Some of Queensland’s best rally competitors are gearing up to compete at the annual Ingham Toyota Forest Rally this weekend, with the one-day event to grace the Hinchinbrook Shire.   

Promoted by the Townsville City Autosports Club (TCAC) and supported by Toyota, more than 20 eager crews will tackle a number of special stages across 120 competitive kilometres throughout the day, with the driver posting the fastest cumulative time crowned the outright winner of the rally.   

Fresh from an appearance in the Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland as part of the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC), Glenn Brinkman headlines an impressive entry list after previously competing just a couple of weeks back. 

The Queenslander will be behind the wheel of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 that helped him power his way to a top 10 finish in the national event, as well as the outright win at the Roo Systems Manumbar Rally earlier this year.   

Brinkman will also be looking to make it back-to-back Ingham Forest Rally wins after taking victory in August last year and will have the assistance of usual co-driver Shaun Richardson.  

Although, he will have some real competition with the experienced Simon Jansen entered in his EVO 6 and will be aided by his wife and co-driver, Elysia Jansen. 

Brinkman and Jansen endured an epic battle in last year’s event, with the former taking victory after a tyre issue late in the rally ruled Jansen out of contention.  

“This wont be the first time we compete, we keep coming back because we love it,” Jansen said.  

“The road service is really good, it’s a great rally and just so well set out and well organised.  

“Every year it seems to get bigger and bigger, it’s great to see guys like Glenn (Brinkman) come back after joining last year and I hope to have another close battle with him again this time around.  

“Glenn and I were swapping seconds all throughout the day, the second last stage we had an issue and it put us right back. 

“He figured out very quickly last year he needed to turn it up, so we are looking to get that win back this time around.” 

There will be plenty of other storylines to keep up with through the rest of the field, with Wade Hickey returning to rally action in a new weapon of choice after 11 years between stints and will be joined by his partner, Karli, in the Subaru Impreza for the first time.   

While Wade will be looking to finish as high as possible in the standings, there will be some extra motivation with his brother, Leif – who is entered in a Nissan Skyline R33 GTS.  

There will also be some further inner family turmoil when Brett and Michelle Wasley aim to put their Mitsubishi Lancer ahead of their daughter Jenna in a newly built 2006 WRX. 

Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend the event, with plenty of spectator points set up to witness the immense speeds and spectacle of rally cars kicking up some sideways dirt. 

The first spectator point will be on the corner of Jocks Lodge Road and Manor Creek Drive in Broadwater, while the second will be set up off Lannercost road.   

The rally is scheduled to kick off from the Cloakey’s Hotel at 10:00am AEST, where all those attending will then be treated to five and a half hours of rally action.   

The annual Ingham Toyota Forest Rally will take place in the forests of Ingham and Hinchinbrook Shire on 12 August.