By CASEY O’CONNOR
The GCTMC Inc. is again conducting the iconic Border Ranges Rally from 8 to 11 August but with some big changes.
The rally this year will encompass all the championships and state awards embedded within the Queensland Rally Championship; and the Hankook Tyres QLD Unrestricted Rally Championship.
It will also be the last round of the Webstor East Coast Classic Rally Challenge.
In the 2012 BRR drew the biggest field of BDA / BGD Ford Escorts ever entered in Australia and the organisers are looking to make this year’s event even more spectacular and are anticipating a big entry of Classics in the sixty car field.
The event will be conducted over four days and based in Kyogle. Thursday will be an optional Media Day and Friday reconnaissance.
Friday night there will be a Super Special with the crews going head to head around the Kyogle Showgrounds.
Saturday (10th) the rally will be based at the Woodenbong Showgrounds and compete on those stunning stages (similar to previous years) but now with a tarmac spectator point right in the middle of Urbenville.
Early evening the famous Woodenbong township tarmac spectator point and double run up the hill completes Saturday’s activities.
Sunday the rally will be based in Kyogle and run over stages used in the 2009 WRC and pass twice through the famous Hillyards spectator point. The finish presentation party will follow in Kyogle early Sunday afternoon.
The aim is to conduct an event that is competitor, spectator and official’s friendly. Reconnaissance will offer a ‘shotgun start’ so competitors can either begin in Woodenbong as they travel down from the north, or Kyogle if they are heading up from the south.
For those competitors who do not wish to do reconnaissance a detailed road book will be presented so crews can compete ‘blind’. Alternatively crews can trailer their car for the short runs to and from Woodenbong to Kyogle even during the event (no overnight parc fermes) so they can elect to stay in either Woodenbong or Kyogle.
All the stages are fast gravel shire roads (except for the tarmac spectator sections) run in loops passing through the service parks which are located in the Woodenbong and Kyogle Showgrounds. The total competitive distance is approximately 140km.
Naturally the organisers are looking for assistance from volunteers to run this event, so if you are not competing please consider lending a hand. There are a multitude of jobs available including SOS points, driveway, road block and spectator marshals (all located on the course), control, regroup and service park officials; so please contact ‘JT’ the officials co-ordinator and offer your assistance: John Truskinger on 0407656044 jptruskinger@gmail.com
Attractive sponsorship packages are also available for those companies wanting to be a part of this exciting event. Please contact Clerk of the Course Stephen Davies tosteved@bigpond.net.au for details.
