After a highly successful running last year, the Light Car Club of Canberra’s popular Blue Range Rallysprint returns this weekend in the Uriarra Forest on Blue Range Road.
Around 19 crews are locked in to run in the first round of the Techworks Automotive ACT Regional Rally Series and are scheduled to take on 68 competitive kilometres over four runs of two stages.
With the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) just weeks away from opening its 2021 season in Canberra, the event acts as the perfect precursor, with some of the championship’s crews to use it for a much-needed shakedown.
One of those crews and the top seed for the rally sprint is outright ARC contenders, Richie Dalton and co-driver Dale Moscatt, with the duo to run the event in the ex-Harry Bates Toyota Yaris AP4.
Dalton’s entry won’t be the only ex-Bates Yaris carving it up, with Peter Dimmock and Russell Hannah to represent the Neal Bates Motorsport powerhouse in the second Yaris AP4.
Another ARC regular to compete in the rallysprint and a crew certain to give Dalton and Dimmock a run for their money will be Andrew Penny and Rhys Llewellyn in the Subaru WRX – the duo also looking to go one better than their runner-up placing in last year’s edition.
Fellow Subaru pilot Michael Harding remains the other driver likely to be in the hunt for outright honours, while a host of other competitors add plenty of diversity to a field made up of 10 different manufacturers.
Despite no spectators being able to attend, Clerk of Course Peter Stringfellow remained excited for what should be an entertaining event.
“One of the great things about Blue Range Rallysprint is that it is always such a diverse field from ARC contestants to those who are starting their rallying career, everyone gets involved, everyone supports each other and everyone has a great time,” Stringfellow said.
Following on from the rallysprint, the club will then run a special presentation at the picturesque Blue Range hut with competitors able to camp overnight.
The Blue Range Rallysprint and opening round of the Techworks Automotive ACT Regional Rally Series takes place in the Uriarra Forest on 6 March.
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