The Motorsport Australia Till Hino Victorian Rally Championship (VRC) gets underway this weekend with the North Eastern Car Club to hold the sixth edition of the popular Mitta Mountain Rally.
 
A massive field of 60 crews are entered in the VRC season opener and will be put through a rigorous challenge right from the get-go as they tackle 150 competitive kilometres across six stages.
 
Although it is a Victorian round, the nation’s first major rally for the year will welcome a number of interstate competitors - the most noteworthy being 2017 RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) winner Nathan Quinn.
 
Behind the wheel of a Mazda RX2, Quinn will have Alex Eadie by his side as he looks for a clean event before heading up to Canberra for the ARC’s season launch and test day on 7-8 March.
 
Guy Tyler is another interstate entry to keep an eye on throughout the event with the South Australian and his co-driver Chris Simmons to campaign his newly built Mitsubishi Magna in readiness for the 2022 ARC season.
 
Leading the charge for the local crews will be Brendan Reeves and Kate Catford in their Datsun 1600 and Ford Escort RS1800 pilots Luke Sytema and Tracey Dewhurst.
 
While this weekend will serve as an opportunity for crews to begin their year on a high and aim for some valuable championship points, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Championship regular Adrian Stratford.
 
Stratford, who will be running a Subaru Impreza previously belonging to Taylor Gill, acquired his car just four days out from the VRC opener after the engine blew on his intended car for the season.

Adrian Stratford will be driving Taylor Gill's 2021 Subaru Impreza. Photo: Epic Sports Photography

And while the liaison roads on the way to stage one on Saturday morning will be the first time that he gets to drive the car, the 26-year-old was looking forward to the rally and getting the season underway.
 
“Mitta is a great event that has a really social and fun atmosphere. The roads are fantastic and it’s a very technical rally,” Stratford said.
 
“It has slow pace corners, so being in a 4WD car will be fun, especially after struggling at this same event last year – hopefully we can enjoy some better results.
 
“With that said, I am very nervous about the event because driving to the first stage will be the first time we get to drive the car and I think I will spend the opening few stages just trying to learn it.
 
“The main objective for this weekend is to get seat time. I would love to be competitive, but I just don’t want to push the limits. It would be nice to beat Nathan (Quinn) and Brendan (Reeves) on some stages though.
 
“I am really excited for the weekend and a big thanks must go out to Cody Richards who has out a huge amount of hours to get the car prepped and making it possible.”
 
Click here to view the entry list.
 
In addition to the state championship round, the event will also host other sub events throughout the day with LDV Geelong Victorian Club Rally Series, East Coast Classic Rally Series and the traditional Mitta Masters all taking place at the same time.
 
The event is also open to fans with multiple oppurtunities to see the cars, including three spectators points available and the Mitta Mitta Recreation Reserve Service Park where crews will have two service breaks.
 
Click here to view the spectator guide.
 
The 2022 Motorsport Australia Till Hino Victorian Rally Championship season begins with the Mitta Mountain Rally on 5 March.