The 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay delivered a thrilling day of competition in the forests surrounding Batemans Bay, where Clayton Hoy and Brad Jones produced a dominant performance to claim outright honours aboard their Mitsubishi Evo 6.

The pair led from start to finish across the eight forest stages, while the battle behind them had major implications for the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship.

Ultimately, it was Tony Sullens and Julia Barkley who left the event as the new championship leaders.

Organised by the North Shore Sporting Car Club, the event also hosted Round 3 of the NSW Clubman Rally Series and the East Coast Classic Rally Series, with crews tackling approximately 140 competitive kilometres across eight demanding stages.

Hoy and Jones established the lead on the opening stage and remained unbeaten throughout the day to secure a commanding outright victory.

Behind them, Jamie and Brad Luff fought back after briefly losing second place during the opening half of the rally, guiding their Toyota GR Yaris home in second outright.

Sullens and Barkley completed the podium in their Peugeot 208, with their consistency proving crucial in the broader championship battle.

Although Hoy and Jones claimed the rally win, it was Sullens and Barkley who emerged as the biggest winners in the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship.

Their results across both heats earned the highest championship points haul of the weekend, elevating the pair to the top of the standings.

Championship contenders Richie Dalton and Mac Kierans looked set for a disastrous weekend after front-end damage and power steering issues hampered their Toyota GR Yaris in Heat 1. However, the pair produced an impressive recovery to win Heat 2 and salvage valuable championship points.

Bethany Cullen and Mel McMinn continued their strong season with fourth outright, while James O’Malley and Jono Forrest bounced back from disappointment at Narooma to finish fifth and claim top rear-wheel-drive honours in their Toyota 86.

Young driver Ryley King also impressed in his first pace note rally, recording the fourth-fastest time on Black River despite competing with a Fast Roadbook. Alongside co-driver Matthew James, King finished sixth outright and claimed victory in the Bay Ramble.

Mechanical drama denied several crews strong results, with Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall retiring from third outright after a blown head gasket, while Irish pairing Colm Murphy and Darragh Lynch exited on the final stage after running inside the top five.

Damian and Seth Nugent rounded out an excellent weekend by winning both the NSW Clubman Rally Series 4WD and East Coast Classic Rally Series 4WD categories.

Andrew Chapman and Jim Gleeson claimed Clubman 2WD honours and Stephen Duthie and Damien Hanns took victory in the East Coast Classic Rally Series 2WD.

Check out the results page for final outright and class rankings.