CAMS will have three drivers flying the Australian flag at next month’s Taipei International Gymkhana Prix, with 11 different countries to compete in the Taiwan-based event.

 

Tasmania’s Stephen Turner, Kelly Thomas from Western Australia and Queenslander Heath Barry are the three drivers selected to compete in the three-category event, with an impressive cash prize of  $10,000 US Dollars available for each category winner.

 

With Solo, Double and Team competitions taking place, the motorkhana-style format will see up to 36 drivers across 11 nations compete their runs in six identical stock cars organised by the event.

 

Starting with media duties and a Taipei City Parade Tour on Friday 8 November, practice and qualifying will get underway on Saturday before a drivers' dinner sets up the opening ceremony and official knockout stages on Sunday. 

 

Throughout the whole weekend, there will be a Gymkhana Carnival running, while the event will wrap with a International Forum on the Monday after the event.

 

Turner, who enters the competition as the elder of the three Australians, has enjoyed solid recent run of form, which includes multiple Tasmanian 2WD rally championships and a teams trophy at 2019 CAMS Australian Motorkhana Championship.

 

Thomas enters the event also having enjoyed success in rallying, with the young female obtaining CAMS Western Australian Rally Championship rookie co-driver top honours in 2018, while Barry is the current Junior Australian Khanacross Champion after a stellar performance in the 2019 national competition.

 

For Turner, the simple fact of being selected was an honour in itself and he was excited with the opportunity to compete on the international level.

 

“I’m really looking forward to heading over there and even more excited that I was selected to represent my country, “ Turner said.

 

“I’ve have been working pretty hard on my motor sport career over the last three years and I guess I put the selection down to competing in national motorkhana championship for the past three years running.

 

“I am really excited to be paired up with the two others and develop a good team and relationship with them. Hopefully we can push on and get a result. I don’t know Kelly (Thomas) personally but I have raced against Heath (Barry) a few times and I know he is a fierce competitor.

 

“I’m a bit of serious competitor. For me, this a great opportunity to represent CAMS as well as myself at an international event. I am looking to get a solid result and try and get a podium if possible.”

 

The three formats available during the event start with the Solo Competition, which will see individuals up against each other in a time-attack style format with 32 drivers to qualify for the knockout stages.

 

The Doubles Competition will be have two team cars run in tandem for a time attack format with 12 teams to advance to the knockout stages.

 

The final format is the Team Competition, which will see all three drivers from one team take on another two teams in a three-way knockout with the top 12 teams to advance to the next stage.

 

The 2019 Taipei International Gymkhana Prix takes place at a closed off street within the heart of Taipei City on 8-10 November.