THE biggest field for a championship rally in Australia in years, 83 cars, will start the International Rally of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast next Friday.The final entry list for the 30 July-1 August event features teams from India, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Australia, plus a star-studded driver line-up.
Starting in Caloundra on Friday night with two tarmac special stages at the Coates Hire Rally Shootout, the event will host round four of the 2010 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, round five of the Australian Rally Championship, rounds three and four of the Queensland Rally Championship, the third and final round of the Australian Classic Rally Competition and a category for All Comers.
Event Director Errol Bailey promises spectators will be treated to a thrilling display of skill by international drivers making their only Australian appearance this year.
They international line-up comprises Australian Chris Atkinson, formerly with the Subaru World Rally Team and now the factory Proton R3 Malaysia squad, teammate and British Rally Champion Alister McRae (Scotland), Team MRF’s Asia Pacific champion Katsu Taguchi (Japan) and his Indian Rally Champion teammate Guarav Gill (India), Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), Atsushi Masumura (Japan), Brian Green (New Zealand) and Jean-Louis Leyraud (France).
Three young Australians, Brendan Reeves (21), Glen Raymond (25) and Nathan Quinn (24), have been given a chance to showcase their talents with wildcard entries in the Asia Pacific field, but the man who beat everyone in the 2009 event, Victorian Simon Evans, will run only in the Australian Rally Championship division in a bid to clinch his fourth driver’s crown.
“This is a fabulous field for the International Rally of Queensland. There will be more talent, more cars and more variety than has been seen at a championship rally in Australia for many years and certainly at our own event since the mid-nineties,” Mr Bailey said.
“If spectators have never seen a world-ranked driver like Chris Atkinson at work in a genuine works rally car like the Proton Satria Neo S2000 before, they’re in for a fantastic experience.
“There will be great battles to watch in every part of the field – the Classics will be particularly exciting to watch - and plenty of chances for spectators to see the cars in action and at rest.”
Promoters Brisbane Sporting Car Club have added new opportunities for spectators to see the cars on this year’s event, the 42nd as a round of the Australian championship.
After the Caloundra-under-lights Coates Hire Rally Shootout, the rally resumes on Saturday with an 8 am service break in the main street of the pretty hinterland town of Kenilworth, where fans and locals are expected to turn out in force.
At the end of the day, crews will make a meet-and-greet visit to Cooroy from 5 pm en route to the secure overnight compound (parc ferme) at the ocean-front SurfAir at Marcoola resort and rally headquarters.
Of the crews not required to enter the parc ferme, many will spend the night at Imbil, the location of the Novus Autoglass Service Park, where the Mary Valley Show Society will welcome them and spectators at the inaugural U-ROCK when IROQ party. The headline act is the harmonica-playing Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Bob Abbot with his eight-piece Boreen Point Connexion band.
The Service Park at the Imbil showgrounds and the Spectator Park just outside the town will be the hub of weekend activity.
Crews will contest eight gravel special stages in the Imbil State Forest on Saturday and a further eight on Sunday, returning to the Service Park – a popular place for fans to see the cars and drivers - a total of five times before the winner arrives at the Imbil finish podium at 3.30 pm.
Pre-event tickets can be purchased at www.rallyqueensland.com.au, with discount prices available until midnight tonight.
Website visitors also can download a free, 28-page Official Program containing entry lists, spectating times and locations, maps, driver profiles and other information.
SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Friday 30 July
(from 7.30pm Super Special Stages 1, 2)
5.30 pm Caloundra, Coates Hire Rally Shootout super special stage and rally show (tickets required)
Saturday 31 July
8am Kenilworth, competitor service break (“pit stop”)
All day Imbil Forest, Spectator Park (tickets required, first car due approx. 8 am)
All day Imbil, Showgrounds Novus Autoglass Service Park
5 pm Cooroy, rally crews meet-and-greet and car display
5.30pm Imbil Showgrounds, U-ROCK with IROQ dance party
Sunday 1 August
All day Imbil Forest, Spectator Park (tickets required, first car due approx. 8.49 am)
All day Imbil Showgrounds, Novus Autoglass Service Park
3.30pm Imbil Showgrounds, Novus Autoglass Service Park, official finish and podium presentation
Ticket Prices
(General Admission tickets discounted 20 percent until midnight 25 July)
Friday 30 July
Coates Hire Rally Shootout, Caloundra
General Admission, adult $20, child (under 14) $5*
Corporate Hospitality Party Deck, adult $145 (10 people, pay for nine $1305), includes two-course meal, bar, parking
Saturday 31 July, Sunday 1 August
Imbil Spectator Park
General Admission, per day adult $15, child (under 14) $5*
Corporate Hospitality, per day $99 (10 people, pay for nine $891), includes two-course meal, bar, parking
Event Super Pass (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
General Admission adult $35, child (under 14) $10*
* Children admitted free with original coupon printed in Sunshine Coast Daily on 17, 21, 23, 24, 28 and 31 July, when accompanied by a paying adult.
On-line tickets and spectator information are available at www.rallyqueensland.com.au.
The International Rally of Queensland is benefiting from Significant Regional Event Scheme (SRES) funding under the Queensland Events Regional Development Program (QERDP).
The QERDP is an investment program designed to extend the flow of economic and social benefits of events to regional Queensland. The SRES celebrates and supports those events that have a particularly strong track record of growth and economic success for their region.
A state-wide initiative, the program is committed to enhancing existing events in regional Queensland, as well as assisting in the establishment of new events.
Since the QERDP began in 2001, more than $15.3 million has been invested in 705 regional events, an indicator of the important role these events play in their communities and wider Queensland.
IROQ also is supported by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
