The RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) won’t be the only major rally championship to begin its season this weekend with the Dunlop Tyres Motorsport Australia WA Rally Championship (WARC) also getting underway.

Taking place on Sunday in and around the forests of Bakers Hill, the Novus Glass Winvale Park Stages will see WARC crews tackle 60 competitive kilometres across 10 stages.

A huge field of 41 crews are entered in the event, with reigning champion John O’Dowd will not be attending the season opener, opening the door for a number of the championship’s regular stars to begin their seasons on a high.

Headlining the entry list are the likes of Ben Searcy, Craig Rando, Jack Flanagan and teenager Max McRae – the youngster entering the event for the third time in his career.

Click here to view the entry list.

Having locked in a busy schedule for the 2022 season, which includes a full WARC campaign and multiple ARC rounds, McRae was looking forward to getting underway at an event he knew well in a new car.

“It’s really nice to start with an event where I have some experience and I have some idea of what the roads are like,” McRae said.

“Last year was great. I didn’t really know what to expect going into the event and not having competed in a four-wheel drive car before – but it went well and that helps to give me some confidence ahead of this weekend.
 
“I haven’t done much in the car since last year, but we know we’ve got a really good car from Maximum Motorsport – Dean Herridge has put a lot of development into it and I’m really happy to be in it for the season.”

Other notable drivers entered include Peter Major, Peter Rullo and Dave Thomas – all of whom will be hoping for a big weekend of points themselves.

The first three stages of the stage of the day will be repeated after the first flexi-service before crews tackle three news stages after the second service break, which will be followed by the 10th and final stage.
 
Also part of the rally will be the WA Clubman Masters and Cup, which will see five of the 41 crews run on half the competitive distance than the WARC component.

Click here for more information on the event.

The Novus Glass Winvale Park Stages takes place in Bakers Hill in WA on Sunday 3 April.