The country's leading privateers are also keen to get their cars to the Burnie-based rally for what organisers believe will be a marquee event in the championship.
Evans's younger brother Eli said it would bring the best tarmac and gravel rally drivers together in the one event while Spencer Lowndes (Mitsubishi Lancer) and Darren Windus (Ford Fiesta) said they were eagerly awaiting the new event.
"I think it will be especially good for the young drivers to get some tarmac experience, particularly if they have plans of going to Europe to compete," Lowndes said.
"I did Targa Tasmania in a Mini a couple of years ago, and driving on tarmac was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be."
While the move to tarmac means work for all to find the ideal set-up for their cars, they agreed that the excitement of a new event and surface outweighed that.
I would love to cover this, but it the same weekend as the drag day and the finals of the drift! Arrrgggghhhhhhh!
MultiQuote