No shortcuts on road closures

With 135 road closures for this weekend’s The Courier Eureka Rally, it takes a large team of volunteers to ensure the safety of crews and spectators alike.

Road Closure official David Sheridan is one of many officials who will help ensure the rally runs smoothly this weekend.

“It’s not just a couple of blokes putting a piece of tape over a road,” Sheridan said.

“Rallying has been going since the 1920s and it’s properly sanctioned by the government, local councils, the forestry officials and police.

“Our job is to make it safe for everyone, competitors, spectators and locals.

“The roads are closed and there are course-checking vehicles that go along before, and after, the rally as it goes through.”

Sheridan, like many officials, has a deep knowledge of the sport and has been involved as a competitor since 1969. The highlight of his career was circumnavigating Australia in a Datsun 1600 in the 1979 Repco Reliability Trial, where he finished 39th out of 198 starters.

“I spent a year building that car… it was bullet proof,” Sheridan said.

“It had to be because we didn’t have a service team. There was just the two of us.”

Today Sheridan runs an engineering business in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and enjoys catching up with his friends in motor sport at rallies.

Further information on road closures can be found by visiting The Courier Eureka Rally event page on rally.com.au.

Road Closure Summary

Saturday 3 March

Various state forest roads in the Wombat Forest will be closed for the rally from 9am until 6pm. The area is bounded by Spargo Creek, Blakeville, Greendale, Blackwood, Bullarto South and Korweinguboora, allowing for access along Lerderderg Rd from Blackwood.

Sunday 4 March

All, or part of, Sand Road and Kellys Road at Durham Lead, Treloars, Hansons, Monmouth, Incolls, Victoria and Skippers Roads forest roads in the Enfield/Ross Creek Forest and Golden Lake Road and Linton-Piggoreet Road at Devils Kitchen will be closed from 8am until 4pm.