The Shannons Insurance Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland returns bigger and better than ever in 2023 as a stunning 63 crews prep for three days of thrilling rally action.  

The weekend will host the opening round of the MRF South Australian Rally Championship (SARC), while the East Coast Classic Rally Series (ECCRS) will also join the jam-packed schedule.

This is the first time returning to the mid-north regions of South Australia since 2021, after the 2022 edition was postponed - but this time things will look a little different than it has in the past.  

Crews will enjoy 450 competitive kilometres across the three days of the rally, with this year featuring two brand new prologue stages, which will also count towards the end results.

Saturday night will also play host to long night stages in full darkness, offering up an immense challenge to crews and one that is sure to shake up the pecking order as they head towards the final stages on Sunday.  

As if it wasn’t already challenging enough, the event also has a strict no local testing rule in place – meaning all crews will be forced to heavily lean on the road books as they tackle the rally heartland in a blind event.  

The 2021 classic class winners Thomas Dermody and Eoin Moynihan headline an exciting lineup of drivers set to take to the tracks across the weekend, with 2019 winners Stuart Bowes and Mark Nelson also aiming to add another trophy to the mantlepiece.  

Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship stars Nathan Quinn and co-driver Ray Winwood-Smith will also feature in the ECCRS 2WD category behind the wheel of their Mazda RX2.

Reigning SARC Champion Jamie Pohlner will be alongside Adam Branford in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO as they try and claim their first Heartland SARC victory, while Molly Spalding and Guy Tyler will also try and steal the show in their Subaru RS.

Other notable entrants include Ben Searcy and Brad Jones, who have brought along their 4WD Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, as well as Andrew and David Travis who will look to go one better after a second place SARC finish last time out.

For anyone who wants to attend the event, there is a wide range of information available, including entry list sand spectator information here.  

The Shannons Insurance Rally South Australia – Rally of the Heartland will take place in the mid-north regions of South Australia on 28-30 April.