Loveday growing in numbers as entries officially open
Thursday 29 June, 2023
Photos: Bob Taylor
Entries for the fourth round of the 2023 Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC) are quickly rolling in, with 30 crews already registered to tackle the Loveday 400.
With entries officially now open, many championship favourites have already secured their spot in the challenging event.
Current championship leader Travis Robinson is amongst the entrants, fresh from a podium finish at the Tatts Finke Desert Race which has secured him a championship lead of almost 130 points ahead of the penultimate round.
Read the Loveday 400 Supplementary Regulations here.
Joining Robinson on the entry list already is Extreme 2WD leader Nicholas Commins, Production 4WD leader Adam Jiear, reigning Sportslite champion Simon Tucker and home-town hero Toby Whateley.
Making his return to the championship after missing the Tatts Finke Desert Race is Daniel Hughes who claimed an impressive top five finish at the Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash, while 14-time Production 4WD champion Geoff Pickering and 2019 AORC runner-up Roydn Bailey will finally make their long awaited return to the championship after missing out the on the first three rounds.
Although there are already a collection of impressive drivers already throwing their hat in the ring, there are still a few notable names likely to enter, including SXS Pro leader James Cook and Prolite leader Mel Brandle, both of whom round out the outright championship top three.
While seasoned Loveday competitors will be eager to return to the familiar course, now in fine form after the wet South Australian summer, the changes to this year’s event format may also assist competitors who are less familiar with the race.
Like 2022, the event will begin with Scrutineering on Friday and Prologue on Saturday morning, with the action getting underway Saturday afternoon. While the event format is much the same as last year with 10 laps of the 40km making the overall distance, the 2023 edition of the event will see four heats take place as opposed to five.
Entries can be completed here.
The Loveday 400 will take place at the Loveday 4x4 Adventure Park on 28-30 July.