The EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) got its first look at the newest addition on the 2026 calendar on the weekend as the New South Wales town of Narooma hosted the NSW Rally Championship on the weekend.
Featuring in the state championship event was reigning ARC champion Harry Bates and 2022 champion Lewis Bates, with the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia stars steering their respective Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 cars to first and second for the event.
Narooma was recently announced as the third event on the 2026 ARC calendar and the Brindabella Motor Sport Club-run rally will replace the outgoing Rally of Canberra as the newest addition.
Following on from the rally, both Harry and Lewis were left impressed with the roads and overall atmosphere of the event.
“Really cool location here in Narooma as it’s right on the beach and there’s a really cool vibe about the town,” Harry said.
“The stages are very fast, they require high commitment, they’re very technical and there’s a lot of crests, but they’re nice and we’re here this weekend just to get our eye in for next year.”
“The roads are challenging and definitely tricky,” Lewis added.
“The rhythm changes on each stage are quite amazing and it’s just quite full on. All in all, they’re enjoyable fast, technical stages.”
The Bates brothers weren’t the only ARC names entered rally fans would be familiar with, with Scott Pedder, Tom Clarke, Tony Sullens, Nathan Quinn and Josh Redhead all featuring in the event.
Former WOLF Cup Champion and current FIA Junior World Rally Championship leaders Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic also took part in the rally, but had retired early on due to mechanical dramas after winning the first stage.
The Narooma Forest Rally will serve as the third round of the 2026 EROAD Australian Rally Championship and will take place on 26-28 June.
