 The 30th anniversary Rally Tasmania has attracted a top quality field of over 50 entrants, with Australia’s biggest rally stars ready to tackle the tarmac roads around Burnie.
Starting tomorrow, Rally Tasmania includes some of tarmac rallying’s most popular stages, including Hellyer Gorge, Savage River and the exciting Burnie street stage.
The event includes sections for Modern and Classic cars, and is also the first round of the Australian Rally Championship.
MODERN COMPETITION
The field for the Rally Tasmania modern competition (for cars built
after 1981) is headed by three of the country’s most successful tarmac
rally drivers, all intent on winning the anniversary edition of the
event.
Tony Quinn took out last year’s rally in his Nissan GT-R and will be
eager to repeat that performance, but he’ll come under intense pressure
from touring car legend Jim Richards (Porsche 911 GT2) and Steve
Glenney (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) – both of whom are also previous Rally
Tasmania winners.
In fact Quinn, Richards and Glenney are also Targa Tasmania winners,
making them the three most credentialed drivers in the field.
The modern competition entry list is dominated by Subarus, Nissans and
Mitsubishis, with Richards’ German Porsche the only real threat to the
Japanese juggernaut.
Local hopes rest with Burnie’s own Jamie Vandenberg, who can never be discounted in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV.
 Simon Evans at today's Rally Tasmania test stage.
Young guns Klark Quinn (Nissan GT-R) and Brendan Reeves (Subaru Impreza
WRX STI) will also be a big chance for a podium finish. Quinn has
plenty of circuit racing experience, while Reeves is one of Australia’s
brightest rallying stars. At just 21 years of age he already has
considerable overseas rallying experience.
Simon Gillett is expected to perform well in an event he loves, while
the hot pink Nissan GT-Rs of Tony Alford and Peter Leemhuis will again
be favourites with the spectators.
CLASSIC COMPETITION
Can anyone catch the flying De Tomaso Pantera of Keith and Mary-Anne
Callinan? That’s the question Rally Tasmania Classic competitors are
asking as they ready themselves for this weekend’s event.
The Classic car section of the event, for cars pre-1982, will see some
fascinating duals, but it is Callinan’s thundering 700 horsepower V8
that will start as a clear favourite.
Porsche 911 drivers Roger Paterson and Peter Eames will be sure to give
the Queenslander a run for his money, and with the Pantera prone to
mechanical problems, they’ll be counting on the reliability of the
German Porsches to give them the edge.
Western Australian Mark Dobson could be a dark horse in his Triumph
TR7, while a trio of Tasmanians will be eager to uphold local honours.
John Kelly and Michael Bates (Holden Torana LX), Michael Kelly and Dion
North (Ford Falcon XD), and Mitch Roberts and Tony Cooper (Mazda RX7)
epitomise what classic rallying is about, and should perform well.
Crowd favourites could be South Australians Graeme and Bruce Robinson, who will drive their Leyland Mini Clubman GT.
AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Three-time national champion, Simon Evans, is the clear favourite
heading into Rally Tasmania, the first round of the 2010 Australian
Rally Championship (ARC).
The Victorian has won his three previous titles driving a Toyota and
Mitsubishi, but this year he’s back driving for his family-run team, at
the wheel of a Subaru Impreza WRX STI.
A crowd favourite, Evans and his co-driving wife, Sue, have been the
pacesetters in three of the past four seasons, and are expected to
start the season well.
Their biggest threat will probably come from last year’s ARC runner-up,
Glen Raymond, who this year has switched to a brand new Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution X.
Raymond has his brother, Matt, reading the pacenotes, and if last
year’s performances in a Toyota Corolla are anything to go by, then
they have every chance of upsetting team Evans.
Ensuring that Raymond is kept on his toes will be Simon Evans’ younger
brother, Eli, who’ll debut a Honda Civic Type R in Rally Tasmania.
If the weather conditions remain dry, then Evans’ 1600cc, front-wheel
drive Honda will be a real chance of victory, however if it rains, then
his chances will disappear quickly.
Returning to the sport after a couple of seasons contesting the
Asia-Pacific Rally Championship is Scott Pedder who, together with his
brother Mark, has reformed the Pedders Rally Team for a two-car assault
on the ARC.
It may take Pedder some time to find his feet again at ARC level, but his speed is unquestioned.
Melbourne’s Justin Dowel is hoping to improve on his fourth placing in
last year’s championship, while Queensland young gun, Ryan Smart, has
moved up to an ex-works Toyota Corolla Sportivo for his attack on this
year’s title.
His fellow Queenslander, Steve Shepheard, has again committed to the ARC in his privately entered Lancer Evo X.
The only Tasmanian in the ARC field is Daniel Wilson, who’ll call the
pacenotes for South Australian driver Barry Kirk in a Mitsubishi Mirage
RS.
Rally Tasmania is the first of six rounds in this year’s Australian Rally Championship.
Entrants in the 30th Rally Tasmania will tackle 19 special stages
covering a total competitive distance of 210 kilometres. Three stages
on Friday afternoon will be followed by eight stages on both Saturday
and Sunday.
The highlight for spectators will be two runs around the Burnie street
stage on Sunday afternoon, the last two stages of the rally. This will
be followed by a Food and Wine Festival on the Burnie foreshore.
For further information on Rally Tasmania visit the event website at www.rallytasmania.com.auPhoto: Peter Whitten
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