WRC Repco Rally Australia *General Discussion Thread*

[formulagpguys]

Overnight the Repco Rally Australia released their proposed routes for the WRC rally in September.

The map can be viewed in our article here http://www.ozracingwrap.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=488:rally-australia-route-announced&catid=37:wrc&Itemid=56


Thread title edited to include all pre event discussion and news.    EB

[Oldtony]

Murwillumbah looks like the place to be that weekend.
They are running a slightly abbreviated "Speed on Tweed" for the historics over the same "Superspecial" in the streets at the northern end of town which make up the normal course with a few mods. Should be a fantastic weekend.
By the way the Repco Rally Australia site says that the Tweed is a "comfortable half day drive from Sydney!"  Wonder what they think we drive, and wonder how much the Pacific Highway speed cameras would raise if you tried it?

[formulagpguys]

yes would be better to make reference to the Gold Coast than Sydney you would think.

[Mothers Worry]

Although the proposed route has been announced according to AUTOSPORT there is still no confirmation on these details:

Rally Australia yet to confirm route 

From autosport.com:

Rally Australia yet to confirm route 

Friday, May 29th 2009, 08:29 GMT

Despite being just three months away, Rally Australia organisers have still not confirmed precise route details or ticketing arrangements for the all-new east coast-based event.

Rally Australia is due to start on September 3, but the organisers have been hindered in their plans by a requirement to provide proof that the event won't have a detrimental effect on the local environment.

In the past month, reports have been published for dust management; waste management; acoustics and two papers each on ecological assessments and the impact the rally might have on the local koala community.

In an effort to underline a financial commitment to the event, the New South Wales government today announced its intention to introduce special events legislation to Rally Australia, essentially underwriting the 10th round of this year's World Rally Championship.

Before the event can be signed off, however, the organizers are now faced with running open house consultation sessions with local residents and making more house-to-house visits in the Tweed and Kyogle Shires where the event runs.

Rally Australia Organising Committee Chairman Garry Connelly said: "With less than 100 days remaining until the event, we are pleased the Government has taken the initiative to introduce legislation in order to give certainty to the rally.

"We now hope to be able to start the all-important marketing of Repco Rally Australia, including the launch of ticket sales in the near future.

"The organisers will proceed with the next round of community consultations, where residents may inspect various reports and plans for the event, ask questions and make comments. The resident visitation program will continue with increased activity over the next month."

On top of those issues, the organisers' ability to check the stages for the event have been hit by some of the heaviest rain in two decades allied to abnormally high tides. Clerk of Course Dr Michelle Gatton said the officials would be looking at the route as soon as possible.

"Our route covers a very wide area from the coast to around 120 kilometres Inland. There are more than 160 kms involved and it's likely some have been flooded," Dr Gatton said. "We'll need to do a full audit when the conditions improve. Our officials will be getting out there as soon as possible."

[Oldtony]

The local NIMBYs held a protest in Murwillumba, on a Thursday afternoon of course, to protest that the rally cars would kill the local wild life and destroy the peace and tranquility of their meditation.
About 50 odd charachters in Kaftans, Koala, Edchina and Possum outfits etc marched down the main street carrying the usual banners.
One lonely couple on the sdeline waving a chequered flag banner supporting the rally.
On TV one of the protester came up to them and rather rudely said "If so many people support the Rally, where are they?".
One word answer "Working".
Classic.

[Mothers Worry]

The local NIMBYs held a protest in Murwillumba, on a Thursday afternoon of course, to protest that the rally cars would kill the local wild life and destroy the peace and tranquility of their meditation.

Considering that this part of the world has just had the crap kicked out of it by the weather I would have considered one weekend of motor sport would be pretty low on the agenda of things that need addressing.

[dozza]

hi all, australia is very lucky to have the wrc here, kyogle area is beutiful,  if the local grenies have ever been to a wrc event  anywhere else in the world they would no,,sweet stuff all damage is done!,, being part or a wrc team im more than happy to rally here at home....australia

[Racin Jason]

being part or a wrc team im more than happy to rally here at home....australia

which team are you with?

[dozza]

team abu dhabi,,  we have 3  fiestas in the wrc ford fiesta cup, and sheik kailiid al kassimi in the 3rd ford wrc car

[Racin Jason]

thats really cool, I look forward to having you around on this forum

[dozza]

any other questions,feel free to ask,i will answer when time allows.

[dozza]

have you rallied b4?  yourself?

[Racin Jason]

I race off road racing, www.flatoutoffroadracing.com is our teams website
just came 3rd in my latest race after a bit off an off in a tight tree section, the windscreen isnt looking so good anymore! heres a vid of the last event, mine is the red nissan patrol and the incar is from my car


back on topic, if only it had never left WA. Not only would I be able to watch it live but it was an awesome rally, we have some great tracks over here and I believe a lot of the drivers enjoyed it.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Spectator Interest / Ticket Sales result in extra viewing areas


In these days of doom and gloom it is a plesant change to read that the proposed WRC Australian round is causing so much advanced interest and this has reflected in advance ticket sales.....

Rally Australia organisers will install extra viewing areas into the New South Wales stages to cope with higher-than-expected spectator demand for tickets for the September event.

Event chairman Alan Evans
"Ticket sales are ahead of our early expectations and continuing strongly every day. As soon as it became clear that our [spectating] spots on Friday would fill quickly, we created an additional area on the Castrol Edge East [stage] and will provide shuttle buses to take spectators in and out."

In addition to seeing the regular WRC competitors on the event, which starts on September 3, spectators will also be able to watch the fastest local drivers tackling the roads following the inclusion of an invitation-only national division of the rally.  This is a new initiative which will be seen morein the future of WRC, particularly I guess in the more remote countries visited where the costs of transportation etc is too much of a budget breaker to teams that would otherwise throw the cars in a truck and join in the fun in Europe.

Whilst I wont claim it as an Aussie initiative exclusively it is good to see that the locals will get a chance to perform on a world stage in as much as in front of the big decision makers of the major teams will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on the local Group N guys (National Division) guys that they otherwise would never get to hear of.  It will be a golden opportunity for those who are talented enough to perhaps impress a major team into giving them even a test opportunity that would otherwise not have happened.

[bpratt]

FWIW, the Border Ranges Rally is on today based out of Urbenville NSW, which is being used as a bit of a warm up for the officials side of things for Repco Rally Australia.

One of the key things being tested out is the SSS where 3 cars at a time, sent out 15 seconds apart, will be getting run there.

Urbenville is around 2.5 hours from Brisbane, and you go via Beaudesert to get there.

The SSS is to be run very late afternoon.

[auto]

ID tell you to look for a Finnish flag to spot me but Finns seem to gravitate any motorsports (especially the rally)so good luck too you .

Last time I got my Finnish flag out to a race with a Finn in it was Indy when Mika Salo was driving.

[SchueyFan]

Some early details about the coverage of Rally Aus., to be broadcast on One

Friday 4 September: 8:30-9:30pm - Day 1 Highlights
Saturday 5 September: 5:30-7:00pm - Day 2 Highlights

No details on Sunday yet, as the advance guide only goes to the week commencing Sunday 30 August.

[formulagpguys]

Well questions now over if this will proceed, with Federal Court Action launched today seeking a injunction.

Not sure exactly who is behind it but would suspect the site norallygroup.org may be involved.  We have sent them an e-mail seeking comment and confirmation if they are in fact behind the action filed by Ms Katie Milne.

[SchueyFan]

Well questions now over if this will proceed, with Federal Court Action launched today seeking a injunction.

Not sure exactly who is behind it but would suspect the site norallygroup.org may be involved.  We have sent them an e-mail seeking comment and confirmation if they are in fact behind the action filed by Ms Katie Milne.

It is an interesting argument. Sports Tonight just did a piece about the story. By the sounds of it, the rally organisers have put a lot of effort in to reduce the risk of environmental damage, however i can also see the protesters' argument to an extent.

Apparently it will be in court tomorrow.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Injunction against Rally Australia fails 

Rally Australia has been cleared to go ahead next week after an injunction filed against the event was rejected by Sydney's Federal Court.

Katie Milne, a local councillor from Tweed Shire - the area in which Rally Australia is held - made the attempt to stop the event from taking place on environmental and ecological grounds.

Rally Australia organiser Garry Connelly produced more than 700 pages of reports to clarify that the event conforms with environmental regulations, leading the court to rule that the protest was "without merit".

Yay a common sense decision at last.