RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored

I've just posted a long waffle about the lack of affordable tarmac rallying in Australia on a couple of other forums so I'd thought I'd see what you guys thought? Here is my rant!!

I came over here in 2007 from Wales where I used compete in Gravel and Tarmac rallies and I have recently decided to get another car and get my ass in gear again. My research in the motorsport scene in around the SEQ district show that Gravel based rallying is the go but if you want to go rallying on tar you have either be mega rich and enter Targa type events or compete in sprints and hillclimbs. Now without wanting to upset the Hillclimb and Sprint people, driving my rally car such short distances really doesn't do it for me sorry as I need at least a good 5kms to get into it. So I want to know what your guys thoughts are about the below?

Club tarmac rallying in the UK is about using our imagination to drive costs down and utilising areas that are accessible, safe and affordable. Australia hasn't got many old Airfields that we used a lot but it has got Race Circuits!

Here is a couple of clips in the UK from Single Venue stage rallies that use existing race circuits as the base of the stages....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWpesa0VXto
and.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxvYO8KuixI

....the format basically is a single central service area within the race circuit confines and then a laid out stage using the pit and access roads as well as parts of the main circuit to get as much mileage as possible. If the circuits are small it is common to add in 'splits' where on the first lap you use a link road which joins close to the start of the stage and then you do basically another lap! Then after the second time it is marked to take the stage finish split which the navigator points out as well as stage markers....

I currently live in the Gold Coast and looking at Google maps of Circuits like 'Lakeside' and 'Willow Bank' I reckon you could easily get in some good long stages. But I'm sure other circuits around Australia could do the same it just needs imagination by the organising club as well as a load of Cones, tyres walls, Hay bales, Wooden pallets to mark off the road.

What are peoples views and experience on this? Has it been tried before? Is Australia motorsport so ingrained in the current Rally formats that this is just too hard? With the right enthusiasm these events are quite easy to run (no public roads) and cheap for the competitor (No car breaking roads) and most of all great fun!!

Please give me your opinions?

Regards

Mark Johnson

I'm with you Mark.
I'd love to see more tarmac rallys.
When my car is finished I hope to do some, cause like you say sprints are so short you just get started then you finish and going rounf the same corners time after time doesn't cut it either.

I think Morgan Park would be suited to this style of events. There was also an event that combined dirt/bitumen at Willowbank using some of the dragstrip roads and the Ipswich West Moreton autocross track a couple of years ago.

Check Ipswich West Moreton, Gold Coast Tweed MSC or Brisbane Sporting Car Club.