The highly anticipated Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland has officially arrived and there will be plenty to celebrate this weekend as the EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) reaches a major milestone in Gympie.
With 193 competitive kilometres spread across 14 stages awaiting the 23 registered national crews, this weekend will see the ARC hit an impressive 350 rounds since its inauguration back in 1968.
Since the ARC’s first official season, there have been plenty of good times to roll through and many big names and brands to have plied their trade as part of the exciting championship.
ARC Director Adrian Coppin was thrilled the championship was able to reach the milestone.
“To hit 350 rounds is a very special moment for the ARC as it highlights the championship’s longevity, and I am extremely proud to be involved in its current form,” Coppin said.
“There have been thousands of people to contribute to this championship’s success over the years and we are extremely lucky to be a part of it now.
“What better way to celebrate the milestone than at an event that has played a role throughout the ARC’s long and rich history – one that has been on the world spotlight as an international event in its previous adaptions and one that continually puts on a good show for teams, drivers and fans alike.”
Although all the stars of the world won’t be in Queensland, the Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland has cemented itself as a favourite amongst competitors and fans alike.
This weekend’s event will certainly be one to watch with the title fight already heating up after just two rounds, as Kiwi stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard look to build on their maiden ARC win in May’s Forest Rally against a strong field.
The Hyundai i20N – Rally 2 pilots aren’t the only international acts locked in to feature in Gympie, with Irishman Patrick O’Brien to make his debut alongside the West Australian Shane Farrell in a top-spec Ford Fiesta Rally 2 car.
Leading the Aussie contingent will be the pair of Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia GR Yaris Rally2 cars of Harry and Lewis Bates – both of whom will need to secure an important win in their push for the title – the former of which is yet to notch up a win this year.
Pedders Suspension and Brakes’ Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall in the Skoda Fabia Rally 2 and IntelliSpatial Fleetcare Racing’s Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney lead the way for the remaining crews.
In addition to the outright contenders, there is plenty of intrigue within the rest of the field, with the WOLF Production Cup to offer fireworks as Josh Wiedman and Clayton Hoy will be hoping to add another victory to their charge, while reigning class champion Bodie Reading’s official title defence begins this weekend in what is his first bout of the year.
View the full entry list here.
KEY DETAILS
Serving as the third round of the 2025 ARC season, the Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland runs as a Sprint format where points are split into two heats across Saturday and Sunday.
The 23 ARC crews will tackle 193.18 competitive kilometres across 14 stages during the weekend, with Heat 1’s eight stages on Saturday totalling up to 105.94km, starting from 8:55am AEST.
Sunday’s Heat 2 will see the remaining 87km take place over six stages, starting off with the famous Brooyar Loop from 9:00am before wrapping up with the 4.62km Power Stage in the afternoon.
Four official Service Breaks at Galvaniize Insurance Rally Central will take place during the event, with two on both Saturday and Sunday.
STAYING IN THE LOOP
There will be plenty of coverage throughout Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland for fans to stay up to date with all the happenings from the event.
For live results of each stage, as well as the cup and overall standings throughout the event, fans can view the Subaru Results Hub on rally.com.au at any point over the weekend.
Four stages will be live streamed throughout the rally via EROAD Australian Rally Championship’s YouTube and Facebook pages, and for the first time ever, on Instagram. Below are the estimated start times for each.
SS1 Muster 1 – 9:02am AEST
SS7 Kandanga 2 – 2:29pm AEST
SS9 Brooyar Loop 1 – 8:58am AEST
SS14 Brooyar Loop 2 – 1:09pm AEST
End of Rally – 3:00pm AEST
There will also be live updates, crew interviews and extended highlights via the ARC Instagram, Facebook, X and Threads accounts.
SPECTATORS
Fans wanting to come down to Gympie to watch the best rally cars in the country compete can do so via a spectator point on both Saturday and Sunday.
Register a place at any spectator point for free here.
The third round of the 2025 season will kick off with one of those accessible stages with fans able to watch the cars passing by from the Muster stage at 9:00am (SS1) and 1:28pm (SS5) AEST.
Spectators wanting to arrive in style can do so with tickets still available for the Mary Valley Rattler train option.
On Sunday, fans will once again be able to watch the cars in action from the famous Brooyar Loop Stage, which will run at 8:55am (SS9) and 1:05pm (SS12) AEST.
For those unable to see the cars on stage, they can see the cars being worked on via the important Service Breaks at Galvaniize Insurance Rally Central, which is located at the Gympie Showgrounds.
View the full Spectator Guide.
VELMEC WHEELS ON MARY
Before the action gets underway though, the extremely successful Velmec Wheels on Mary will kick off the event in style on Friday night from 5:30pm AEST.
Taking place right in the heart of town on Mary Street, fans will be able to attend the festival-like event as every car entered will be on display for fans to get up close to.
For the first time this year, crews will take part in a special autograph session during the Friday night party where fans will be able to meet their favourite drivers from 6:00pm.
Following on from the signing session, the top three seeded drivers in Harry Bates, Scott Pedder and Hayden Paddon will participate in the Rally Shot, hosting the Bosch Motorsport Ballot, which shakes up the trio’s starting order for the event before crews depart Mary Street from 7:30pm.
The Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland takes place in the Queensland town of Gympie 4–6 July. Get more information on the event via rally.com.au/Queensland
